All-Star Mental Blocks Effecting Placement?

[tucknduck]

Mental blocks are tough and frustrating since the skill was there at one point. I certainly see pulling the athlete from the routine or burying her somewhere where she won't cost them a shot to win but at some point, she has to work thru it or else if they can't maintain the skill, how can you remain with that team and not move down. Seems like many times with these cheerleaders, the skill returns. It usually takes the right coach that got into the athlete's head and jarred something and help restored confidence. Since there are other lower levels to go to, that should be an option. If it's something she'll never get over, then perhaps the athlete would need to re-assess themselves about the sport they are involved in and whether they should continue doing it. Flat out throwing them off the program seems a bit overkill since athletes can regain their skills but I suppose that depends how bg the gym is and how many cheerleaders are in the program.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Think for a second, though. Let's say you're on a team that was created for the sole purpose of maxing out a scoresheet - 1000% tumbling, everyone has doubles, ridIculous stuff. A cheerleader blocks a month before Worlds. Everyone works with the athlete to get the skills back, but she just can't. Meanwhile, Betty Beast on a lower team has all the skills the blocker had and knows the routine. I would expect the coaches to pull Betty up and move the blocker down.

Just like any other rule, the gym had sense enough to put it in writing that scenarios can happen, not that they WILL pull (see @Fameous MOM 's example) but that they CAN if necessary. Plus it eliminates Susie or her Mom running and crying about being leveled down.

I agree with you.
And I have seen many cheer packets that state members are expected to keep the skills shown at tryouts. If skills are not maintained they may be removed from the team and/or placed on a different (lower level) team. To me they are basically saying the same thing, they just worded it differently.

 

[eri-bear]

I THINK THAT IS SOOOO STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry bout that lol. But I just got over a HUGEE mental block and being kicked out of a gym for being scared will make you feel like you can't do anything and I feel like it will make the student not want to do their tumbling

 

[Keep_Believing]

I THINK THAT IS SOOOO STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry bout that lol. But I just got over a HUGEE mental block and being kicked out of a gym for being scared will make you feel like you can't do anything and I feel like it will make the student not want to do their tumbling

I could be interpreting it wrong, but I don't think they are kicked out of the gym. I think it just means they can't remain on that specific team while they are having a long term mental block.

 

[mollymags]

"No mental blocks…they are destructive and contagious…if your child has a mental block, your child may be asked to leave practice and up to possibly being removed from the team"

I hate the wording of this. I don't think it's unfair to move an athlete down a level if they're not throwing the skills expected of them, whether out of laziness, fear, or a block. But the way this is worded makes it sound like mental blocks are a choice. They're not. No one would choose to have a true mental block and force themselves through the frustration and stress of it.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I hate the wording of this. I don't think it's unfair to move an athlete down a level if they're not throwing the skills expected of them, whether out of laziness, fear, or a block. But the way this is worded makes it sound like mental blocks are a choice. They're not. No one would choose to have a true mental block and force themselves through the frustration and stress of it.

I agree. I had a mental block for a long time but once I found a great tumbling coach I eventually got over it. A mental block is something I would never wish upon another person. It's frustrating and so many people bugged me "just throw it" or "stop being lazy." if I could have I would have done it then but I just wasnt confident enough. And I was not lazy, I worked my butt of at tumbling.

 

[cheermommaRN]

Mental blocks are a tricky thing. My oldest had one and until I met Debbie Love there was a lot of yelling and telling her to "just throw it". The block never went away. It can be caused by a bunch of different reasons, the two biggest reasons I have seen are: 1. Kid has a growth spurt, throws off her center of gravity and basically has to relearn how her body feels doing the skill or 2. Lots of progression at an extremely fast rate coupled with pressure from parents or coaches.
Yes Spirit has that in their tryout packet, so they put it out there up front how they handle blocks. And yes I witnessed kids being asked to leave practice due to them.

 

[alexamarysouza]

People might come at me for saying this, but I'll come out with it anyways.
I feel like some girls try and say they have a mind block just to get attention. Then you'll see them flipping all over the place when a coach isn't around, or on the tumble track doing this and that. I just think that if you have a reasonable excuse for having a mind block, it should be alright as long as you pull your weight in the other areas of the routine. You might think I'm being biased when I say that I currently don't tumble because of...a mind block. But mine is because I've had several injuries and now tumbling absolutely scares me. I'm talking TERRIFIES me. But not only does tumbling scare me, but it still hurts to do most aspects of cheer because of a back injury from last season and a lingering foot injury from a few years ago. And I've tried to get back into it all, but it's just really hard when you get older because we don't always have the positive motivation that we need to try again at it. Personally, I feel like I pull my weight on my teams even without tumbling. It's never been an issue for my coaches at either of the gyms I've cheered at, and I don't think it ever will be. Point being, if you have a mind block, and let that restrict you from doing anything or excelling in any other aspect of cheer, yeah. Your team placement should be affected.

 

[alexamarysouza]

theres a difference between a fear and a mental block. If hes scared to tumble he ju

I disagree. A mental block can be different for everyone. Your mental block could be your fear. Either way, you're not tumbling.