Parents Talk to the coach?

[gymdoc]

So both my gymmies came home crying from practice yesterday
ODD is stressed because she hasn't gotten her giants yet. She repeated L6 this year because she didn't have them yet. Weirdly bars was her BEST event at L6 (scoring 9.2-9.4 all year); she even came in 1st at state. She has had a beautiful CH for over a year, but for some reason can't get the giants. First she said it was her timing on her shifting, now she says she making corrections the coach gives her, but is still not getting it. She hates the strap bar and is apparently "too wild" on the regular bar and needs 2 spotters?!

So my question is, do I ask for a meeting with the coach? I totally don't want to go in there and be all "Why's my kid not got this skill yet?" but if there is something else going on, like a fear issue, or lack of conditioning, I would want to know! And does that seem to be an excess time to learn giants after having a solid CH and baby giant?

 

[kayjaybe]

It took my dd forever to get her giants. Not sure the coach will be able to answer as to why she doesn't have them yet, but an open dialogue letting the coach know how frustrated your dd is can only be a good thing, IMO.

I just wouldn't expect to get any concrete answer regarding why she doesn't have them yet.

 

[duyetanh]

Why does she hate the strap bar?
My dd is tiny...and honestly, nwih would she have ever got the Giants without the confidence she gained from the hated (yes she hated it too) strap bar. Luckily, she was so tiny, she could go on low bars for straps for Giants. But even the bigger/older girls really needed doing those Giants on straps to get the Giants.
Straps also help girls learn to control their bars. If she is getting too wild and needs two spotters (?), honestly straps sound like the way to go. It sounds like she had an amazing season, and is now putting pressure on herself to get this skill....which I get because she repeated a level because she didn't have them. All I can say is
1. She has time,
and
2. Giants just can't be rushed. It's such a process. Any chance the coach is having her work on doing a baby giant and then missing the bar? I remember reading this somewhere on here, and that it worked for some girls....my girl didn't do this approach though.

Straps can be a real fear issue. My kid had two very scary incidents where the strap slipped off....damn tiny wrists....luckily each time she was on the lower bar, but still...VERY scary, and I actually came for pick up and saw it happen. I would get to the bottom of the strap thing with her first. How old is she?

 

[raenndrops]

You may want to talk to the coach.
Ask if it is fear or lack of conditioning or something else keeping her from getting the giants.
Maybe ask if there is an alternative since she has already repeated L6 once...
If she has a beautiful Clear Hip Circle, maybe they will "break down" and let her compete it on low bar and high bar.

 

[Mommyo2az]

My DD is in the same position. Will have to repeat 6 without the darn giants. Hates strap, but can do them on regular bar with a spot. Coach says she will get it when she gets it, trust the process.
Yet another thing I don't ask about!

 

[e'smum]

we are in giant hell too. dd's thing is that she doesn't get a lot of time on pit bar, where she is comfortable doing giants on her own and even has added the flyaway. however, there is one pit bar and the older girls get it more b/c they are doing crazy release moves and dismounts. she needs a spot on the regular bars.

she did say there is a huge difference (for her) between strap bar (no issues with giants can do them all the day long all by herself on either the low or high strap bar) and the regular bar. so i was getting frustrated when i hear she's doing them on straps. she needs to be on the pit bar. we need 4 more pit bars!

but i'm not going to ask about it. she got her kip CH right before her first meet last year and got 1st on bars at that meet. bars is her best event. she'll get it - it's april. her first meet is in nov. we'll be stressing about other skills by then!

 

[UnoMas]

Oh man do I have some experience with this...it took my DD way over 2 years to get giants. By 2 years I mean 2 solid years of training them...not uptraining. She did old 6, then had to do new 6...because she had no giant...then did 7 without a giant and then did part of her 2nd year of 7 without a giant consistently. Finally in 8 she had them but still missed them a couple times. It was the hardest thing she ever had to overcome in gymnastics, but always one of the things she is most proud of. Talking to the coach is not going to move the process along. It just takes some kids longer. It is very scary for some kids and the timing is just so tricky! Hang in there!!!

 

[BachFlyer]

I think it's worthwhile to let he coach know just how frustrated your dd I feeling. I feel like it's important for them to know because she might not express it in the gym; they tend to hold back their emotions. Just verbalizing it to the coach might give her some control over how she's feeling.

Also, ask her if she's been visualizing it. My daughter struggled with giants for quite a while and almost prevented her from moving up. She could do them on strap but not on the real bar. She is a super visual kid, so I told her she needed to lie in bed and picture herself making it around the bar over and over again every night as she was falling asleep. Could be coincidence but she got it that week.

 

[flippingtogether]

It has taken 2+ years for my DD to get her giants. Total fear issues, blocks kick in. She HATES the strap, also doesn't feel very comfortable with them over a pit.
She competed L7 with 2 FHs on the low bar, then cast flyaway on high bar. She did get to move to 8....competed a low bar giant for most of the season (yes, crazy....but she was super solid on other 3 events) and finally at State had her giant on high bar. Competed States and Regionals with a "real" L8 bar routine.
TWO YEARS AFTER STARTING TO LEARN THEM.

Now back in the gym at practice, fear is kicking in again. DD has another block with giant since the season ended....I think she just needs to do these over and over and over to get comfortable. Tons and tons of time are what is needed by some - like mine!!

Good luck.....and patience, don't talk about it!!

 

[thefellowsmom]

I totally agree with the visualization. Works really well for my dd when she is struggling with a correction as well.

Another thing that sometimes help is for her to think about the correction the coach is asking her to make (tapping too early, not kicking, not tight, hollow etc - could be any number of things but she should understand what her coach wants her to change or at least what she is doing wrong) and then having her think about a small change she can make that day.

Even if it is the wrong change it tells their brain that what it is doing isn't right and sometimes this seems to activate the mind body connection and get things moving again.

I don't know. These mind tricks seem to work well for my dd, but she is a thinker.

Good luck to her. It will come.

 

[gymdoc]

Update: I was hanging out in the lobby waiting for my slow-poke YDD to be ready to leave and ODD coach approached ME about ODDs giants. He said she is doing really well, is working hard, making good corrections. He's seen a lot of progress, and he fully expects that she'll have them this summer.

When I relayed this info to ODD, she said in her 12yo rolly eye voice, "I know, he tells me that every day". So I feel better and I'll butt back out now

Thanks everyone for the support!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

So both my gymmies came home crying from practice yesterday
ODD is stressed because she hasn't gotten her giants yet. She repeated L6 this year because she didn't have them yet. Weirdly bars was her BEST event at L6 (scoring 9.2-9.4 all year); she even came in 1st at state. She has had a beautiful CH for over a year, but for some reason can't get the giants. First she said it was her timing on her shifting, now she says she making corrections the coach gives her, but is still not getting it. She hates the strap bar and is apparently "too wild" on the regular bar and needs 2 spotters?!

So my question is, do I ask for a meeting with the coach? I totally don't want to go in there and be all "Why's my kid not got this skill yet?" but if there is something else going on, like a fear issue, or lack of conditioning, I would want to know! And does that seem to be an excess time to learn giants after having a solid CH and baby giant?

"Let it go, let it go"...