Bob the Block
It’s like a yawn. Once someone starts, who knows how many people will be affected?! Or maybe I should say “infected” since it spreads so quickly!
What am I talking about?
The dreaded and well-known gymnastics BLOCK. We call them blocks because whether the root cause is emotional, social, physical, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, or caused by automation, it’s blocking their progress.
Let’s define a block before we continue. For our purposes, a BLOCK is anything that prevents a gymnast from doing a skill they have the strength and ability to do.
A gymnast that has done a thousand BHS on beam and now suddenly can’t do one - has a block.
A gymnast who never had her BHS, but has the technical ability and strength to do one, has successfully completed all of the progressions but still can’t do the skill - has a block.
The gymnast that takes a super long time to perform a skill - has a block.
The gymnast who has to do a specific routine before doing a skill - has a block.
The gymnast that needs a one-finger spot to perform a skill - has a block.
A gymnast that needs her coach on the floor - has a block.
A gymnast that refuses to do back tumbling - has a block.
A gymnast that can’t bend backward because of an injury - has a (physical) block.
A gymnast that can’t circle the bars because of a feeding tube - has a (physical) block.
Again, a block is simply something preventing the gymnast from doing something she’s capable of doing.
Contagion
Blocks are contagious. They can take root and grow and spread among gymnasts.
But, as a gymnast, coach, or parent, there are things you can do to prevent blocks from taking root and spreading among gymnasts.
The first thing we need to do is make sure everyone understands a straightforward fact. No one wants to be blocked.
No one.
Let me say it one more time for the people in the back - no one *wants* to have a block.
We don’t wake up in the morning and say, “You know what? Today I am going to NOT do a skill I’ve done a thousand times or more. I don’t know why or how; I just know I can’t do it right now.”
No one wakes up hoping that’s how their day will go.
Since no one wants it, it certainly isn’t their fault!
They didn’t ask for it.
They don’t want it.
Don’t make them feel like it’s their fault.
It’s not.
So, now that we all agree no one wants this, we will try to understand how the gymnast feels.
Consider this the most important thing you’ll read about blocks.
You do *NOT* know how they feel. You don’t. Even if you’re a gymnast and have had a block before, you don’t understand precisely what they’re feeling. You may understand it way more than Average Joe (sorry, mom and dad), but you still don’t truly get it - simply because you’re not them! Without their personal experience, training, and background, you can’t fully understand what they are going through and how they feel.
You don’t genuinely understand it.
I don’t truly understand them and their block.
And that’s okay!
Because that doesn’t mean we can’t help!
So, the most important question… How do we help?
While the best thing you can do for a gymnast with a block is to get them into a specialized program with a block coach or counselor, that isn’t always practical. And, sometimes, it isn’t necessary - such as with a brand-new block in a gymnast that hasn’t had one before.
But, I caution against going too long without help because we don’t want automation to set in.
Automation is when the gymnast automatically bails because they’re used to doing it. We use muscle memory to train gymnastics. Unfortunately, if we continue to do a skill wrong (or bail out of a skill), our muscles learn that too.
If a block is continuing past a few days or is spreading among a squad, make a plan to address it immediately!
Identify
First, we Identify the Block.
In our coaching, we even name them!
Meet BOB... he’s one of my previous BYB girls’ blocks. He is drawn exactly as she saw him at the time we started working together.
Bob the BLOCK
I encourage our girls to draw and name their blocks because I need them to understand one simple thing: their block is NOT them.
Their block is not even a part of them! It’s completely separate from them.
Keeping them separate helps the girls develop a plan to deal with it. They need to know they’re okay, and having a block is okay. It doesn’t make you a lousy gymnast or a horrible person.
Separating the block from the gymnast makes it easier for them to actually believe that!
Introduce Me
Now that we’ve named and drawn our block, we briefly describe their origin story.
The gymnast describes how the block popped into their lives and what happened the first time in their own words.
At this point, it doesn’t matter what happened or if there was a trigger for the block.
Our gymnasts have successfully busted 97% of the blocks we’ve encountered. After busting their block, the gymnast has identified a root (cause) every single time. But at this time, it doesn’t matter *why* the gymnast has a block - it only matters that it exists.
Talk about It
It’s important to talk with your gymnast about a block. I hear parents say, “leave it to the coaches.”
Unfortunately, most coaches never receive training on how to help gymnasts through blocks. If they are adequately trained, they understand everyone in the person’s life plays a role in supporting them while they beat the block.
Everyone must support a gymnast through their block. Gymnasts feel enough pressure to compete and compete well - we don’t need to add block pressure!
If you’re not sure what words to use, begin by asking your gymnast how they’re feeling. That should help you find where you need to start.
If you’re unsure what to do next, remember to tell her and show her you love her. She’s suffering and isn’t sure how to move past it.
If you need assistance, reach out to a coach or counselor with experience coaching through blocks.
Psycho Crowds
The title of this section really should be Psychology of Crowds, but this is so much more fun, isn’t it?! And, at times, more fitting.
Psychologists understand the behavior of a crowd differs significantly from the behaviors of individuals. Although they may not always agree on the specifics of how groups affect an individual’s behavior, they all agree it does.
In a group, kids are more likely to follow another person’s lead, especially if they are already seen as a leader in their peer group.
That means the natural leaders can either help move it away from blocks or lead it directly into their trap.
To battle blocks and prevent them from spreading, a gym needs cooperation (or buy-in) from the peer leaders and the coaches.
Environment & Culture
The environment and culture of a gym either help gymnasts beat blocks, or it creates them.
Which one are you in?
Coaches
Coaches play a vital role in the gym - no one can deny that. They also play a vital role in how blocks play out in the gym.
A coach that makes a huge deal out of a block and tries to force a gymnast through it creates an environment where blocks will become power struggles.
A coach who accepts blocks as part of training and does what they can to prevent them and support gymnasts through them will create an environment where blocks don’t thrive. They’re quickly dealt with - with the support of the entire gym - and never get a chance to take hold or spread.
Progress!
One of the most important aspects of preventing blocks from spreading is making sure your gymnasts understand precisely how the drills help them execute the skill correctly each time.
Many times gymnasts don’t understand *why* they are doing something. Showing them how the drill relates to a skill they are learning helps them see the progressions built upon each other.
Gymnasts will not find long-term success in gymnastics without progressions and previous laddering skills. For higher-level skills, you need those progressions!
Great coaches know to back up and use progressions as soon as they see a block. That may mean going back to a simple drill to build confidence. Or spotting a skill. Or doing some drills into the pit for safety. It depends on the specifics of the skill, but a great coach knows that backing up and using known progressions is a proven technique to advance past blocks.
Backing up for progressions isn’t moving backward.
Remember, progressions lead to progress!
Building Trust
Using progressions appropriately builds trust in the coaches and in a gymnast’s physical abilities.
To succeed through blocks, gymnasts need to trust their gym, coach, and training. A good environment includes:
- uses progressions appropriately
- conversations about blocks and tools to prevent them
- ladder skills to higher levels
- team-building events and activities both inside and outside of the gym
- peer leaders model good coping techniques
- good nutrition is modeled
- team models and encourages self-care
- perfection isn’t the goal
- appropriate goal setting
- questions are encouraged and answered
- concerns are addressed
- spotting is used appropriately
- coaches are proficient in spotting
- safety is paramount
Positively a Problem
If you’ve ever been called a name you didn’t appreciate, you understand that words matter.
They really do.
In fact, when dealing with blocks, our words matter just as much - if not more - than our physical actions.
Why?
Our brains hear every single word we say. Or don’t say.
Every. Single. Thought.
What do you think your gymnast is thinking about her block?
More importantly, what do you think your gymnast is thinking about herself?!
What is her brain hearing every practice? Every rotation? Every minute of conditioning?
What message is she getting?
It’s okay to not be okay.
It’s okay to ask for help.
It’s okay to get help.
It’s okay to work through it.
It’s okay to be okay.
It’s okay.
I guarantee she’s harder on herself than anyone else ever could be. Do you have any idea what goes on in the brain of a pre-teen or teenage girl?!
Oh my. It’s rough.
Our words matter.
How we approach it matters.
How we help them label it matters.
How we help them deal with it matters.
They matter.
But remember, their block is separate from them. It’s not them. It’s not their fault. It’s nothing they did or didn’t do.
It just is.
She’s not lazy.
She’s not ‘not trying.’
She can’t just do it.
She doesn’t want this.
She wants to get past it.
She loves gymnastics - except when she hates it.
She wants to succeed.
She’s strong.
She will succeed.
She wants to break through the block.
She’s tough.
She will breakthrough.
She wants to succeed.
She’s amazing.
She wants a plan for success.
You will build one together.
She is successful.
She is loved.
Show her.
Right now.