Parents BWO on beam fear

[CLgym]

So I have noticed DD looking very "lazy" lately at practice on beam (skipping stations, long bathroom breaks, etc.) -- and finally mentioned it last night before bed. Boy was that a mistake! The water works started, and DD (age 8) announced she wants to quit gymnastics because she is afraid to do her BWO on beam. I tried to say all the right things -- don't worry about it, it's perfectly normal to be scared, it will come with time, etc. -- but honestly probably handled the whole thing terribly.

Here is what I can gather: She is the only girl in her group (just finished L4, training L5/6/7) that hasn't mastered the BWO on beam, and several have solid BHS on beam too. She claims to have it on one low beam, but "doesn't like" the other low beam unless there are mats on the side (this is apparently the station she will "skip"). Her hands have slipped twice causing her to fall (she said one fall was on the low beam she "doesn't like" and apparently caused a bloody nose). She will do it on high beam with a coach spot and mats under. Her coach is apparently very frustrated with her. She has asked her coach to just "stand there" while she tries on high beam (with mats) but her coach rarely agrees and/or doesn't understand her request. There is a pretty significant language barrier with this coach so I'm not sure how much info I can get from her regarding her approach for dealing with the issue. The fear seems to be getting worse, not better. But it has not spread to any other areas.

So now what? Should I try to talk to a coach at the gym? Let it go totally? Try something like Doc Ali?

Here is my concern with just ignoring the problem -- Nobody seems to be addressing it. My DD's solution is to just skip doing the work altogether or take a conveniently timed bathroom break to avoid it. The coach seems to be frustrated but is just letting DD get away with this behavior. Help!

 

[duyetanh]

There are a ton of threads on this lovely (sarcasm!) skill. Hopefully they will help!!

 

[CLgym]

Yes, thanks... I've been working my way through them. Seems I'm not alone at least! Advice and encouragement still welcome though

 

[cadybearsmommy]

That BWO on beam sucks! And from what I've seen here the BHS on beam isn't much better. Although there are a few kiddos that do much better with the BHS than the BWO.

I would try speaking to a coach. Let them know that she's having a fear issue, so they don't mistake her fear as "laziness." She will need to go back to progressions, doing them on a line on the floor, working up to low beam with mats, low beam without mats., high beam with mats and/or a spot and slowly working her way up. She needs to rebuild her confidence. My dd went through this, she did Doc Alli fear workbook and video set which did help but even when she got it back, the fear started to come back mid season and she had to go back to coach standing there or spotting her for a bit (luckily the coach was willing to stand there at meets too) and since then it's stayed pretty solid (knock on wood) and she's started slowly working on BHS now.

The language barrier is a problem but perhaps after you talk to the coach they will understand what is going on and why she is asking for them to stand there.

Going backwards on the beam is scary. Some struggle with it all the way up to Level 9/10. But she is young and learning how to deal with fear now will be helpful to her in the future. Hopefully the coaches will be understanding.

She has lots of time and if it doesn't come, repeating L4 isn't the end of the world. There is also the option of her scoring out of L5 (she can probably get the mobility score even without the BWO if she is solid on everything else) and doing L6 instead. In L6 she can do any acro skill instead of BWO or BHS, cartwheel, round off, front walkover, etc. Of course that's subject to your gym's rules and if they will allow it, some gyms are very picky about kids having to have BWO or BHS in L6. I have seen gymnasts score very well in L6 with these other options though. And chances are she would get the BWO and be able to compete it before the end of the L6 season as well. This would be an option that would keep her moving forward on the other events while working on the beam fear in the gym.

Best of luck to her, I hope this resolves soon and please keep us updated!

 

[JMACAZ]

We are facing the same thing over here though my girl is much older (13) So far she has made it through Xcel doing a CW CW in Gold and a RO this year in XP. Since she is moving to JO scoring out of 4 and 5 she is going to need to try and get it this summer. She has not really had to do it yet so I am curious to see how it goes. I hope they both can find a way to work through the anxiety and fear!

 

[Mish]

In L6 she can do any acro skill instead of BWO or BHS

Except if your gym requires it

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Except if your gym requires it

Yes and some of them are very strict about it as I mentioned in my post.

 

[CLgym]

Thanks for the responses. I sent a quick email to the team manager (no language barrier) who said the info would be passed along to the beam coach. Hopefully this will help get everyone on the same page. Now I guess I just sit back and stay quiet.

Regarding levels, I am hopeful that DD will still make it to L6 next year. Our gym seems flexible, and she is working on some alternatives (she claims to have an OK front walkover on low and high beam with no fear issues). But girls haven't been told anything except that they are moving up from L4. Seems like it will be a mix of L6/7, although they haven't ruled out L5 totally.

I am surprised to be faced with fears so young -- but in a lot of ways this is totally consistent with my DD's personality. Hope she didn't pick the wrong sport!

 

[Ali'sMom]

Regarding levels, I am hopeful that DD will still make it to L6 next year. Our gym seems flexible, and she is working on some alternatives (she claims to have an OK front walkover on low and high beam with no fear issues). But girls haven't been told anything except that they are moving up from L4. Seems like it will be a mix of L6/7, although they haven't ruled out L5 totally.

My DD competed level 6 with a beautiful CW

 

[MILgymFAM]

Other than the score out for L5, it sounds like the gym is at least flexible. If her other events can carry it, then a score out is certainly possible omitting it from the beam routine and taking the hit.

My daughter hated beam BWOs. They were the bane of her gym existence for awhile. She had inflexible coaches who refused to let her train or compete anything else. She started hating beam due to both the fear and the pain (BWOs are so bad for their backs).

Now that she doesn't have to do BWOs anymore my girl is back to loving beam again. Cartwheels, ROs, and FWO will take her though graduation though, so as long as she has a flexible coach (which will be a requirement of ours) she's good to go.

Hang in there!

 

[MabelSt]

Other than the score out for L5, it sounds like the gym is at least flexible. If her other events can carry it, then a score out is certainly possible omitting it from the beam routine and taking the hit.

My daughter hated beam BWOs. They were the bane of her gym existence for awhile. She had inflexible coaches who refused to let her train or compete anything else. She started hating beam due to both the fear and the pain (BWOs are so bad for their backs).

Now that she doesn't have to do BWOs anymore my girl is back to loving beam again. Cartwheels, ROs, and FWO will take her though graduation though, so as long as she has a flexible coach (which will be a requirement of ours) she's good to go.

Hang in there!

My daughter was learning bwo on beam and it was hurting her back too!! I wonder how many kids' backs are hurt from this?! I really think safety and long term health are the most important things. Is there any way to start a petition to remove this skill due to the pain/injury it causes kids?

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Thanks for the responses. I sent a quick email to the team manager (no language barrier) who said the info would be passed along to the beam coach. Hopefully this will help get everyone on the same page. Now I guess I just sit back and stay quiet.

Regarding levels, I am hopeful that DD will still make it to L6 next year. Our gym seems flexible, and she is working on some alternatives (she claims to have an OK front walkover on low and high beam with no fear issues). But girls haven't been told anything except that they are moving up from L4. Seems like it will be a mix of L6/7, although they haven't ruled out L5 totally.

I am surprised to be faced with fears so young -- but in a lot of ways this is totally consistent with my DD's personality. Hope she didn't pick the wrong sport!

That's great b/c a FWO is actually a B skill on beam whereas the back walkover is only an A, and it could count as her "B" skill she will need on beam for L6 if she does end up competing that instead.

 

[MabelSt]

For OP, I think if you can have her try to work around it and do other skills that would be good. And someone who can communicate with the coach should tell her stand there means please spot me- idk I get upset about safety issues like that

 

[cadybearsmommy]

My daughter was learning bwo on beam and it was hurting her back too!! I wonder how many kids' backs are hurt from this?! I really think safety and long term health are the most important things. Is there any way to start a petition to remove this skill due to the pain/injury it causes kids?

The thing is that it's not "technically" required at any level. Even in L5, a BHS can be used intend of a BWO and also I think a backward extension roll can be used as well.

 

[MILgymFAM]

The thing is that it's not "technically" required at any level. Even in L5, a BHS can be used intend of a BWO and also I think a backward extension roll can be used as well.

Oh I know. I just got the impression from the OP that it was a general backwards fear and/or the gym wouldn't progress to BHS until the BWO was mastered. Both assumptions on my part.

ETA: in my head a back extension roll to handstand is just insanely hard! Ha!

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Oh I know. I just got the impression from the OP that it was a general backwards fear and/or the gym wouldn't progress to BHS until the BWO was mastered. Both assumptions on my part.

ETA: in my head a back extension roll to handstand is just insanely hard! Ha!

Oh yeah I just meant that USAG would probably never take it out completely due to the frequency of back injuries since it's not "technically" required. Although I don't know many gymmies who can just go straight from CW to BHS on beam with no progression of back walkovers. Judging from what I've seen, the BWO is probably overly used and having to repeat it over and over again is not good for anyone's back. DD had a little back pain this past season, she worked on her shoulder flexibility and on using that in the BWO, therefore using less of her back, and the pain stopped but I'm still hoping she can compete a BHS next year so we don't run into back pain again. Scary stuff.

And yes that Back extension roll on beam doesn't look easy at all! I'm sure it's beautiful when properly executed though!

 

[MabelSt]

The thing is that it's not "technically" required at any level. Even in L5, a BHS can be used intend of a BWO and also I think a backward extension roll can be used as well.

then why aren't coaches/gyms more flexible! Esp if girls are having low back pain!?

 

[cadybearsmommy]

then why aren't coaches/gyms more flexible! Esp if girls are having low back pain!?

Agreed!

 

[mom2newgymnast]

One of dd's teammates is in a very similar situation to the OP. Finished level 4 season in December and training for 5/6/7. The rest of the team (this is a small team of only 5 girls) has their BWO and BHS on high beam already, but she is stuck on the BWO. She can do it on the low beam and with a spot on the high beam, but has fear issues. We also have a beam/floor coach that speaks very limited English. She is from China. I think that is the hardest part of the situation.

In dd's group her coach doesn't seem to understand fear or pain complaints and gets very frustrated when the girls don't do what she knows they can do. We also had the issue of too many back walkovers on beam causing back pain. They were doing at least 10 on the floor, 10 on the low beam, 10 on the crutch beam, 10 on the high beam at every practice. Honestly, some of the parents had to get involved and escalate to the head coach because of this. The culture of gymnastics is very different in China and she needs to understand that it isn't okay here to tell these 9 and 10 year old's to ignore their pain or fear and just do it. It has gotten better, but is still a work in progress. The parents have all told our kids that if something hurts they need to listen to their bodies. I know it's not great advice to say ignore the coach, but if the coach is telling them to keep going when they are in pain...

Anyway, the girl with the fear issue is still struggling, but the coach has been spotting her more and is trying to be more helpful. I would definitely suggest talking with a higher up coach that speaks better English and get their help.

 

[CLgym]

It is especially tough when the skill seems to be coming easily to teammates. In the case of my DD, her feelings of shame and embarrassment are equal to the actual fear of the skill itself. She said everyone thinks she is a "baby" - but admitted nobody had actually called her that. I think this is fueling the avoidance behavior. She doesn't want anyone to see her struggle!