All-Star Bribes For New Skills

[Cheerleading Is My Life]

So I just want to get some opinions on this topic. I have overheard some athletes at my gym talking about how "If I get my full, my mom will give me $50" or "If I make team _____ then my parents are gunna buy me a pet" just as some examples. How do other athletes or parents feel about this? Have you ever used this with your child? I just personally feel like this makes for a child trying to just throw a skill for the reward instead of safely learning the skill with proper progressions.

 

[SL&AM]

Bleh, bleh, bleh...that is the extent of my feelings.

 

[C*A-Shelby K]

Well I know for me my mom bribed be with little stuff such as a toy, a new phone case, a week off chores, etc when I was capable of doing skills I was just afraid to throw them. It usually worked and I eventually did it and got over being scared. The only time it didn't work was for my full. I was too scared to throw that and I never did :/ but this worked for multiple back handsprings standing and running, and my hand tuck. The little incentive did help me get over it a little faster.

As for throwing skills not ready for. Hopefully that would even be an issue because I would hope the coach would not let an athlete throw a skill they are not ready for. Same goes for making a team. The athletes don't choose teams, coaches do so I would hope they wouldn't be placed somewhere they could not handle.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

As I coach I hate it. I see it with mental blocks a lot and it's not effective at all.


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[Cheerleading Is My Life]

Well I know for me my mom bribed be with little stuff such as a toy, a new phone case, a week off chores, etc when I was capable of doing skills I was just afraid to throw them. It usually worked and I eventually did it and got over being scared. The only time it didn't work was for my full. I was too scared to throw that and I never did :/ but this worked for multiple back handsprings standing and running, and my hand tuck. The little incentive did help me get over it a little faster.

As for throwing skills not ready for. Hopefully that would even be an issue because I would hope the coach would not let an athlete throw a skill they are not ready for. Same goes for making a team. The athletes don't choose teams, coaches do so I would hope they wouldn't be placed somewhere they could not handle.

I think this form of "bribes" is reasonable. I would agree that maybe a little incentive to throw a skill that your perfectly capable of but just scared to is alright.

 

[SoAena]

So I just want to get some opinions on this topic. I have overheard some athletes at my gym talking about how "If I get my full, my mom will give me $50" or "If I make team _____ then my parents are gunna buy me a pet" just as some examples. How do other athletes or parents feel about this? Have you ever used this with your child? I just personally feel like this makes for a child trying to just throw a skill for the reward instead of safely learning the skill with proper progressions.

I don't mind the idea of occasional rewards, if someone works hard, why not. But making a specific skill a condition for a specific reward bothers me. Youth activities and sports should be enjoyed for themselves first and foremost I think. If "bribes" become necessary for the kid to put in the work, then maybe they're just losing their interesting in the activity and it's time for a change. Which doesn't have to be a bad thing. Besides, pushing kids too much that way can sometimes have the opposite effect and drive them even further away. But if it is their passion, they'll love it just as much without the iphone, or toy or whatever they're getting in return.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I could see the use of it in other sports, like I used to get $5 for every goal in soccer, which motivated me to play better. There was zero risk with that though. But, I feel like cheer is different since the skills being done are dangerous and some kids would just go out there and chuck a skill just to please their parents, potentially hurting themselves.

 

[Pebbles49]

:chestbump:I hate the idea that a parent must bribe an athlete to perform a sport that they supposed to love... Whenever my child was practicing, the only bribing I had in place, which was really a reward/incentive to perform her best and stay focus was the promise to raid Wawa after each practice.. (I need to buy some stocks in that company...)

Also, I must agree with @luv2cheer92, some sports and skills perform in that sport should not be negotiated for trinkets... Some skills are too dangerous and should not force and furthermore, who will judge if the skills are perform technically correct or janky performances count too.

 

[arispurplecheerkitty]

My parents do this for getting good grades. I'm saving up for a car so every bit helps!! Whenever I get straight A's or all A's and maybe one B they give me 200$. It keeps me motivated to do my school work and bribes me into doing well and getting honour roll.

 

[notyourcheermom]

They don't work in general, but we will go to Starbucks for that celebratory, yes, you did it, you are on the road to owning it new skill. CP is dealing with standing tucks right now. She is at a gym where to be on level you pretty much have to own every level skill. And she is in level 4 workout groups right now. Teams June 1. She has all of her 4 skills, jumps to bhs tuck, bhs bhs layout, except for she is not able to land that standing tuck consistently every single time on the 5-6-7-8. I did tell her the other night if she landed three standing tucks in a row when she was stressed on the way to practice to determine levels and really wondering if she should just go back to being one of the more solid tumblers on 3 and forget this 4 thing, I said I would get her Starbucks if she landed three in a row. She perked up and was like, yeah!!! She landed them, went and landed one for her coach and came straight out the door of the parent room and said, Mom, hurry, they will close soon. It made me laugh. Realistic expectations, though, that was a week ago and she is still working on it and still making progress. The practice that she can land every standing tuck on the 5-6-7-8, I am sure she will walk out the door and say, We're getting Starbucks, right? But, no, nothing I could buy her or bribe her with will make her able to do the skill until she is ready and physically capable.

 

[momsy]

Right now, CP is working on getting her BHS. Once she skillfully throws it, not only will she be rewarded by having the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal she's set for herself, but I will gladly reward her with the Tropical Smoothie I promised her! I'm not sure if you'd call promising an almost-15 year old a smoothie for throwing a skill she's been working on for a year a bribe?

Our gym does not deviate from proper progression through level skills, so the likelihood of a child throwing a skill before s/he is ready is very remote. A bribe wouldn't change that.

 

[hawkeye87]

I can't image bribing my kid to do a skill that is potentially dangerous for them, especially when they aren't ready to do it. A little incentive if they are fully capable of it and just scared ok I will totally do that. Now saying that I have been the Queen of Bribes lately as my son is potty training ugh and when he got a concussion I bribed him to sit though the doctors test but for something that could potentially cause injury no way jose!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

I don't mind small bribes for minis and youth. Sometimes they're fully capable of doing a skill, but just aren't focused enough to accomplish it. A milkshake or a smoothie often does the trick. If you're bribing kids that are old enough to motivate themselves, then you have a problem.

 

[catlady]

If DH offered to get me the one and only 1966 Jaguar XJ13 if I threw a standing full, I'd end up in traction to get it but, rest assured, I'd never throw it again.

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

Bribing your kid to get skills is a textbook warning sign that you are entering SM territory .

It also doesn't work very well once the kid reaches a certain age and/or the skill reaches a certain level of difficulty for that particular child.