Expert: Dean Dryer - 11/16/2009

Question
My daughter is 6 years old.  She is on a level 4 team with about 17 other girls.  They plan to start competing in February.  She is struggling with her back hip circles & cannot do a backhand spring without a spot.  She goes to the gym 3 times a week for 2-2 1/2 hours a time.  On beam she is not yet doing an independent handstand dismount but is almost there. Does it seem that she will be able to reach these skills by February?  I am considering several private lessons but I do not want my daughter to feel stressed to attain these skills.  Any advice?  Thanks in advance!

Answer
Laura,

Private lessons can be very helpful. Very often, small skill problems that keep a gymnasts from succeeding with an individual skill can get lost in the commotion of a large team group. Privates give some one on one time with the coach that allows both of them to narrow their focus a bit onto your daughter's issues with those particular skills.

I have found that one of the best ways to reduce a gymnast's stress about skill attainment is to reinforce the fact that everyone at home and at the gym is there to help her get better. And a private lesson is time for her coach to focus on "just her" and not the rest of the group in order to help her more.

As to stress in general, you should allow your daughter to see gymnastics as "her thing". Sometimes that means stepping back a little and letting her experience small failures because they are "hers". I've have seen plenty of parents who, with the best of intentions, make their child feel as if they are doing gymnastics for their parents rather than for themselves. That adds greatly to the amount of stress a child feels in the gym. In short, be there for the hugs and high-5's and let her coach handle the handstands and back hip circles.

Best of Luck with it,

Dean Dryer