WAG Lost skills, what could be happening?

[JoyAvenueMom]

Just found out dd has "lost" her squat on. She learned it in May of 2012. I seldom see bar practice, but I know I have seen her do it since...even as recently as Jan. She also "lost" her cartwheel on beam. That happened in December after "getting it" in April 2012. In that case, she had a couple of falls (no injury outside of bruises) and it killed her confidence. In the meantime, she has added some skills on floor...front punch, RH BT, and is even working a FHS/FT on the air floor...even after she had a bad sprain and had to sit out a couple of weeks. So, she has no fear issues in the one event where she actually hurt herself!

Coach said she has been timid since joining her group in September, and that she doesn't like to be spotted. (except I know she asks for spots on floor when she first moves a skill from tumbletrack). I also saw her working BWO on the low beam with a substitute coach "spotting" her. That coach said dd did them alone, she just stood close by. DD can land 50 beautiful cartwheels in a row on the low beam, but simply falls to the side when told to go to the high beam. Coach has had her spend entire beam practice on the high beam, where she may land 3 our of 100 attempts. I believe that practice makes permanent, and fear she is just practicing failure at this point. It's hard to believe that for 8 months she did them comfortably!

I am not sure if "losing skills" outside of backward tumbling (on which I have seen lots of posts) is normal, or is this a sign that something else is going on. How long before skills "come back"...if they are going to? DD is stronger than ever and her tumbling and other bar work is greatly improved. Any thoughts?

 

[Clover]

"Losing skills" has happened several times with my DD - forward, backward, sideways, whatever. Some have been "lost" more than once. They always come back. Try not to stress about it, or your dd may pick up on that. Just tell her it is totally normal, and the skills will come back when they come back. My dd is very nonchalant about it when it happens these days because she knows it is no big deal. HTH

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's normal. don't get alarmed yet.

 

[Newandlovingit!]

Yep. It happens (coming from a gymnast). She will get them back soon

 

[GymBeeMom]

Its worrisome for a parent when they go through this. My DD lost two of her major skills for this level right before the season started. She wouldn't do them for what felt like 12 years. FInally, she decided she was tired of not doing them, and she did them BOTH. NOthing I said or did changed anything, only the time for her to work through it on her own. As hard as it is, this is a very normal part of gymnastics and they will work through it on their timeline, not ours Remain positive, this will not last forever.

 

[Gymmommy71]

My DD has gone through a period of losing pretty much every major skill she's gained since she started gymnastics. All of them eventually came back. Don't get concerned about it - I've seen it so many times with so many different gymnasts and skills I can't even remember them all .

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

As much as it stinks, it happens to everyone. When I was a level 7, I lost my front handspring vault that I had been doing since level 5 for most of the season! It wasn't until the meet before states that one of my coaches (not even my vault coach) realized that I had a huge growth spurt and had been running from the same spot that I had when I was a lot smaller. When I started running from a different spot, my vault was miraculously back! Your daughter will get it back! Don't worry!

 

[East Coast]

Lost Skills?

I remind my daughter that she doesnt "lose" skills, she just misplaces them, LOL.
As with the case of her, she has had several major growth spurts over the last 18 months. As soon as she nails a new skill, her center of gravity and spatial awareness is thrown off. - Dont stress, she will get the skills back. I know, because I was the biggest stressor within our whole zip code

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

Update... Squat on miraculously reappeared last night. Regular coach was out, and old coach helped out for a while. I appreciate all the words of encouragement. I have REALLY tried not to stress over the "misplaced" cartwheel, but finding out about the squat-on and having coach tell me she is still "timid" after 6 months with the new group put some doubts in my mind. DD said old coach spots "differently". She stands behind the bars in case dd falls backwards. DD's fear is falling back, not making the jump. She said after a few, she was able to do them without coach standing by. Evidently, since they are not in her prep-opt routine, she hasn't practiced them in a couple of months. I have taken about a dozen deep breaths now...and thanks to my CB family, feeling a lot better!

 

[iwannacoach]

Do you see how it works. The kid loses a skill, it's been lost for a long time, you post on Monday afternoon, and the skill "comes back" the very same day. Duhhhha!!! If you'd post about lost skills as soon as they get lost, maybe she'd get them back the very next day........ like maybe a little chalkbucket magic.

So you do me a favor and test that "theory" by starting another thread about my socks that disappear whenever I do my laundry.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

and my wife's car keys too...

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

and my wife's car keys too...

My mother-in-law swears by her "uterine homing device"...she even comes to my house to look for missing stuff!!! LOL And I have heard that sock monsters live in the washer...so socks aren't missing, they are lunch!

 

[MaryA]

I remind my daughter that she doesnt "lose" skills, she just misplaces them, LOL.

DD and I used to joke about this... "You lost your squat on? Well, where was the last place you had it? At the last meet? Well, I'm sure they'll find it there and send it back to you. At the gym last Friday? Well, it's probably in the lost-and-found. Be sure to look for it there tomorrow." Now she doesn't tell me anything, so I rarely know what skills are in the "lost-and-found." Not sure if that's better or worse. But yes, totally stressful and totally normal!


BTW, I the squat-on and I have been enemies for quite some time now. This year he's been trying to redeem himself, but I still don't totally trust him.

 

[CoachGoofy]

and my wife's car keys too...

Wait so I just need to post here every time I lose my phone? Instead of asking people on FB to call it for me?

 

[skschlag]

D claims to hide his skills under the floor. Then when he loses a skill, he claims he forgot to get it out from under the floor.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

DD and I used to joke about this... "You lost your squat on? Well, where was the last place you had it? At the last meet? Well, I'm sure they'll find it there and send it back to you. At the gym last Friday? Well, it's probably in the lost-and-found. Be sure to look for it there tomorrow." Now she doesn't tell me anything, so I rarely know what skills are in the "lost-and-found." Not sure if that's better or worse. But yes, totally stressful and totally normal!


BTW, I the squat-on and I have been enemies for quite some time now. This year he's been trying to redeem himself, but I still don't totally trust him.

I LOVE the humor, that will totally help me to keep it in perspective....and help her deal with it as well. DD has quit looking for the cartwheel and is working up a new friendship with the back walkover these days. Maybe the cartwheel will get jealous and show up when least expected! Thanks!!!!!!!

 

[gwenmom]

Wait so I just need to post here every time I lose my phone? Instead of asking people on FB to call it for me?

That might be an exercise in futility if you post from your phone

 

[CoachGoofy]

I LOVE the humor, that will totally help me to keep it in perspective....and help her deal with it as well. DD has quit looking for the cartwheel and is working up a new friendship with the back walkover these days. Maybe the cartwheel will get jealous and show up when least expected! Thanks!!!!!!!

I like this too.

Sometimes I tell kids to go get skills out of their backpacks. And sometimes they tell me they fell out at school =/ which is better than feeling it's a totally insurmountable lost-forever thing, IMHO. Oh and when they do a good version of a new skill or their routine I tell them to put it in their bag for the next meet.

(I'm a bit ridiculous)