Parents Tips For Overthinking?

[3LittleGymmies]

My daughter is very smart.. and also very organized, meticulous, rule-follower, responsible, detailed, punctual, etc. She is in the gifted and talented program, reads at a level five grades higher, etc. Her mind is always going. Almost to a fault. She wakes up and is going through the entire plan for the day, what she needs, what time we need to be places, etc. She can stress out over things that are really not a big deal sometimes, like a change of plans or other kids not following the rules. Sometimes, I wish that she had an "off" button. I can always count on her to remember things because I sure don't! She can knock out an almost perfect beam or floor routine every time and get scores in the high 9's. She LOVES all of the little details because they totally feed into her personality. She has an amazing memory. But on bars and vault, she seems to struggle more because she can't seem to turn her brain off and just let her body "do". It made her crazy last year because she couldn't get her AA scores where she wanted because of her vault and bars. She still did well on bars and vault in the second half of the season and at state, but she had to REALLY work at it and it took all year for her to turn it around. And now with the new routines, she is back at square one with the same two events giving her a hard time. She was almost in tears tonight because they have to make a certain number of each event before they compete their first meet of the season next week in order to compete AA. She has made all of her events except for vault. She has 6 and needs 10 (she still has a little time). Everyone else in her group has made their 10 and they were working on vault upgrades (something where they turn their hands backwards?), but she had to keep doing her front hand spring vault. I could tell that she was so frustrated with herself. I know that she "talks to herself" (not out loud, don't worry!) on beam and floor and that probably contributes to her doing well. But I'm not so sure that there is time for her to talk to herself on vault and bars and that may be what's holding her back a bit. I would love to find some ways to help her turn her brain "off" and just trust that her body knows what it's doing. Honestly, I think it would help her overall, not just in gymnastics (and maybe she could even finally figure out how to do Rainbow Loom, lol). Really, I would love to see her "relax" a little more. She also can't do a press handstand, even though she is VERY strong. I really think she just thinks too much! And for a real life example, she just recently learned how to tie her shoes (she just turned 9) because she could not stop over-complicating it. I think she was convinced that it was much harder than it really was, when really, you just make two loops, cross them, tuck, and pull! I don't think she can wrap her mind around the fact that some things really aren't that difficult.. but you can make them difficult if you over-think it too much. (I do NOT mean that vault and bars are not difficult!) I just don't think she can turn her brain off and let her body do what it is trained to do. Does anyone have any tips or links to help with this? Thanks!!

 

[3LittleGymmies]

(Side note: they can only "make" three vaults per practice, they're not allowed to count on their up-training day, and they just started "counting" on Nov 1.. that helps clarify that a bit.. irrelevant otherwise!)

 

[iwannacoach]

Tell her that now doesn't count nearly as much as later. Kids who are doing well now may look exactly the same 6 months down the road, or they may have progressed by leaps and bounds. No matter what their future holds, it isn't being determined by being the first, or the last to have all 4 events down pat.

If you were to ask my older brother, he'd tell you I was a total clutz during my childhood. Mainly because I had to do something repeatedly to get it as good as anyone else. The main difference, beyond that, is that I kept concentrating and planning out the skills........ and did so until it was as good as it could get.

You dd having more struggle on bars and vault makes a lot of sense, and fits with your description of her. Both of those events are one physical commitment after another, and planning goes out the window with the first flaw. She'll get it figured out, and then begin doing it better and better until.......

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Doc Ali, sign her up!

 

[bookworm]

She's 9...I would just let her be...

 

[gymmomof1]

Doc Ali, sign her up!

Exactly what I was thinking as I was reading down the posts. My dd really benifited from the "training your mind" techniques that I downloaded onto her ipod. She would listen to it at night before bed or before a meet. Doc Ali has many resources and knows what being a gymnast is all about cause she lived through it .

 

[curlygirls]

Do those of you who are familiar with Doc Ali think that a 7 year old would benefit or is that too young?

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Ye

Do those of you who are familiar with Doc Ali think that a 7 year old would benefit or is that too young?[/quot
Yes

 

[gymmomof1]

Do those of you who are familiar with Doc Ali think that a 7 year old would benefit or is that too young?

Lol we can all benefit. Ive used the techniques myself

 

[Natasha]

She'll get it figured out. She may just need some time. The FH vault takes many girls awhile to get it well- that's part of why they compete it for 3-4 levels! I'm also betting that with being intellectually gifted and with doing so well in floor and beam, this is the first thing that has really challenged her and that she has not been able to just "get." It is a great learning experience for her to have to work at it, as eventually there will be other things that she will have to work at- in and out of gymnastics- before she succeeds at them. Better to learn those coping skills now than in her first really difficult college class.

 

[JMACAZ]

Do those of you who are familiar with Doc Ali think that a 7 year old would benefit or is that too young?

Both my 7 and 9 year old listen to her!!

 

[LizzieLac]

My DD is a bit of an over-thinker as well. Actually, "over" lots of of things!

I really believe that it was my job is too help her come up with the tools and strategies. Up to a point. When they are young, definitely. As they get older they really need to figure out how to function with their own presonality and tendencies.