Terrified of Vault

[gymfan4ever95]

I have fear issue's on all the events, but lately, vault has been REALLY bad. When I was in level 6, my vault was fine. I would easily do the front handspring, and score mid-9's. In level 7, I would still score very high at meets, but I would stand there for a LONG time before I go. I take a step forward, but I then step back. Over and over. I hop forward, hop back. Over and over. It was ridiculous! No matter what I did, I just would not go! Its like I mentally couldn't get myself to run.

Now, as I am training for level 8, I am doing tsuks into the pit. When I first started them I would still stand down there for a long time (im talking 5 minutes for my 1st one) before I would go. Then about a week later, I found a trick that helped me to go. If I went at the same time as a teammate ran beside me, I would go. Just them starting to run seemed to give me a cue or something to tell me to run, and so I would just run and go! That has been working until this week.

Two practices ago, after flipping twice, I felt really tired and just couldn't get myself/will myself to do anymore. And so yesterday I wouldn't even do a front handspring into the pit. I don't know what I am afraid of, I just can't go! My coach is usually patient with me because she knows I need her to be, but she got really angry with me, as she should! I know I would be mad at me if I was her! I take up all my teammates time with my mental issues. I feel SO bad about it and just hate myself for it! I have no idea what to do!

I don't even know what I am afraid of! This happens on floor too, but no where near as bad as on vault! Help please!

 

[mommyof2]

Could you set up a reward system for yourself?
If I get one solid vault, I can treat myself to _________.
Maybe set it up so you are accountable to someone else. Are you good friends with another girl on the team? Does she have something she really wants to accomplish?
You can set up an agreement: You get your vault, your friend gets her desired skill, and you go out for ice cream or something.

Don't feel bad about it, though--everyone has issues like that. Keep working hard on your other skills and you WILL get this one back. (((Big hugs to you!)))

 

[CoachTodd]

This may sound like an odd question but how old are you? I've seen many of these fear issue come and go as girls mature, usually somewhere between 11 and 15. Most of the time it is just a matter of working through it.
I also like the reward system mentioned by Mommyof2. If that doesn't help, I have one girl that gives herself push-ups if she doesn't go "next time". I'm not really sure if she ever actually gets the push-ups but she tells herself she has to .

good luck

 

[niknak]

When I was about 13, and grew about 5 inches in one year, I went through this. The change of my body proportions and difficulty navigating my body in space really messed with my head. For me, it was just an issue of working through it and pushing myself until I got the skill back. Good luck, you will get it back!

 

[gymfan4ever95]

I just turned 15. I have had really bad fear issue's for a couple years now, and i have overcome many! But today was a little better, I actually flipped 3 tsuks! On my first two, I had someone count to five, then I said what i was going to do outloud, and then I went. It took maybe five minutes for me to do the first one, 30 seconds for the second one. On my third one, no one was at the end of the runway with me, so i couldnt have anyone count. I counted to five out loud, said "tsuk" and just went! It honestly took me 5 seconds to go! My coach was very proud of me, and so hopefully I will be able to keep this up for awhile! Usually I can do it good for one practice, and then it goes bad again. But I will try to stay positive and keep working hard!

I have tried the push-ups thing before, and I would tell a teammate what I was doing so she could make me do them! It usually makes my arms really tired, because I dont go so many times that I end up doing over 50. So that probablly isn't the best idea for me :b And I am going to try the rewards system idea....i like it! I have a teammate who is a level 9 who spends the night with me every friday (she lives an hour away from gym and we have sat. morning practice), and she always gives me mental talks about my fear issue's, and that really helps me a lot! She will help me with this rewards thing

 

[tumble_acro_lizz]

well, if you still have issues something my coach used to do was count down from 5. if you didn't go you had to step down and let everyone else have a turn. then you could go again. surprisingly effective and sounds abit like your solution another thing, a friend of mine used to be petrified of tumbling, (she would think too much about it) so in her routine before her tumbling the coaches put some specific choreography that went with that part of the music so she had to tumble straight away i understand you cant do this in vault but maybe having something specific you do and then you go straight away might help if you still have fear issues
congrats on doing it though!!!!

 

[Linsul]

For everyone who posted age and growth having to do with it, I agree. I've seen this between levels 4 and 5 and 5 and 6.

It's not something I stress about too much as a coach. The girls either take their turn or they don't, but I don't over analyze it during a workout. What usually happens is I set up stations for hollow body drills, handstand flatbacks, blocking drills, dive rolls, running. etc. A girl who does not vault takes more turns at these stations before getting back in line for her vault. The assumption is if it has to do with fear regarding growth, it's practice learning her body awareness again. If not vaulting is from fear, they can still practice the 'pieces' and feel less threatened. To the OP I would suggest making the most out of your drill time, take every opportunity to perform the vault, no undue stressing out if you balk.

I've only ever seen this issue post season. All the stress / begging in the world as a coach is nothing compared to the next season quickly approaching. None of the girls I saw with this problem let it affect their next season, though some dragged on down to the wire.

 

[gymdog]

It's not something I stress about too much as a coach. The girls either take their turn or they don't, but I don't over analyze it during a workout. What usually happens is I set up stations for hollow body drills, handstand flatbacks, blocking drills, dive rolls, running. etc. A girl who does not vault takes more turns at these stations before getting back in line for her vault. The assumption is if it has to do with fear regarding growth, it's practice learning her body awareness again. If not vaulting is from fear, they can still practice the 'pieces' and feel less threatened. To the OP I would suggest making the most out of your drill time, take every opportunity to perform the vault, no undue stressing out if you balk.

This is a great approach. Oftentimes too much emphasis on the situation itself can magnify it. The kid gets scared of what the coaches will do and starts getting even more stressed, so they don't go then either.

I have seen a lot of fear issues during season in that middle school age but I generally agree that a lot of girls can pull it together. I think it depends somewhat on the nature of the problem. I am talking more about optionals than compulsories though, and I think sometimes we see this problem with kids who are really doing skills that are "beyond" them. They throw it sometimes but are not confident on it, so they're not going even in competitions, etc (although obviously that's not what's happening here). But I see some girls warming up flipping vaults at L8 meets and I'm not surprised when I see some balking...

 

[Linsul]

This is a great approach. Oftentimes too much emphasis on the situation itself can magnify it. The kid gets scared of what the coaches will do and starts getting even more stressed, so they don't go then either.

Thanks! It's not worth a 'freak out' moment between coach and gymnast. Especially at a compulsory level when we're trying to instill confidence, fundamentals, and clear communication. A gymnast can have all the skills in the world, but if they're delivered to optionals with multiple fears and a inability to elaborate effectively on what's going on in their heads... then something went wrong as a compulsory.

I've only had to explain this to one parent who asked for some pressure to be put on. Some get fixated on the season coming up, which is understandable. It's exciting and still new. Once they got 'big pictured' they were very understanding of not wanting to damage future skills or set up a bad mental state. Pretty much the only thing that's going to get my ire in a vault balking situation is a gymnast who says they want it, but then scrimps on her drills or uses the extra drill time to distract team mates. Though my ire has never had to go beyond a puzzled look at questionable drill effort.

I have seen a lot of fear issues during season in that middle school age but I generally agree that a lot of girls can pull it together. I think it depends somewhat on the nature of the problem. I am talking more about optionals than compulsories though, and I think sometimes we see this problem with kids who are really doing skills that are "beyond" them. They throw it sometimes but are not confident on it, so they're not going even in competitions, etc (although obviously that's not what's happening here). But I see some girls warming up flipping vaults at L8 meets and I'm not surprised when I see some balking...

I totally agree, I die inside when I see a gymnast trying like hades for a skill that's beyond them. It really sets them up to diminish hard work and effort when the goal is practically unattainable through no fault of their own. I can't imagine anything worse for an optional than training to undervalue hard work and effort. A sure way to trample desire.