Meatloaf should have added, "Or for a brownie."
Over my few years here, I've witnessed many an incident of parent-gymnast bribery:
"If you get your kip, you'll get a cell phone."
"If you do your back walkover on high beam, you can have brownies."
"If you don't cry after your bar routine, we'll go to the mall."
Does it work? Kinda sort. Would they have accomplished the skills (or not crying) anyway? Probably, eventually.
I bring this up because Coach P. is concerned about the motivation of the Level 5s, who are a potential disaster waiting to happen. He's hit the conundrum that I've experienced many a time with the older girls: if you yell, they get sad, but don't work harder. If you're encouraging, they fool around. If you're somewhere in between, nothing happens.
It might be time to break out the baking sheet.
Over my few years here, I've witnessed many an incident of parent-gymnast bribery:
"If you get your kip, you'll get a cell phone."
"If you do your back walkover on high beam, you can have brownies."
"If you don't cry after your bar routine, we'll go to the mall."
Does it work? Kinda sort. Would they have accomplished the skills (or not crying) anyway? Probably, eventually.
I bring this up because Coach P. is concerned about the motivation of the Level 5s, who are a potential disaster waiting to happen. He's hit the conundrum that I've experienced many a time with the older girls: if you yell, they get sad, but don't work harder. If you're encouraging, they fool around. If you're somewhere in between, nothing happens.
It might be time to break out the baking sheet.
No comments:
Post a Comment