It is so exciting to see students accomplish new skills. Skills that have been a focus for months or years and trained consistently. Then the moment comes when it is finally accomplished. Then, within a day or two, the skill is lost. How frustrating and depressing. Motivation is lost and the feeling of wanting to quit takes control.
This happens often, even with the most advanced athletes. Due to the high complexity of skills and the risk factors involved, it may take a long time to develop confidence in completing a skill. We have discussed the manner in which skills are learned safely and properly. This includes drill training and spotting on a consistent basis. Many times it is necessary to re-learn the skill from the beginning. Through time, the athlete should gain the confidence needed to perform the skill.
However, if the athlete attempts to perform the skill when they’re not ready emotionally or physically, there could be an accident. This could erase any confidence gained and the skill lost. It may take awhile to get it back. For some, it may never come back (. There are many circumstances that may cause an athlete to lose or struggle with confidence. Some of these may be experiencing an accident or injury or watching someone else have an accident or injury. In most cases, it is simply having negative thoughts of crashing and getting hurt. The student may often say “I’m Scared”Confidence and the Mental Block . The coach should always encourage in a positive manner and provide that needed support to reduce and eventually eliminate the fear factor.
This is Common!! Even at the highest levels of participation, athletes will have the same problem. Coaches and parents need to be supportive and encourage the student to keep at it and don’t give up. They will get it back but they need that positive support.
This is why we stress the importance of learning the basics and building a strong foundation Tumbling: Importance of Building a Strong Foundation. It is the stepping stone of learning all skills and is needed in the event a student struggles with skill development. Most all athletes will experience this issue of learning a skill and losing it. Sometimes it is immediate and other times it just occurs after years of having a particular skill. Taking that step back and resorting to the basics is a positive and necessary procedure to fix this issue.
Remain positive and be encouraging is the key. Coaches and parents should not treat this scenario in a negative manner. The student will most likely be very upset and emotional over the loss of skills. We need to pick them up and help them through the process and get them moving in a positive direction.
