Getting/losing/getting/losing jumps

[KJD]

I'm sure that this has been posted before, but since I'm a newbie as a "skating mom with kid doing doubles" I could really use some advice/reassurance before I lose my mind. My daughter has had all her doubles relatively consistant for the last 4-5 months or so and even pretty good double/doubles. All of a sudden in the last 5 weeks.....poof! Double loop, double flip, double lutz vanished. She's now so tense about them vanishing that she's making them worse - all tight and no height/no pulling in. She has a horrible bruise on her bum, poor thing, which I think is making her even more tight.

Has anyone been through this before? She lost them about 4 weeks ago, got them back after a week or two and has lost them all over again yesterday and today. We just don't have very many high level kids training at our rink, especially when we are there and so I've no idea if this is normal or a sign that it's time for her to take up soccer. She loves this sport and is frustrated because she wants to be good and it breaks my heart because she keeps telling me "I thought I was good and now its all gone"... Is this normal? Thanks so much.

Learning that its harder to be a skating mom than skater!:??

[garyc254]

Not that I'll have an answer since I don't coach or jump, but a few items of information might help others.

How old is your daughter?

Is she growing taller? Feet getting bigger? Etc.

Any other recent physiological changes in her?

What does her coach think?

[KJD]

Gary,
Coach thinks she is tense about the jumps now, thus messing them up and making them inconsistent. Yes, she has grown about half an inch since Christmas - jump problems started about the second week in January. Feet still the same size. Weight for height ratio turned way around now - used to be something like 50th percentile on height and about same on weight, now about 65th percentile on height (I was interested since she grew so much and I put it into a chart) and weight is at the 40th percentile (no weight change at all since September but has grown total since September of 1.25 inches). She is turning 9 in 2weeks.

[mary]

Originally posted by KJD
She is turning 9 in 2weeks.


That is fantastic that she has (or had) those double jumps and she's not even 9 yet. I wouldn't worry about it and tell her not to pressure herself.

When my daughter suddenly had problems landing the double lutz or double flip, her coach would revert to having her do a couple of single lutzes or flips and then continue with the double jump. That seemed to help a lot.

[Justine_R]

I just had this last wdon't worry KJD!
Get your daughter doing some lower jumps (toe,flip lutz etc...).
Then work your way up from there, I practiced my singles and noticed I got really great height on them so I tried to use the same tecnique with my doubles and it really worked I could fell a noticeable difference so now i no when to take of and how to rotate it properly, also I got more consistant jumps!!HOOORAY!!

Good luck

[Elsy2]

I just want to assure you that yes, this is normal and happens all the time. I do think that growing can be a part of this. I can't tell you how many times daughter's coach has come up to me and said, "she's growing again...." She can tell right away.

What's also important here is that she thinks she's "not good" anymore. Confidence and her mental state means everything when it comes to how she skates. She needs her self-esteem boosted. She needs to know this is temporary, that she is capable, and that she can do this.

Believe me, you're going to have to address this confidence business many times over the years!

[Chico]

I'm sure all the advice given here is correct. Saying that, I get and lose skills all the time. ALL. I can do something for months and then have it disappear for "ages". Heck, I can do something one minute and fall apart the next. I can relate to your daughters feelings about not being good right now. I've been there, in fact most skaters have been. Be positive for her and pray her difficult time won't last long. Be a supportive parent with lots of hugs. Good luck to you and her.

Chico

[Mrs Redboots]

If I were you, I'd buy her a set of "crash pads", so that if she does land on her bottom, she won't bruise herself (I wish I could buy a pair for my husband, you should see the enormous bruise he has, caused by the Bruise Choctaw, though, not jumps). Lots of the kids here wear them when they are practising doubles, and it does seem to give them confidence.