WAG Sending kids home

[Blindside]

This is a great article on this topic:

https://www.competitivedge.com/how-some-gymnastics-coaches-badly-mishandle-their-athletes-fears

 

[sce]

DD has a couple of teammates with fears/blocks. In fact, DD has had plenty of fears that manifest for days, weeks or even months. Coaches are good about working around fears or giving gymnasts alternatives to work.

The only times I know of girls being sent home is for behavior issues - poor team interactions, talking back to coavhes, etc. The coach will send the kids to the bench area for a bit if they are nit behaving well. If the behavior continues, they sometimes will send the girl home.

Yes, I believe behavior is a reason to send kids home. Can't act appropriately at practice? Leave practice. I think fears and blocks are never a reason to send a kid home. it seems some coaches see the lack of going for a skill as a bad behavior not a block that they need to help the gymnast get through.

 

[KipNurse]

The more I think about many (not all) coaches' responses to gymnasts' refusal to perform skills due to fear issues, the more concerned I become and wonder if it is a symptom of a bigger problem in USA gymnastics-a culture of do whatever is necessary to get gymnasts to perform at the highest level possible and ignore
dangerous and/or unhealthy coaching practices! The coaches' responses that I am concerned about isn't just sending gymnasts home for refusal to do a skill, it is giving gymnasts rope climbs or having them remain on the event for an extended period of time trying to get them to do the skill (even though they may be crying and visibly upset). I think many coaches that engage in these practices simply do not have the skills to manage refusal due to fear issues and it is not purposeful mistreatment. Is USA gymnastics mandating professional development in this area??? Are they taking a stance against coaching practices that may disempower or have negative emotional impacts on our gymnasts?? Gymnastics should be a sport that empowers our young girls and I fear that sometimes it may be doing the exact opposite.

You articulated well how I've felt with the bigger picture. Nicely put.