- Nov 16, 2012
- 914
- 1,792
I have this one gymnasts who has literally not stayed on the beam even ONCE at a competition in FOUR YEARS! I know this sounds absurd, but it's true. She can stay on the beam at practice, but not when competing. Today we had once again a competition and she did fabulous job on every other apparatus but beam. She fell off twice again, even if her beam routine is so watered down that it's almost ridiculous now. I'm pretty sure that even if we made her compete two or three levels down she would still fall. I don't know why she keeps falling.
She is very fit, well conditioned and balanced gymnasts, one of the most talented gymnasts in our gym and on elite path competing now the first elite path level. She has already gone through 5 different levels at this point and her current skill level is between USAG levels 8-9 on different apparatuses. On beam her hardest skills are a back tuck, BHS LOSO (with mats), switch leap, front tuck from one leg (with mats), RO full twist dismount... And her competition routine is now simple mount, full turn, switch leap - split jump, cartwheel-RO, BHS, back tuck dismount. So very easy for her. We have taken away all the riskier skills. It's the bare minimum in her level. She has to get mobility score on each apparatus (all the composition requirements must be fullfilled AND at least 7.5 E score in the same routine) during the same season and she has easily got the scores on every other apparatus but beam. She's all the time on the podium on the other events and outscores the others so easily. Beam is just her nemesis and it feels like she's almost given up the hope of ever staying on the beam. And when she keeps falling, it keeps making her more frustrated and more miserable. She should move up to the next level but we have only 3 meets left and if she doesn't get the mobility score for beam she will have to repeat this level - AGAIN. She is already repeating.
I even mentioned her mom that seeing a sports psychologist might be a good idea. She needs tools to hold her nerves and to start to believe that she could stay on the beam.
Do you have any words of wisdom? Any suggest stories after similar experiences? She always falls off on different skills. It's rarely the same skill two competitions in a row.
I'm so sorry for her. I hate to see the empty look in her eyes after beam at every competition we attend. She doesn't cry, she's not mad. She just looks sad but tries to hide it, keeps cheering on the others. But her mom has told me how she really feels.
She is very fit, well conditioned and balanced gymnasts, one of the most talented gymnasts in our gym and on elite path competing now the first elite path level. She has already gone through 5 different levels at this point and her current skill level is between USAG levels 8-9 on different apparatuses. On beam her hardest skills are a back tuck, BHS LOSO (with mats), switch leap, front tuck from one leg (with mats), RO full twist dismount... And her competition routine is now simple mount, full turn, switch leap - split jump, cartwheel-RO, BHS, back tuck dismount. So very easy for her. We have taken away all the riskier skills. It's the bare minimum in her level. She has to get mobility score on each apparatus (all the composition requirements must be fullfilled AND at least 7.5 E score in the same routine) during the same season and she has easily got the scores on every other apparatus but beam. She's all the time on the podium on the other events and outscores the others so easily. Beam is just her nemesis and it feels like she's almost given up the hope of ever staying on the beam. And when she keeps falling, it keeps making her more frustrated and more miserable. She should move up to the next level but we have only 3 meets left and if she doesn't get the mobility score for beam she will have to repeat this level - AGAIN. She is already repeating.
I even mentioned her mom that seeing a sports psychologist might be a good idea. She needs tools to hold her nerves and to start to believe that she could stay on the beam.
Do you have any words of wisdom? Any suggest stories after similar experiences? She always falls off on different skills. It's rarely the same skill two competitions in a row.
I'm so sorry for her. I hate to see the empty look in her eyes after beam at every competition we attend. She doesn't cry, she's not mad. She just looks sad but tries to hide it, keeps cheering on the others. But her mom has told me how she really feels.