Parents How long??

[Kcanflip]

My DD has a crazy fear of bwo on beam. It's been going on for 5 months now and shows no signs of going away anytime soon sadly. Has basically kept her from doing l5 score out and doing l6 this year. Just curious to hear from others who's kiddos been in same boat, how long did it take, etc. Hoping mine eventually works through this versus it being and end to the sport for her. She's a late starter and 12 if that helps understand her situation. Strength and flexibility not an issue. Has never missed hands either. She can do it over and over again with coach standing right there but when she walks away can't make herself go at all. Coach has it all in check as far as methods to help her so no advice there needed...and I wouldn't go there anyway. Just looking for parent insight and hope that there is a light at end of the tunnel!

 

[GYM0M]

It might never go away. Some girls are just afraid of it, BUT I have seen coaches just skip it and those girls do just fine with a BHS and further progressions (that exclude the BWO). A girl that used to go to our gym struggled for almost a year with it. Our coaches tried every practice and she stood there terrified. They made accommodations for competitions, but they wouldn't let her move past level 6 bc she couldn't connect the bwo bhs. She moved to another gym that was a better fit for her and she will compete L8 or 9 this year. I'm not sure what skills she competes. There is light at the tunnel bc there's more than one way to get around obstacles!

 

[2G1B]

My 11 yo had it back in the spring (she was 10 then) until she took a nasty fall on one, hit the beam on the way down, quite bruised up... After that, she first went back to a full spot, then ages of a light spot. At the start of last week she still felt that she needed the coach standing there with a hand out; but not touching. On Tuesday of last week she let the coach step off of the mat after having about 5 good spotted ones. She was very excited. (I wasn't there for any of this; but the coach sent me video and DD told me.) No practice on Wednesday. At practice on Thursday she had the coach spot some, then asked the coach to step away. (She asked me to stay to watch beam, her first rotation that night.) She stood on the beam and I could tell that she was crying (from frustration); but she couldn't make herself go. She hopped down, did some on the floor line, got back up and the coach stood there for a couple. Then the coach stepped off the mat and she did a few more. I left and when I got back for pickup she got back on beam and did them totally on her own. She was doing it again on Friday and she said at practice yesterday she had no problems. She has declared herself over this fear. I think that it took 6 months. Oy.

 

[JMACAZ]

Following. My DD will not try. Luckily she is XG and has other options for now. Hope your DD is ready soon.

 

[MILgymFAM]

My DD had a bad fall on one almost a year ago and after that she was afraid of them. Eventually she forced herself to do them when she was told but she was consistently going off to the side. Every practice, every meet. It was a hot mess. Eventually her coach took it out of her routine, but when she switched to JO in the spring it had to come back. Seeing how gyms dealt with her on beam was actually quite enlightening in choosing a gym. In any case, here we are about eleven months later. She got the skill back in the summer, and her confidence back after that. It's just about three months now that she's become very consistent again and has been able to work the series of two of them again. It was a long, slow, and frustrating process for her, but now they are lovely. You just have to give it time- and it may be way more time than you would think.

 

[Kcanflip]

I'm just ready for a turning point. I think the fear started with a back tuck fall in June and has snowballed out of control since then. You can literally see her lack of confidence in pretty much everything now. Just ready to see some confidence come back! It's heartbreaking as a Mom.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Explore the back extension roll with the coach to meet both Level 5 and 6 requirements. That gives her lots of time to work on the BHS before Level 7. Many kids find the BWO scarier than the BHS.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Following also.
DD had the BWO for over a year. Competed it in April. In August she fell. Didn't get hurt, but apparently scared her quite silly (coach told me that night). Next morning she's with a coach who doesn't "get" fear and managed to get DD into a panic attack. (that's happened 3 times now).
All of September, couldn't do it on high beam. Tried, just couldn't.
Finally in October they took it right out of her L6 routine, and substituted a handstand.

I was hoping that taking that pressure off would be enough to get her past it.
Nope. Still can't do it on high beam. One night two weeks ago even afraid on low beam.

But at least with it out of the routine, I have a happy kid again
(but I do have a secret hope she will get it back before meet season ends!)

 

[balancedmom]

I feel for your DD. My DD struggles with lots of fear issues. Each year there are fears of going backwards. She seems to pull it together for meets, but there have been months at a time where she wont do back tumbling on floor or beam! They have to work through it on their own, and there is nothing we as parents can do to help, which is hard for us! We have a gym that lets her take her time...but we were at a gym for awhile that did not-- and that was a nightmare (way too much pressure and stress)-- I think for kids who have fears, the right gym is key. Good luck to your daughter!

 

[ZJsMom]

Is she better with BHS? My DD never liked BWO on beam though she did compete a full season of old level 6. When she got to level 7 she did FWO, cartwheel for her series and a single BHS for flight.

If she's just trying to score out of level 5 and will do it with coach standing by the beam, I'd say just do that for score out purposes and move on to BHS if that's more comfortable for her.

 

[gymbeam]

or do the BHS for the scoreout depending on when that is. good luck!

 

[Kcanflip]

So have asked about back extension roll as an option and Coach not on board. And back handsprings even scarier to DD. And Coach not one for spotting even if that means just standing there. So basically...she's got to do the bwo. No escaping it.

 

[Kcanflip]

I might add that my kiddo is nowhere close to being a natural at this sport is 5'3 and 12 years old and has size 8 feet! I have no visions of her ever going higher than level 7 and I'm really not so sure that gymnastics will continue much longer since she is already on the older side of things and school/social become more demanding. I would just like her to reach the fun side of things (optionals!) Before that time comes. Thank you all for your insight, encouragement and advice! Hanging in there and hoping for that magic moment!

 

[ZJsMom]

Is Excel an option where you live? That would give her a chance to bypass the beam BWO and get optional routines. It seems like she's the type of athlete that would benefit from the program.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I might add that my kiddo is nowhere close to being a natural at this sport is 5'3 and 12 years old and has size 8 feet! I have no visions of her ever going higher than level 7 and I'm really not so sure that gymnastics will continue much longer since she is already on the older side of things and school/social become more demanding. I would just like her to reach the fun side of things (optionals!) Before that time comes. Thank you all for your insight, encouragement and advice! Hanging in there and hoping for that magic moment!

My 14 yo DD is 5'6 with size 9.5 feet! My 12 yo DD is 5'4 with size 8 feet. Gym giants unite! Ha ha ha!

 

[Ali'sMom]

Is Excel an option where you live? That would give her a chance to bypass the beam BWO and get optional routines. It seems like she's the type of athlete that would benefit from the program.

I was going to ask this.

Last month we had a girl in the L5 scoreout who refused to do BWO. Coach said "just this one time, then never again" because she was going Xcel Gold after the meet.
(tried in warm up but just could not attempt it, even with coach's hand right at her back )
But she's XG, with her own music and everything, and quite happy!

 

[Kcanflip]

Is Excel an option where you live? That would give her a chance to bypass the beam BWO and get optional routines. It seems like she's the type of athlete that would benefit from the program.

It is, and that was the original path we were going to take, but the other gymnasts that were previously in the program (first season was last season) went different routes this year. So that left mine being the only one. Soooo....not an option any more. But I agree...it would be perfect for her! Love our gym and it is only 7 minutes from our house. No plans on leaving. Xcel might be an option next year as we have a bunch of level 4's now, and at our gym you have to have finished level 4 minimum to do Xcel. Would be Gold.

The crazy thing is she CAN do the skill. It's her head keeping her from doing it! It is 100% a mental block.

 

[Kcanflip]

I was going to ask this.

Last month we had a girl in the L5 scoreout who refused to do BWO. Coach said "just this one time, then never again" because she was going Xcel Gold after the meet.
(tried in warm up but just could not attempt it, even with coach's hand right at her back )
But she's XG, with her own music and everything, and quite happy!

See response below. I love the Xcel forum as an option for kids like my DD. It really seems like a great program and fit for her. She's a victim of 'only one in her position' right now. Everyone else close to her level has been able to score out and are doing 6. We are a small gym and limited level 5 and up right now.

 

[Kcanflip]

My 14 yo DD is 5'6 with size 9.5 feet! My 12 yo DD is 5'4 with size 8 feet. Gym giants unite! Ha ha ha!

Too funny. When she started this sport at 8, she was small for her age. The 'growth' all happened in the last year or so and it needs to stop pronto!

 

[duyetanh]

It is, and that was the original path we were going to take, but the other gymnasts that were previously in the program (first season was last season) went different routes this year. So that left mine being the only one. Soooo....not an option any more. But I agree...it would be perfect for her! Love our gym and it is only 7 minutes from our house. No plans on leaving. Xcel might be an option next year as we have a bunch of level 4's now, and at our gym you have to have finished level 4 minimum to do Xcel. Would be Gold.

The crazy thing is she CAN do the skill. It's her head keeping her from doing it! It is 100% a mental block.

Sadly this is not crazy. It is normal.