DD following doctor's orders, but coaches want her to be "more aggressive"

[jdf]

My daughter suffered an injury to her knee in the early spring, and was out of gymnastics since March. After a full summer of PT, she was cleared by the doctor to go back on a modified schedule. Instead of going every day for three and a half hours, she goes M-W-Fr. she started out just going for an hour, but is now up to two and a half hours. She is now able to work on floor, use the springboard on the vault approach and vault in to the pit, do a full beam routine, and do bars, with dismounts into the pit. She will soon begin staying for the full sessions, and then the doctor said she can add a day to her workout.
We are thrilled with her recovery, but her coaches are not. Two coaches will not speak to to her, and just look past her to the other girls when she is in their group. Two coaches have approached me about pushing the PT and doctor about letting her do more. They are telling me that she has to be more aggressive in her comeback, and that she (we?) lack commitment. She loves gymnastics and is still young enough to be convinced that the olympics are in her future. I just want her to have fun, be challenged, and be fit. I also want her not to reinjure her knee for the present and also be able to walk without pain when she is thirty.

 

[gymgurl]

So sorry you are in this situation and I do think you are doing the right thing. I am so sorry that you have to deal with coaches that are so intolerant of injuries. Having said that it does sound like you are taking it quite slow (which is a good thing) so maybe you can 'trick' your coaches into thinking its faster by agreeing to go the extra hours for just conditioning (stomach and upper body) providing the dr and pt are ok with this. you can then start adding more actual training time into it. The extra strength won't hurt as she has probably lost a fair bit if she was out for a while. Having said all that I hope her knee gets better and her coaches become more tolerant of injuries

 

[jdf]

That's a good idea. maybe we can send her on tues-thurs just for conditioning. Thanks!

 

[Blackie6]

Sorry you are going thru this and I agree about the wanting them to be able to walk when they are thirty! My DD broke her thumb in April, was out for about 6 weeks of regular practice, but I sent her to still condition. Then she developed knee pain in Aug & Sept and was diagnosed w/growth plate fracture under her knee and yup, out of regular practice again for another 6 wks. I sent her to almost all practices but she only conditioned, did bars & beam with no dismounts, no tumbling and no vault. She negotiated with Ortho that she can start adding regular practices about he 5 wk mark because she wanted to compete again. Dr wasn't 100% convinced she was fully recovered & made it clear to me that I make it clear to coaches if she looks like she is in pain during practice then she needs to back off. Coaches were great about limiting her vaulting & tumbling at first and seemed to be used to injury protocol, LOL.

I don't think it was fair for coaches to question your (and doctors) decision & your daughter's commitment. The girls don't want to be injured, Grrrr! Like Gymgurl suggested, can you maybe send her to more practices to condition? Maybe touch bases with the coaches to make a plan up for next 2 weeks to start introducing things more gradually or low impact. Like some tumbling on floor, some on tumble track or tramp. More beam routines and bars, minus the dismounts, ect...everytime I went to the doctor, I gave a progress report to coaches too. Sounds like she is trying hard enough to make a comeback, if she lacked commitment she would have been done back in March when you said she first got injured. As frustrating it is for coaches, they waited this long, what is a little longer and a little more patience? Good luck!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

My 2 cents: the health of the athlete is always more important than the immediate progress of the athlete. Therefore, doctors' orders should always override coaches' orders.

 

[Gymdad2]

I agree with GT - I posted the comment the other day regarding the importance of school that 'gymnastics will end but education is for life' and the same holds true for your dd's body. Always listen to your dd's doctor. Good luck.

 

[gymgal]

I think the extra conditioning is a great idea. Had she been going to the gym at all while she was hurt? dd's gym policy is that you continue to come and work what you can (or condition). If it's going to be a long recoup or if you really can't do much except condition, then you don't have to come as often but they still want the DL girls to be at the gym to stay in touch and in shape.

BTW, what age and level? that makes a difference... Well, not for drs. orders - I would follow them to a "T" I meant for conditioning.

 

[bookworm]

So sorry you are in this situation and I do think you are doing the right thing. I am so sorry that you have to deal with coaches that are so intolerant of injuries. Having said that it does sound like you are taking it quite slow (which is a good thing) so maybe you can 'trick' your coaches into thinking its faster by agreeing to go the extra hours for just conditioning (stomach and upper body) providing the dr and pt are ok with this. you can then start adding more actual training time into it. The extra strength won't hurt as she has probably lost a fair bit if she was out for a while. Having said all that I hope her knee gets better and her coaches become more tolerant of injuries

I wouldn't do this at all...coaches who want to supercede doctor's orders will never go along with "just conditioning" and by caving to their wishes that she come more , you are giving them the message that if they bully you enough, you'll give in to their misguided wishes. I speak from experience...my daughter had reconstructive surgery and the doctor told her she was out for the season, period, no conditioning in the gym, nothing...after 3 months, she started PT, and after 8 months she eventually returned to the gym. I told the coaches this would be the case and I stuck to it...one of them would ask me frequently when she was coming back, and I'd reply "when the doctor says so" ..I never debated it with them and I know they thought I was crazy...but my daughter has had a complete recovery without any sequelae..and is back in the gym.

 

[marie83]

Urgh, so sorry to hear about your situation! I really don't get that coaching mentality at all!
One of my gymnasts did a tuck front step out onto a straight leg not long ago. She had a suspected fractured knee. Luckily it wasn't! She had 2 weeks off proper training, coming in twice a week for an hour and a half for conditioning only - not that she liked that very much! After that she came back to full training, but only did what I told her to do! I am definitely over cautious but I'd rather have a healthy child than a broken one in my care!!!
I really wish some coaches would see the child and not just a £/$ sign!

 

[Kiwi]

I really sympathise, my DD was just recovering from a hamstring injury caused by a coach pulling her too hard in a stretch, then another coach decided to push her hard in splits and reinjured her hamstring. I don't get the aggressive approach either.

 

[gymgurl]

I wouldn't do this at all...coaches who want to supercede doctor's orders will never go along with "just conditioning" and by caving to their wishes that she come more , you are giving them the message that if they bully you enough, you'll give in to their misguided wishes. I speak from experience...my daughter had reconstructive surgery and the doctor told her she was out for the season, period, no conditioning in the gym, nothing...after 3 months, she started PT, and after 8 months she eventually returned to the gym. I told the coaches this would be the case and I stuck to it...one of them would ask me frequently when she was coming back, and I'd reply "when the doctor says so" ..I never debated it with them and I know they thought I was crazy...but my daughter has had a complete recovery without any sequelae..and is back in the gym.

Not sure you read my whole comment i said to do this after checking with the doctor and pt. Maybe they hadn't thought of just conditioning etc that was what i was trying to get across not "go behind drs back"

^^sorry i didn't read your whole comment (sorry bit of a hypocrite) I get that now it makes sense sorry!!

 

[jdf]

Thanks everybody! I wil check with the doctor, and hope to add in 2 days conditioning by the end of the month. But I will check with the doctor for sure.