How Oklahoma Sooners Cope With Distractions Tuning into distractions can ruin the opportunity to nail your gymnastics routine. Many gymnasts talk about how they consistently hit their routines in practice then, all of a sudden, miss landings, bobble on the beam, slip off the bars or … [Read more...]
How Elite Gymnasts Overcome Their Fears
How to Overcome Fears in Gymnastics Do you worry about your ability to perform a certain skill in a gymnastics competition? Do you feel you will fail when it matters most during a routine? Think of a competition where you were unveiling a new skill you have been practicing… You may have … [Read more...]
Help Your Gymnast Perform With Trust in Competition
Performing Freely in Gymnastics Does your gymnast have a hard time being “free” in competition? Is your gymnast afraid of making mistakes in competition leading them to perform conservatively? Does your gymnast perform well in practice but then freeze up in competition? Many gymnasts struggle with … [Read more...]
Confidence is Key to Success
Developing Gymnastics Confidence The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics introduced a new snowboarding sport called Slope style. American Sage Kotsenburg was honored as the first to ever win gold in this new event. But an even more amazing story is that Sage won the competition by throwing a trick that he … [Read more...]
How Doubt Is a Gymnast’s Greatest Enemy
Overcoming Doubt in Gymnastics Almost everyone struggles with doubt at some point in his or her life. When gymnasts struggle with doubt, it can cause many issues when competing. Once a gymnast opens the door to doubt in their mind, it’s very difficult to close it. Having confidence in your skills … [Read more...]
Gymnasts Who Over-Think Their Skills
Do You Overthink When Performing? Over-thinking in competition can completely impair a gymnast’s performance. Gymnasts are coached everyday to think about form and technique, but there’s a difference between improving your technique in practice and over-analyzing while performing. Over-thinking is … [Read more...]
Overcoming Mental Blocks in Gymnastics
How to Overcome Mental Blocks One day you are tumbling and learning new skills and the next day you find yourself suddenly not throwing your round off back handspring. You become anxious and wonder if this is the start of a mental block. You have seen other gymnasts in your gym have mental blocks … [Read more...]
Staying Calm And Focused at Meets
Managing Gymnastic Meet Anxiety Buzz phrases like “Stay calm,” “Relax and focus,” “Don’t over-think, just play” and “Have fun” swirl around the minds of competitive gymnasts. Gymnastic coaches constantly advise their gymnasts to relax and block out distractions, yet anxiety still seems to seep … [Read more...]
Simone Biles’ Gymnastics Perspective
Maintaining a Positive Perspective Do you rise up to overcome obstacles or do you allow those challenges to block you from future success? Perspective is the tool all athletes use to interpret their experiences. The word ‘perspective’ is derived from the Latin ‘perspicere’ which means ‘to see … [Read more...]
Jordyn Wieber’s Mental Toughness
Resilience in Gymnastics Are you a mentally tough and resilient gymnast? When faced with adversity during a critical moment in competition, how do you respond? Are you able to quickly rebound and “get back on the horse” or do you freeze and bemoan your situation? Do you have the courage to … [Read more...]