WAG Backward fears

[gymcat]

Once a girl starts down the parth of fearing backward tumbling, what are the odds of it ever fully clearing up? Is this something she is going to deal with until she eventually quits? It's been off and on now (more off than on, but currently on) for 9 months. She's 10 and L4, it started a little before she turned 10.

And before anyone asks if I'm watching, I watch some, not a lot and I work at the gym (but with beginners). I'm not the problem.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 17723]

She should get over it. We have one 15 year old who broke her ankle 4 years ago doing a robh. She still doesn't back tumble. She'll do standing bh, ro stop bh stop bh, but never connected. Then we have a 10 year old who was scared to do two bh-no specific reason. 4 months later she is nearly over it. It depends on the kid, it might be vestibular as well. Good luck!

 

[flippinam]

Eventually, it'll clear up. I had a block on my RO-BHS as an old level 4 for about two months, then I was fine on that. The next year, I competed old level 6 the whole season with no issues, & I even had a back layout. But afterward I ended up with a mind block on my back tuck that lasted for 1.5 years! Once I finally got it back, I bailed on one & landed on my neck, which sent me into another six month mental block. It'll take a whole lot of patience & understanding coaches, but things will improve as her vestibular system matures & she learns to "control" her mind. I still "need" a spot on my first BT & first BLO, but after that I'm fine. I haven't had any issues for about a year now (knock on wood).

 

[Committed]

It could go either way. Many of DDs teammates (training L5) have had backwards issues on the beam.
DD struggled with the back tuck dismount for 6 months and is now fine, but a little tentative.
Another was scared of her BHS for maybe a month, she's good now.
A 3rd was so scared of any backward beam skills and eventually quit (I'm sure there were more issues).

 

[MnMgymnast]

I've only had a twisting fear, but I've had friends who have/had fears. They usually say "I try to do my blah but when I tell myself to do it I stop." So it isn't that she just is afraid (though that is a big part), she keeps her mind on the negatives that have/could happen and is subconsciously messing her up.

P.S. If this doesn't make sense, sorry still a little sick.

 

[gymcat]

Thanks, everyone! I haven't talked to her about it, but I do kind of suspect that she is keeping her mind on the negatives. I bought her Doc Ali's audiobook but I think she only listened the first track of it. I don't want to push her so I haven't said anything.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

She will get it back , Time + zero pressure + more time + no deadline = recovery.

PS. pretend you don't care.

 

[MileyDylan]

Most gymnasts get mental blocks. I've had mental blocks that have gone on for a couple years and I recovered from them. I wouldn't worry about it unless she starts dreading going to practice because of it. If that happens, ask the coaches if she can take a break from that for a week to work on simpler things. Mental blocks are just tests of inner strength. Sometimes it takes a long time to get over them, but we only fail if we give up completely.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's vestibular. most outgrow it by 15 or 16 while they continue to improve.

 

[lifelonggymnast]

It is different for every girl. From my experience, if it has been going on for nine months, she probably won't get over it as easily. If she wants the skills, she will just have to work through it, but if it a extremely threatening fear to her, she may need to work around the skills she is afraid to get, but fears are easier to overcome when the people around her understand that she can't control it.

 

[gymcat]

She first experienced fears over the summer. Then it went away and hasn't been an issue in 6 months until the last month or so.

She's 10. I can't imagine waiting it out until she is 15 or 16!

 

[MileyDylan]

Sometimes mental blocks are caused by a lot of stress either at practice or outside of practice. Just make sure that she knows that it's only a big deal if she makes it a big deal and that she needs to take it one practice at a time. It helps me to set specific and reasonable goals for each practice. If I'm scared of doing a skill, I might set a goal to do a certain amount with a spot or into a pit, and then based on how I feel about those I make make another goal.

 

[gymcat]

Thanks. She knows we don't think it's a big deal and we are doing our best to not mention it.

The problem is I don't think she is doing anything to mentally work on it and I'm not sure how she's ever going to know what to do if no one talks about it! But we're going with what we're doing for now so only time will tell.

 

[MileyDylan]

Good luck!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

She first experienced fears over the summer. Then it went away and hasn't been an issue in 6 months until the last month or so.

She's 10. I can't imagine waiting it out until she is 15 or 16!

you will be patient. your daughter depends on it. additionally, most of the things that you will read about this problem are anecdotal. you must be patient and wait it out.

 

[twinmomma]

We have a 10 year old who struggled to get her ROBHS during the L3 season and is now training L4 and all of a sudden she won't do them. Her mom has reached her breaking point frustration wise because she doesn't understand what is going on. I suggested it may be vestibular (she's 10 and on the taller side) and recommended she look here and do some google searches but based on dunno's posts I told her that no amount of cajoling or yelling or frustration would change it, that it really needed a hands off approach. Her statement was that it's been going on since January, how much longer does it last, because skills assessment is in May and that will determine levels for next season.

I'll admit when I read 15 or 16 my heart sank. Is this true? Or is this when the vestibular system tends to mature? What do I tell this mom who is at a loss with a daughter who has a ton of potential who seems just crestfallen over this and it's causing conflict between mom and daughter?

 

[cbifoja]

Mine is also ten and the backward fear comes in phases. She was fine all last year doing her HS BHS, then over the summer, something went wonky. She worked through it on beam and everything was fine.

Recently, her tumbling went wonky. She went from throwing 3/2 on week to having to be spotted on a tuck the next Monday. But she's been working through that and told me last night that she has "fixed" her tumbling problems.

And I fully suspect that the fear will move to something else. It's all good as long as she's okay with working through it.

 

[MiriamGymnast02]

You could try hypnosis...I've heard it works really well. Otherwise, I agree with most of the other posts. Relax, not make it a big deal, and have no pressure on her.

 

[Iloveg2602]

Oh god, I actually don't know why this happens.

First of all, I think there is a big difference between fear and mental blocks.

For example on beam, I am sometimes scared to do something because I haven't done it many times before, this is fear.

But mental blocks are different. It happens with skills you were never afraid of before and you did them for months and sometimes years!
I had an experience which was so weird: I was doing standing back tucks for months, I have done a few alone already, with my coach just standing by my side but not spotting. And when he spotted, I he did not help much.
However, in one training session we worked on standing back tucks again. I did around 20-25 already, most of them alone. Suddenly, from one second to another, I got so scared and thought I just can't do them anymore! I really wanted to, I knew what I had to do, but I just couldn't. My coach forced me to and spotted me, but I jumped back instead of up, I arched and didn't tuck at all - it was horrible. Then I was scared if I would try again and them up also, I would be even more scared.
But my coach is really strict and said I need to fight against my brain.
I did some on Tumbl Trak and Air Mat and was fine, although a little scared also. But then my coach forced me to do them on floor again. They were not the best - but I did them. That's the method I got over all my mental blocks I actually only had in back tumbling with RO BH and standing Back Tucks!

I do not know if pressure works for all kids - but I think without my coach I wouldn't have done them for weeks.

 

[iwannacoach]

She will get it back , Time + zero pressure + more time + no deadline = recovery.

PS. pretend you don't care.

Exactly!!!