Do You Only Look Forward to Gymnastics Competitions?
For many gymnasts, competing is more exciting than training. Training is often tedious, repetitive, and hard on the body. When you view training as unfavorable and are not up for the challenge of practice, your motivation will subside.
However, if you are not excited about training, you won’t challenge yourself to develop new skills or more advanced routines. Eventually, your performance will plateau.
You will see some of your teammates or rivals starting to score higher than you. Your confidence will slowly dissipate. Your preparation will be haphazard, and nagging injuries will become commonplace.
You will regularly underperform in your events, confidence will further erode, and training will become miserable. You will feel stuck and hate the sport you once loved.
To change your experience, you must break the cycle of lack of motivation, less enthusiasm, haphazard preparation, low confidence, and poor performance.
How do you Break the Negative Performance Cycle?
When you lack motivation, there is no switch that you can flip to energize yourself and reignite your enthusiasm.
To deal with this negative performance cycle, you must reevaluate your ‘why’ or the reason you are competing. You may respond, saying, “I want to make Nationals or compete in college.”
But, at a deeper level, why do you compete? What made you fall in love with gymnastics in the first place?
Reconnecting with your ‘why‘ will help you understand what you truly want from your sport. This perspective will reignite your passion for competing, improve your motivation to get into the gym, and further develop your skills.
Flavia Saravia’s Mindset
Brazilian gymnast Flavia Saravia is one of the top gymnasts in Brazil but has dealt with injuries that shortened her 2021 and 2022 seasons. At times, Saravia felt her struggles were insurmountable and thought about walking away from gymnastics altogether.
However, Saravia decided to reevaluate her ‘why’ to understand what she truly wanted out of her sport. After redefining her ‘why,’ Saravia felt rejuvenated, and her new attitude paid off.
At the 2023 World Championships, Saravia helped her team win the silver medal, Brazil’s first team medal in World Championship history. In addition, Saraiva won her first international medal in the floor event.
Now, with a fresh perspective, Saravia has her sights set on competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
SARAVIA: “I am more confident with my body, knowing that it is prepared to withstand everything that comes. It is strong, and it’s the most important thing of all to me. It’s about having fun and enjoying every moment, every competition, getting there and doing my best.”
Competitive gymnastics is a challenging sport. Reconnecting with your ‘why’ will help you flourish and have a positive experience throughout your gymnastics career.
Having athletic goals is crucial for success but can also add a bit of pressure for some gymnasts. Reminding yourself why you compete is essential for replenishing your energy, enthusiasm, and motivation.
Related Articles:
- How to Embrace a Competitive Mindset for Gymnastics Meets
- How Mentally Tough Gymnasts Bounce Back From Adversity
- Overcoming Disappointment With Mental Toughness
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