MAG Mental Block

[skschlag]

D has reached his first official mental block. Pirouette on high bar. He has successfully done it before, has never fallen or been injured on it. But at practice Thursday, he just decided he couldn't do it. Now we are thinking that is why he fell at his last meet....avoiding his pirouette.

He was asked to leave practice Thursday because he wouldn't even try. Wouldn't even attempt his giants before that to do it. Then Friday, they didn't even go to high bar. He says he is ready to try it.

I am making a point to not talk about it. at all. Any other ideas?

 

[MyBoysFlip]

It'll come back when it's ready. Nothing we can do and yes I hate that fact too! Think about what he is trying to do & how high he is. No wait don't do that and that is why J is not ever moving up to L7 ( in my opinion). I'll bet you you'll forget this ever happened by the end of the season .

 

[Deleted member 10727]

I found the Doc Ali videos really interesting. Let me get you a link.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

http://www.gymnastike.org/speaker/1...eo/73441-Doc-Ali-Coaching-through-Fear-Part-1

There are 8 parts.

 

[skschlag]

Thanks!!!

 

[J&A's mom]

Hang in there and be supportive!

 

[profmom]

Oh, girlfriend, I feel you! My daughter has now spent more than a year wrestling with a beam fear (L8 acro). For a while, I got pretty sucked up into the anxiety, but I have learned (and oh, was it hard!) that you just have to let it go and let them work through it. You can talk to them and encourage them and support them and provide strategies until the cows come home, and so can the coaches, but at the end of the day, they have to get up there and do the skill.

He's done it before. He'll do it again. All you can do is let him know that you believe -- not in his gymnastic ability -- but in his ability to work through this. If he is saying he feels ready to try, he is in a really good place.

All the best. Hope it's a quick path through and out on the other side.

 

[profmom]

One other thing -- the Doc Ali stuff seems quite sound to me, and my daughter did get some good strategies out of it. But (and this is probably obvious) it is not a miracle cure. The fundamental messages are pretty much what you would expect them to be: believe in yourself, minimize negative thinking and images, use positive self-talk, do visualization exercises, focus on the good things that happen in the gym, and trust that you can do it. There are also some concrete suggestions for making the shift to this way of thinking about/acting in the gym. Where it is helpful is either if your child doesn't already know these techniques or if (as in my case) he/she may listen if it's coming from someone other than, "OMG, Mooooom!"

But your child can do all of these things and still have trouble with a skill -- if you go Doc Ali, do NOT pitch it as if it's going to fix the problem. What it will do or any good sports psychology training will do is help to fix the way you think about the problem (hopefully but not necessarily making it thereby an easier nut to crack).

 

[Sperkowsky]

I personally was very scared of that skill my L8 season. What it took for me was my coach saying he would heavily spot me and not let me get hurt. I did it fine and was still scared of it but did it

The first meet in warm-ups I literally went to do it and fell on the bar turning half-way and almost splitting the bar. My coach however didn't let me fall off the bar which again made me feel alright. I still did it in the meet and did it horribly but safely.

Again the best way IMO from experience with other fears worse then this one I found it's all in time he just needs a fire to be lot under up, some drive. I found it was always me just getting so angry that I didn't caress in just wanting to do that skill because not doing it was just not an option for me any more.

Anyway yea hope this helps from the gymnasts perspective

 

[skschlag]

That does help! And what you said is exactly what he is afraid of...hitting the bar! His coach knows he can do it safely, so hopefully this week, it will reappear. Thanks!