Parents When they can do it, but they can't?

[MILgymFAM]

Anyone else have a gymnast who is physically capable of a particular skill (per their coach) but just cannot seem to do it? Not a fear or a block or a lost skill, just something that refuses to click? My DD should be able to cast pretty high but it's a good day when she hits horizontal. Her coach is confounded at this point. It doesn't matter if she's on high bar, low bar, pit bar, or strap bar. She is just terrible at casting. She is so (really, SO) much tighter and stronger than she used to be, but she is light years from handstand. Her gym doesn't require their L6s to have handstand (and there is basically 0% chance of L7 next season), so it's not an issue really (other than killing her bars scores, but that's something she can deal with)...it's more I'm curious what the reason could be and curious if others have seen it (and seen the other side, too!).

 

[Aussie_coach]

When they can do something, but they can't, then they really can't do it. A child could be totally physically ready and capable to do a skill, but if they are not mentally ready then they are not ready.

She needs more drills that will put her in the position to help her confidence and understanding grow. If what she is currently doing is not working then different drills are needed. Different kids learn better from different learning scenarios.

 

[Kcanflip]

My kiddo is like this. Strong and capable but I DO think it's mental readiness issues and confidence with her. Casting higher than horizontal is definitely in that category.

 

[rjb123]

Is she afraid to go over? I think that's a common thing at first.

 

[Fijiwater]

I have video evidence my DD can do a front giant, but there are days you'd think she's never even heard of the skill....

 

[profmom]

[cough cough] parallel bars giant to handstand [cough cough]

 

[NutterButter]

Yes, many times on bars in this order squat on, pike on, differing heights of casts, cast handstand, giant and now clear hip handstand. It's a mental readiness/confidence thing for my DD.

 

[LizzieLac]

BHS SO on beam.. had it, lost it, had it, lost it, but this is all mainly the result of the big ugly injury that interfered with everything. BUT, even before the injury this skill was a struggle to get and confounding to coaches because she was advancing on every other apparatus.

 

[JMACAZ]

No advice (having cast requirement issues here too) but hoping something clicks for her soon!!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Simply put, she is afraid to go higher and hasn't learned what to do if she falls over or collapses. There are drills and spotting that can be done to help this.

 

[MILgymFAM]

So can she be afraid to go higher and not know It? She says she's not afraid. Doesn't look afraid. Has beautiful tap swings- No fears when it comes to peeling off (and she's done that). She knows when she dampening her own tap, but swears that she is trying to cast as high as she can... Is it subconscious?

Also, drills? They don't do drills for casts. They just cast after their kips. I know I must sound monumentally stupid right now, but there are drills for casts? Sorry, two years in, and sometimes it seems I have picked up a lot and then I get reminded that I know nothing yet.

 

[NutterButter]

My DD says the same things as your DD. I think it's subconscious.

 

[Sasha]

Is she casting in a straddle or with legs together? At our gym, the ones who naturally can cast high with legs together do that. The rest learn the straddle. And yes, there are drills, and lots of spotting...

 

[MILgymFAM]

Legs together. No one at her gym does straddle until they are almost at handstand. They have a few little L9s that don't straddle at all. I guess without them doing drills or spotting it will improve veeeeery slowly. There is a coach at her gym (not her coach, but she subs every once in awhile) who will spot them into chs. My DD absolutely LOVES when they do that... I guess it'll happen someday.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

This is the kip for my dd lol. According to her coach she has the upper body strength and the core strength, but I think its the timing or something throwing her off.

I think that your dd probably can do it, maybe she just hasn't gotten the FEEL of it yet? Is it something her coach is able to spot her on? Its something I hear my dd and other gymnasts say all of the time that they need to get the "feel" of the skill.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

If I have a kid who can cast higher but won't, I do the following drills. But a block under the low bar off to the side and make them kick up into a handstand and fall over the bar. They learn how to 1/2 turn off, (beam dismount). Over and over again. I also stack blocks under the highbar (off to the side) and do the same thing. Once they learn how to manage themselves by falling they mysteriously start casting higher. We also spot them a bunch on kip cast H stands. It's pretty normal for kids to be afraid (weary) of casting higher than horizontal.

 

[Sasha]

Legs together. No one at her gym does straddle until they are almost at handstand. They have a few little L9s that don't straddle at all. I guess without them doing drills or spotting it will improve veeeeery slowly. There is a coach at her gym (not her coach, but she subs every once in awhile) who will spot them into chs. My DD absolutely LOVES when they do that... I guess it'll happen someday.

Yeah, my DD was spotted what seemed like a zillion times on CHS (legs together). Now she is spotted near daily on Kip-CHS (she's only getting to near 45 on that one alone though she can CHS repeatedly). They also did a drill similar to what coachp above mentioned about getting to HS and pivoting over the bar to come off (both high and low bar), and another where they would get to HS and just kinda drop over (no pivot) in a slight arch and land on their feet (before that, land on back on a big squishy mat). Earlier drills were also with a bar on the tumble track or floor where they would bounce or kick up then pivot off.

But there is also a batch of girls around L6/7 who never casted to near/above 45 very well in L5 so just moved on to straddle-cast-hs, and they are doing great, getting to HS well in a short time. Those are mostly the slightly older or taller girls, generally speaking.

 

[Sasha]

This is the kip for my dd lol. According to her coach she has the upper body strength and the core strength, but I think its the timing or something throwing her off.

I think that your dd probably can do it, maybe she just hasn't gotten the FEEL of it yet? Is it something her coach is able to spot her on? Its something I hear my dd and other gymnasts say all of the time that they need to get the "feel" of the skill.

And this was/is the press-handstand on floor for my DD(!!). Supposedly plenty strong, but took for-ev-er to get the first one. Then was supposedly strong enough to be able to do a series, as many girls start to take off and be able to do 2, 3, 5, 10 in a row pretty rapidly. But nope, still just 1-2 is where she is despite lots of practice. She didn't learn them as a "little", which I think is harder, but it is definitely her "devil" skill of the moment.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Yeah, my DD was spotted what seemed like a zillion times on CHS (legs together). Now she is spotted near daily on Kip-CHS (she's only getting to near 45 on that one alone though she can CHS repeatedly). They also did a drill similar to what coachp above mentioned about getting to HS and pivoting over the bar to come off (both high and low bar), and another where they would get to HS and just kinda drop over (no pivot) in a slight arch and land on their feet (before that, land on back on a big squishy mat). Earlier drills were also with a bar on the tumble track or floor where they would bounce or kick up then pivot off.

But there is also a batch of girls around L6/7 who never casted to near/above 45 very well in L5 so just moved on to straddle-cast-hs, and they are doing great, getting to HS well in a short time. Those are mostly the slightly older or taller girls, generally speaking.

Yeah, my DD is both older and taller. I asked her-to be sure I wasn't nuts- and sure enough no drills or spotting on casts since July or August. Her whole L6 team has trouble with casts, save one girl who nearly gets to handstand regularly. There isn't a lot of spotting in general because there is one coach for about thirty girls most of the time (except beam- there are two separate beam coaches)... Nothing she (and obviously nothing that I) can do about lack of drills or spots, so I will just be happy with what she's doing well, and so will she.

 

[Sasha]

Yeah, my DD is both older and taller. I asked her-to be sure I wasn't nuts- and sure enough no drills or spotting on casts since July or August. Her whole L6 team has trouble with casts, save one girl who nearly gets to handstand regularly. There isn't a lot of spotting in general because there is one coach for about thirty girls most of the time (except beam- there are two separate beam coaches)... Nothing she (and obviously nothing that I) can do about lack of drills or spots, so I will just be happy with what she's doing well, and so will she.

Well eventually I'm sure they will introduce the straddle version, and my bet is that will be an easier skill for her and she'll see more success. I doubt they will stick with plain casts forever (hopefully - since she is an optional!). Annoying about the high ratio of gymnasts to coaches, but I know you are in the best place for your daughter that you have available to you at the moment.