Severe Mental Block!!

[gymchick14]

I am a highschool gymnast and have been involved with gymnastics off and on since I was preschool age. At 9 years of age I gained the skill of an illusive backhandspring and at 10 I was doing roundoff backhandsprings. For the next 4 years I did gymnastics off and on. I came offically back to gymnastics in Spring of this year, hoping to perfect tumbling for cheerleading ( then I didn't think I was going to do HS gymnastics, but now I am doing hs gymnastics and not cheerleading) I gained the skill of a roundoff bhs back tuck and was very happy. I would pratice in my yard and do hundreds of bhs every day or so.

Then it happened for the first time. I got scared. In the yard I just stopped flipping after my roundoff. I went to the gym and easily got it back with a heavily spot. I continued doing perfect ro bhs back tucks. Then it happened again this time is got worse and lasted longer. I lost my ro bhs. Then my bhs. Then I was terrified to do a backwalkover. But I gained it all back again.
Only to lose it again these previous months. It went backwards again, and I am just now gaining confidence to do a bhs with a full spot on tumble track. For a while I wouldn't go to the point where my coach would throw me over.

I made the gymnastics team, even though the requirements were a ro bhs. I have strong bars/beam. I am still very frightened to do a bhs. I think about it 24/7. I have tried all the tricks, not thinking, praying, 1-2-3 GO!. But it doesn't work. It has tooken full control on my gymnastics career and I am scared to death of my coaches being mad at me for it.
If anyone could please help me, I would be very appreciative.
God bless

 

[taximom]

HI gymchick14

I don't have a magic answer for you but wanted you to know I'm thinking of you.

My daughter has also struggled with mental blocks in regards to back tumbling. She recommends visualization but says you have to see yourself doing the skill perfectly. Doing progressions is also helpful to build your confidence back up. Try not to worry about the coaches, things like this happen frequently in gymnastics. I'm sure they have had other gymnasts go through this and worrying will only add more pressure to you. Go to practice and give your best effort and in time those skills will back even stronger than they were before!

 

[gymchick14]

thank you

 

[I-Heart-Beam]

Start from the bottom and work your way up- ie backwards rolls, backwalkovers, limbers, just to get used to going backwards again.

Talk to your coaches as well! They won't be mad you've told them, and I'm sure they would much prefer you worked it through with them rather than by yourself! It happens to every single gymnast, so there's no need to be embarrassed!

Good luck

 

[gymjoy]

You are not alone. Many great gymnast - elites even - struggle with back tumbling blocks. Many gymnast on here have had that struggle. My gymmie has had that struggle.

She, like taximom's dd, uses visualization. When you do this you not only have to see it in your head, but feel it with your body. Believe it or not that is teaching your body and muscle memory how the experience should feel.

Also remember to talk positive to yourself. Pump yourself up. Fill yourself with positive energy( okay that sound new-age silly, but it works). My dd has all sorts of little catch phrases to get her through tough spots. It's amazing how this works. When she is frustrated and overly concerned with a skill she sometimes slips into negative thoughts and fears. If she remembers (or is reminded) to think positive things start to fall into place.

And don't fear your coach!!! They are there to help you. You need to be honest with them so they can help you!! Yes, they might be frustrated with you, or even yell at you. More likely, though, they will want to help you.

Don't give up. Good luck. You can do it!!

 

[gymfan4ever95]

This exact thing happened to me! I lost my ro bhs, then my bhs, then was scared to go for a bwo. It is really frustrating, i know! I wouldn't do a ro bhs for almost a year!!!!!! I wouldn't even do it with a spot at all. I was miserable every practice because of this...and I hate that it is happening to someone else too! What helped me was I went to the end of the tumble track, and my coach pretty much did the skill for me. Over and over. About 50 times. Eventually, I would start to jump a little by myself. By the end of practice, I was doing it off the end of the tumble track my myself! And once I did that, it all came a lot easier. I went home and my mom spotted me on the trampoline, then in the grass. That same night, i did it in the grass myself! At the next practice, I got my ro bhs back too.

What was so frustrating to me was the fact that I knew I could do it, and i just couldn't get myself to go at all! But what you really have to do, no matter how scary it is, is just go for it. Whatever you do, don't give up, because you will get it back. Don't worry!

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Oh Gymchick14, my heart goes out to you!! My daughter has been struggling with this same issue. She competed the roundoff backhandspring backtuck in Level 6, but then fell this past spring and landed on the back of her neck. From there it just went downhill. She followed you path exactly... kind of getting it back, losing it again, over and over again. Finally, she couldn't even do the run leading into the roundoff! The pressure from her coaches at her club did NOT help and actually hindered the whole situation. She finally quit Level 7.

I have to say, for her, switching to a different gym and to a well established Prep Op. program has worked wonders for her. Without the pressure of trying to attain a certain score, skill set, etc. she now has the running roundoff and at least double backhandsprings back. She's feeling confident and ultimately, I think that's the key to it all.

Everyone has given you great advise here. The visualization is so important and once you "go"... really GO for it. Do NOT try to bail in mid-air!!! You've got to stop pressuring yourself and once you do that, it will slowly come back.

My DD is also doing high school gymnastics for the first time and is absolutely loving it. So hang in there... those coaches have all seen mental blocks before and if you don't get it worked out THIS season... go back to a gym during the off season... join a prep op team, HS girls class (lots of clubs arond here have classes just for the high school girls), and just allow yourself permission to go back to the beginning to let your body/mind relearn the skill. You WILL do it!!!

I'll be thinking about you and hope you keep us posted on your progress. You CAN work through this!


You are definitely not alone.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

time to learn. great patience is required by the parents, the athlete, and the the coach. there is more at work here than you might understand. and some kids do grow out of this problem. i have posted "vestibular" and "proprioception" here before. please see below.

www.users.nac.net/dejean/first.html

www.faqs.org/sports-science/Fo-Ha/Gymnastics-Balance.html

 

[MdGymMom01]

Hi Gymchick! My dd has this same issue. What helps her is the consistency. She needs to do many many BHS's first to get the feel of it again. She can do them in the pit and onto a mat in the pit but she is still very afraid to do them on the floor. She had a breakthrough over the summer, where one day she just told me, "I am going to do the BHS on the floor tommorrow at gym." And sure enough she did it! But then a few weeks later she lost it again. Dani is very sensitive and is definitely a "thinker" or "over-thinker" in some cases. She is still very inconsistent with her confidence--some days she thinks she can do anything and will throw fulls, double fronts and gainers off the tumbletrak like it is nothing, and then other days she struggles with the simpler skills. So, in Dani's case consistency is key--she needs to do many many successful skills to build up her confidence bank. "An inconsistant mind leads to an inconsistant gymnast"--so true in Dani's case.

In your case I would try to take the pressure off of yourself and just set the goal of getting the BHS back consistently first. Try not to mix yourself up by adding additional skills (like the tuck) too soon. Try not to think ahead to the next skill. Focus on the skill at hand and perfecting that. Then build up slowly. I think a lot of mental blocks happen when gymnasts are rushed too fast to learn skills.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[gymchick14]

Update: Today was a good pratice, I did my straddle cut on bars, and fhs on beam by myself.
On to the backhandspring, I think I have had a breakthrough. I was going into the squishy mat pit and I just didn't care I just threw myself back even though I was scared. It wasn't very pretty... or tight, but I made me feel good. So I hope this helps me get it back by myself on floor, then build up to the ultimate goal.