Coaches Fear

[hawaii_gymnast]

I know there are a lot of questions about dealing with fear on hear but this one is a little different.
As a coach, what do you do with the kids that have a big fear of not doing any skill back wards (back handspring, back walkover on beam, back tuck, flyaway, etc.) when they are completely capable? The different part however though is that she really doesn't want to move forwards with back tumbling, she has no interest in competing any of those skills but she wants to stay in gymnastics. Do you push her to do work through her fears and get them anyways or do you just leave it and move onto other skills even if if means you will be missing requirements?
We also don't have any sort of Prep Op program here and there is nothing available similar to it anywhere here.

 

[Gymsanity]

I know there are a lot of questions about dealing with fear on hear but this one is a little different.
As a coach, what do you do with the kids that have a big fear of not doing any skill back wards (back handspring, back walkover on beam, back tuck, flyaway, etc.) when they are completely capable? The different part however though is that she really doesn't want to move forwards with back tumbling, she has no interest in competing any of those skills but she wants to stay in gymnastics. Do you push her to do work through her fears and get them anyways or do you just leave it and move onto other skills even if if means you will be missing requirements?
We also don't have any sort of Prep Op program here and there is nothing available similar to it anywhere here.

Several red flags here. When you say ' they are completely capable', maybe physically, but not the most important part......mentally. Not sure I've ever come across a fear that we couldn't overcome, but it always had to be with their willing participation and determination. When I read ' she really doesn't want to move forwards with back tumbling', it concerns me. I would assure her that it, like all fears, can be overcome if she is willing to work, and work hard on them. If she isn't, I'm afraid you will be wasting both of your time. If she is willing, we would be able to provide you with numerous progressions, drills, stations, incentives, etc. to help her through whatever fear she is dealing with. Hope it helps.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Several red flags here. When you say ' they are completely capable', maybe physically, but not the most important part......mentally. Not sure I've ever come across a fear that we couldn't overcome, but it always had to be with their willing participation and determination. When I read ' she really doesn't want to move forwards with back tumbling', it concerns me. I would assure her that it, like all fears, can be overcome if she is willing to work, and work hard on them. If she isn't, I'm afraid you will be wasting both of your time. If she is willing, we would be able to provide you with numerous progressions, drills, stations, incentives, etc. to help her through whatever fear she is dealing with. Hope it helps.

Yes, I meant that they are physically ready not mentally. The problem is she has been struggling with this for a couple years. I think she is getting discouraged because she gets through it a little, but then in a week is back to the beginning. I will not start with her until September, she is in a different class until then.
This is all just observation for right now, I will obviously know more in September but I am trying to get some insight into how to deal with it now. It just seems like she would rather move forward with other skills that are not backwards. She has done really well with all forwards tumbling on floor and other across on beam so far but I feel that if she doesn't work through it she will hit a wall eventually.
I am willing to work with her through her fear, but if she doesn't want it I don't want to force her. Such a tough decision to make.
Oh and in case it matters to anybody she is 11 turning 12 within the next year.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

That is a very sticky situation because you open the door for other kids to think" hey if she doesn't have to do back handspring, back handspring on beam then,,, hmmmm" On the other hand you are banging your head against a wall with a kid like that. I say, if it's early on, steer her into a tumbling or trampoline team or class... sorry, but been there done that, never ends well... Last kid I had like that, we bent over backwards to help this kid out, then the parents left angry and blamed us! seriously! So she went to another gym and ended up the same.... Not to mention freezing up in the middle of a trick is dangerous for the kid and coach, and could actually spread to other kids like the plague.

 

[Gymdad2]

Alllison Arnold, PHD is well-know for working with gymnasts with this kind of fear. Google Allison Arnold Gymnastics for her website. Good luck.

 

[CoachGoofy]

That is a very sticky situation because you open the door for other kids to think" hey if she doesn't have to do back handspring, back handspring on beam then,,, hmmmm" On the other hand you are banging your head against a wall with a kid like that. I say, if it's early on, steer her into a tumbling or trampoline team or class... sorry, but been there done that, never ends well... Last kid I had like that, we bent over backwards to help this kid out, then the parents left angry and blamed us! seriously! So she went to another gym and ended up the same.... Not to mention freezing up in the middle of a trick is dangerous for the kid and coach, and could actually spread to other kids like the plague.

Um.

The first skill of Level 5 trampoline is a back tuck. First skill of level 4 is a back drop pullover to stomach. All power tumbling past level 3 is backwards. So playing hot potato (and putting her in an environment where ALL THE THINGS are backwards, seriously we do a LOT of backwards) is more of a technique to get a kid out of a coach's hair, not to actually help the kid. And we land on our backs, too! Which is scary!

As to why a T&T class would be immune from fear contagion...they aren't. Unless you have a coach who is really good at fear management, and that's not some magical gift T&T coaches are gifted with. I wish.

I've got a kid with this fear. She's growing a lot, it's totally vestibular, and she's a thinker anyway. She's afraid of a roundoff backhandspring and of a back tuck because her body is telling her she is going to die. Her brain knows she can do them. Her body is like "hahaha no" and then she thinks and gets scared and frustrated. And then other people get frustrated and she gets more scared. It's the death spiral.

With this girl we do lots and lots of build up. And right now she needs to do a few of each thing before she does her hardest skills, & I can live with that. She used to start with back rolls on trampoline, but she's cut that out. So back rolls, then backdrop pullovers, then backhandsprings, then...back yuck things where OH OOPS YOUR HANDS MISSED HOW SAD, then standing tucks with a spot, then bouncing tucks. She likes feeling in control and doesn't feel in control going backwards. But s soon as who ever she's working with gets frustrated, she's straight back to square one.

Fears are hard as a coach, but they're way harder on the athlete. Indicating anything at all like giving up on them makes the problem worse in my experience.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

vestibular. nothing you can do but wait it out and put her on tramp for the time being.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

vestibular. nothing you can do but wait it out and put her on tramp for the time being.

How long would you say this takes? I know it is different for everyone but she has been going through this for 2 almost 3 years.
She won't do back handsprings or back tucks on tramp.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

How long would you say this takes? I know it is different for everyone but she has been going through this for 2 almost 3 years.
She won't do back handsprings or back tucks on tramp.

==
Thats a long time, I would say time to move on. This has to be effecting her emotionally and can't be good for that.