All-Star Slowing Progression?

[12stepCheermom]

12stepCheermom- you've got a great point that a cheerleader can "have" a skill but if they're missing the confidence, belief, mental toughness, etc. then they're in a very tough position. When coaches show they have faith in the athlete, this can help build confidence, but as a number have said in this thread, there can be concerns over how the coaches are teaching, so it may be hard for an athlete to trust them. Unfortunately, this can lead to mental blocks and fears. I started a thread the other day about working through fears and blocks and as a Mental Toughness Trainer, I work with cheerleaders to tame their fears. Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks but I think she just needs to slay this demon on her own. She will, in her own time. When she's ready. I stopped pushing years ago.

 

[Coach Sara]

I know I see this over and over at our gym, and then those same parents get angry when their kid has a tumbling block. I personally think that the rush to the next skill without perfecting what a kid has contributes to mental blocks. Kids are throwing skills that are not solid, so there is an element of fear there every time, then one bad fall and they block on it.

CP has a private lesson coach that is very much perfection before progression, and you have to understand that going in and have the right mindset to be successful. Time after time I see the same thing. Kid is stuck at a certain level, cannot land that tuck, layout, full ect. They sign up for privates with him because he has a reputation for turning out top notch tumblers. They come in and expect to immediately be working the "problem skill". Instead they go back to the roundoff or handspring that has not been perfected and is causing the issue. Parent leaves in a huff because "Suzy has _____ why is she working roundoffs?" only to show back up months later still working the same skill, but now ready to listen to the coach and fix bad habits. My CP wouldn't tumble with him when we came to the gym because of this approach, and frankly I didn't understand enough to tell her different. he was trying to correct bad habits she had picked up tumbling at a dance studio and she just wanted to move on. She is older now and sees more of the big picture so it works for her. She is a stronger tumbler, and when she gets a skill, she is confident that she can throw it safely.

cheer25mom- you're completely right! Pushing kids too quickly and moving from skill to skill can very much lead to blocks and fears. Falls/injury can also happen, as you said, which contributes to fears and blocks as well. What's helpful for cheerleaders is to work on their mental skills along with their physical skills (especially if they are currently dealing with a fear or block). I would agree that going back to foundational skills, and doing many reps is important in working through the scary skills, and definitely helps lead to confidence! As a Mental Toughness Trainer, boosting confidence through repetitions of progressions is VERY important!

 

[Coach Sara]

Thanks but I think she just needs to slay this demon on her own. She will, in her own time. When she's ready. I stopped pushing years ago.

Some athletes do work through these challenges on their own, and at their own pace, which is great. I also mention if you have any questions to let me know because not everyone realizes that there are ways you can mentally work through a fear or block- it's easy to think about just the physical part of it. I think it's great you're not pushing- that probably helps her work through it, and I'm sure she appreciates it! I can appreciate being sensitive to what your cheerleader needs and not pushing anything on her, (and I don't want to sound sales-y), but there are tools and resources available that may not feel like too much of a push for a cheerleader, so if you're curious, feel free to send me a message.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Thanks but I think she just needs to slay this demon on her own. She will, in her own time. When she's ready. I stopped pushing years ago.

You just might be the best mom ever.

Can you take this conversation on the road - to the peeps whose kids I've done privates with?

There is nothing sadder than seeing a mental blocked kid with a mom who is constantly saying after lessons:

"I don't understand why you can't just throw it!"

"If you don't throw it by August, you have to quit!"

"If you can't get her to throw it, we'll have to go somewhere else!"

Or stopping me as soon as I step off of the gym floor with "Did she THROW IT TODAY?"

or my favorite:

"Can't you just let her fall a couple of times so she'll snap out of it?"

They are n0 closer to throwing it with all the above pressure. They're actually closer to just saying screw cheer and I never want to see this mat again.

The best you can do is just stop asking and just BE THERE.

 

[12stepCheermom]

You just might be the best mom ever.

Can you take this conversation on the road - to the peeps whose kids I've done privates with?

There is nothing sadder than seeing a mental blocked kid with a mom who is constantly saying after lessons:

"I don't understand why you can't just throw it!"

"If you don't throw it by August, you have to quit!"

"If you can't get her to throw it, we'll have to go somewhere else!"

Or stopping me as soon as I step off of the gym floor with "Did she THROW IT TODAY?"

or my favorite:

"Can't you just let her fall a couple of times so she'll snap out of it?"

They are n0 closer to throwing it with all the above pressure. They're actually closer to just saying screw cheer and I never want to see this mat again.

The best you can do is just stop asking and just BE THERE.

Sadly, I used to be that mom. I learned my lesson the hard way about being Susie's Mom so I'm reformed now. Recovering SM about 3 years now. Life is much better for all parties involved

 

[Pebbles49]

@12stepCheermom and @oncecoolcoachnowmom, I must agree with the 2 of you ladies when you talked about backing off and allowing the child to slay that dragon when they are ready to and stop pressuring the kid... I know for me, my daughter is so used to me cracking corny jokes when she does not succeed on a skill (normally, I will blame it on something really outrageous, like the size of her bow weighing her down or that sport bra or T-Shirt, etc and vowing to not wear that bow, sports bra or t-shirt at her next practice or private) or when she succeed, I am that stupid Mom jumping up and down like an idiot, screaming Al-right baby or Go Girl and do the stupid dance(The Cabbage Patch or running man dance)! - So she loves seeing me cheering in the background and I think, in many ways it might inspire her more to succeed to only see my stupid reactions, because each of my reactions are not the same... (I know, I am starting to sound vain and making it all about me now! hahaha)

 

[Official OWECheer]

Sadly, I used to be that mom. I learned my lesson the hard way about being Susie's Mom so I'm reformed now. Recovering SM about 3 years now. Life is much better for all parties involved

There seriously needs to be a Susie's Moms Anonymous group, or hotline or something. How is a parent going to ask a tumbling coach to drop their kid? If they're okay with that, they should be okay with the kid being dropped from a stunt. :banghead:

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

You just might be the best mom ever.

Can you take this conversation on the road - to the peeps whose kids I've done privates with?

There is nothing sadder than seeing a mental blocked kid with a mom who is constantly saying after lessons:

"I don't understand why you can't just throw it!"

"If you don't throw it by August, you have to quit!"

"If you can't get her to throw it, we'll have to go somewhere else!"

Or stopping me as soon as I step off of the gym floor with "Did she THROW IT TODAY?"

or my favorite:

"Can't you just let her fall a couple of times so she'll snap out of it?"

They are n0 closer to throwing it with all the above pressure. They're actually closer to just saying screw cheer and I never want to see this mat again.

The best you can do is just stop asking and just BE THERE.

I freak about handstands always have because I hate holding myself upside down but I dont mind going through upside down quickly if that makes sense. I know its holding me back but when I am ok and can attend open gyms I try and do a couple of sets move on to something else then to a another set im am slowly getting there

 

[Official OWECheer]

I freak about handstands always have because I hate holding myself upside down but I dont mind going through upside down quickly if that makes sense. I know its holding me back but when I am ok and can attend open gyms I try and do a couple of sets move on to something else then to a another set im am slowly getting there

I hope your coaches are teaching you how to safely fall out of a tumbling skill, that really helps at this stage.

 

[Pebbles49]

I freak about handstands always have because I hate holding myself upside down but I dont mind going through upside down quickly if that makes sense. I know its holding me back but when I am ok and can attend open gyms I try and do a couple of sets move on to something else then to a another set im am slowly getting there

Have you try doing handstands against a wall, so you can get use to that upside down feeling and once you get use to that feeling than move away from the wall... I remembered when my daughter was first learning how to tumble, the gymnastic coaches had the students learn how to do handstands this way and even bridges. The gymnasts moved their hands down the wall and land into a bridge and when they got good enough, some were able to in a bridge, flip upward into a handstand against the wall too.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

I hope your coaches are teaching you how to safely fall out of a tumbling skill, that really helps at this stage.

Havent learned to fall safley and ended up landing on my head as I freaked and unlocked my arms and that worries me slighly

 

[123jump4!]

I knew I had been a terrible Susie's Mom about something and I just remembered what it was! When CP did gymnastics she had a block about doing a (spotted) pullover on the bar. She would not go upside down. Every time a coach tried to make her do it, she freaked and kicked her legs. I was going nuts. "What is the problem, the coach is holding you, you won't fall, even your little sister can do it... I'll by you a new Lalaloopsy doll if you do it!"

She finally did it because a coach more or less forced her to and I was happy and bought her the toy. I think she kept doing it after that. But I realize now I could have put her off sport altogether. Phew... I did not feel happy with myself and I've not been acting like that since.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

Have you try doing handstands against a wall, so you can get use to that upside down feeling and once you get use to that feeling than move away from the wall... I remembered when my daughter was first learning how to tumble, the gymnastic coaches had the students learn how to do handstands this way and even bridges. The gymnasts moved their hands down the wall and land into a bridge and when they got good enough, some were able to in a bridge, flip upward into a handstand against the wall too.

When im next in a suitable space I will give it a go I tried once freaked and unlocked my arms so the problem is keeping my arms locked but thanks will try this soon

 

[Pebbles49]

I hope your coaches are teaching you how to safely fall out of a tumbling skill, that really helps at this stage.

You know @Official OWECheer, that is the one thing I mentioned a lot on this message board... I noticed that many cheer coaches are not teaching this skill to the cheerleaders and I wondered if it may contribute to many of the mental blocks that cheerleaders are experiencing. I know when my daughter was learning how to tumble, the gymnastic coaches taught the athletes ways to safely fall out and pull out of tumbling skills, which most involved tucking in the heads to the chest and round out the back and/or making the body go into a ball to protect the head and neck areas... I see so many cheerleaders just crashing, looking like crash dummies, there is no attempt to protect vital areas like the head and neck...

PS: I know my daughter's private instructor comes from the gymnastics background and he mentioned to me, he wanted to teach this skill, but many of the parents who are paying him for privates do not want him to use instructional time for this vital lesson...That may be the reason why gymnast practice so many more hours too,,, because I remember when my daughter was taking gymnastics they will spend the first 30 minutes working on something they call form and technique and everybody had to point their toes the same, correct hand movements and it included preventative tumbling too...

 

[Official OWECheer]

You know @Official OWECheer, that is the one thing I mentioned a lot on this message board... I noticed that many cheer coaches are not teaching this skill to the cheerleaders and I wondered if it may contribute to many of the mental blocks that cheerleaders are experiencing. I know when my daughter was learning how to tumble, the gymnastic coaches taught the athletes ways to safely fall out and pull out of tumbling skills, which most involved tucking in the heads to the chest and round out the back and/or making the body go into a ball to protect the head and neck areas... I see

Yes! Things like this should be standard in cheer, but they aren't. The worst thing is that too many coaches interpret an athlete's struggle with tumbling as apathy/not wanting it badly enough. Sad.