This can be a widespread concern and/or psychological block that I take care of in my psychological teaching follow.
Typically the gymnasts I speak with who’ve this bother are usually within the youthful age – round 7 or 8 years previous. They’re sometimes small (partly due to age and generally they’re particularly petite) and that leap from low bar to excessive bar is an enormous one for them!
Most of them have both witnessed a teammate fall on that very same talent or have heard of it occurring to another person. This concern then will get of their head and so they start to query their very own capacity to catch the excessive bar and concern falling after grabbing.
Gymnasts who’ve a concern of this leap may leap after which contact the excessive bar however not maintain on. Or they could sit in a squat on and never leap in any respect.
What begins as a concern of falling/slipping on excessive bar can then flip right into a block. Her mind begins freezing her as much as keep away from the potential of hurt. It is a vicious cycle and may depart your gymnast (and her coaches) totally confused.
If this appears like your gymnast, don’t be concerned! There’s a resolution.
Listed below are the issues I counsel to assist your gymnast work by way of the concern of leaping from low bar to excessive bar:
1. Give her thoughts one thing productive to consider.
When concern guidelines, ideas comparable to “What if I fall?” or “I am unable to do that” typically creep in. These ideas trigger her physique to enter “hazard” mode which makes that leap practically unattainable.
As a substitute, when your gymnast can get right into a behavior of claiming useful phrases throughout her leap, she will be able to re-train her mind to give attention to phrases that may assist her go for her leap.
These phrases may sound like: “squat on, leap, seize, swing.”
Your gymnast will follow saying these phrases each time she does this leap and/or makes an attempt it. If going for this leap with a spot can also be too scary to your gymnast, then she will be able to follow by squatting down on the ground underneath the low bar and saying the phrases whereas she jumps up and catches the low bar. This fashion she is re-patterning her thoughts and physique to say these phrases and go for the leap.
She will be able to additionally follow this on her dwelling bar or on the playground bars (clearly provided that it is protected and with parental supervision).
2. Have her coach spot her as a lot as she wants.
Whereas this can be a talent your gymnast may as soon as do, in these moments she must be noticed so her mind can really feel protected and never go into fight-or-flight. Many coaches get cussed in pondering that in the event that they spot their gymnasts, they are going to by no means have the braveness to do the talent alone once more. In a case like this, that does not maintain true.
Whereas a gymnast goes by way of this concern/block of the leap from low bar to excessive bar, she wants her coach to identify her as a lot as attainable. For some gymnasts, even simply having coach stand there may be sufficient.
In the end in case your gymnast can get noticed time and again whereas saying her phrases (“squat on, leap, seize, swing”) she’s going to type new connections in her mind that may make that leap really feel simpler and simpler. Once more, the aim is for her to suppose useful ideas whereas entering into the repetition of doing her leap time and again. In time, this leap will come extra naturally for her and will not elicit the identical concern it as soon as did.
Coaches may also strive placing blocks underneath the excessive bar and seeing if their gymnasts will go for the leap like that. You possibly can then take away a block as she will get extra snug.
3. Do not put stress in your gymnast to do that leap.
Typically, as dad and mom and coaches, we expect gymnasts want some motivation once they’re afraid. However concern can overrule all motivation, particularly when it is occurring from the activation of her fight-flight-or-freeze response.
While you put stress in your gymnast to do her leap (comparable to: “It’s important to leap otherwise you will not be capable to compete bars” or “When you do not leap, it’s a must to do further conditioning”), it solely provides to the concern response.
Sure, will your gymnast need to scratch bars if she will be able to’t do her leap? Most likely (though you might have her compete with coach recognizing her and have your gymnast take the deduction). However she already is aware of that! So she would not want it to be acknowledged time and again.
In case your gymnast did not witness a fall or hear about that being a risk, it could possibly be the stress that’s inflicting her to dam on this talent. Typically the considered not making it to the subsequent degree or desirous to compete nicely could cause a gymnast to dam on varied abilities. If so, the identical strategies above nonetheless apply. However then your gymnast must work on making her pressures really feel “lighter” in order that her mind is not placing on the brakes. When you suppose that is the case to your gymnast, attain out to me for assist. This can be a case the place I might need to work along with your gymnast individually.
Whereas this leap from low bar to excessive bar can really feel like a very massive deal, particularly when it causes extreme angst to your gymnast, do not forget that gymnastics is about extra than simply doing abilities. It is about studying how one can management your ideas and fears. The psychological abilities and methods your gymnast will be taught because of going by way of this battle will assist her in her future as a gymnast, in addition to in life. Is not gymnastics simply one of the best sport there may be?!
Cling in there, dad and mom. Cling in there, coaches. Cling in there, gymnasts! Take it in the future at a time. Deal with what you are able to do within the current second. And all the time bear in mind – this too shall move.
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When you or your gymnast wants assist, along with the sources under I additionally supply one-on-one teaching classes by way of Zoom.
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