For a lot of gymnasts, it’s the season of upgrades!
Gymnasts are studying new, tougher expertise throughout this low season and checking off the listing of the talents they want with the intention to transfer as much as the subsequent stage.
For some gymnasts, it may be a extremely enjoyable time of yr (minus the additional conditioning) with out a ton of stress that is typically there throughout competitors season.
Gymnasts are flipping and twisting new expertise into the pit and progressively engaged on touchdown these expertise on mats. And most days carry numerous enjoyable as your gymnast is raring to maintain getting higher at these new expertise.
However for some gymnasts, improve season is one among wrestle. They is likely to be watching their teammates study new expertise quicker than them. Possibly they get caught on sure expertise that really feel tougher for them and it makes them shine a lightweight on the comparability that exists between them and their teammates’ talent stage.
This will result in your gymnast feeling detrimental about herself throughout improve season. And that may, sadly, lead her to enter her new season as an underdog.
So what do you do when you have a gymnast who’s on the wrestle bus throughout improve season? How do you assist her keep extra optimistic?
1. Do not examine your gymnast to her teammates.
This goes with out saying however be sure to aren’t making references to your gymnast’s teammates. Your gymnast is totally conscious of what the opposite gymnasts in her fitness center can do and he or she would not have to really feel in comparison with them anymore than she’s already evaluating herself.
Even when a teammate is struggling too, it would not assist to level that out or remind her that she’s not the one one. No matter what number of gymnasts is likely to be struggling, there are nonetheless gymnasts who’re NOT struggling. And people are the gymnasts she notices and compares herself to.
So keep away from any comparisons to different teammates. As a substitute, deal with how your gymnast is on her personal journey and the way everybody’s journey is exclusive. A great film to look at is Full Out which highlights the lifetime of Ariana Berlin. Your gymnast can see how setbacks brought about Ariana to discover a completely different means again to the game she beloved and finally attaining the end result she had all the time dreamed of.
2. Work on fostering a development mindset.
Throughout improve season, having a development mindset goes to assist your gymnast bounce again from powerful practices. A development mindset is when your gymnast can take a look at a state of affairs that’s arduous and do not forget that she will proceed to enhance. This differs from a hard and fast mindset wherein your gymnast would possibly determine she would not have the power to study a brand new talent and that her expertise is already determined for her.
Some gymnasts are naturally higher at a development mindset than others. But when your gymnast is one who has a hard and fast mindset, there may be hope. A method I really like to indicate gymnasts that they’ll study extra expertise is by reminding them of all the talents they as soon as didn’t know the way to do and now can do. It is easy for gymnasts to neglect how far they’ve come of their journey.
I exploit a E book of Proof (free printable) to have gymnasts write down each talent they’ve discovered to date in gymnastics. This can be a good way for them to remain hopeful and do not forget that expertise they as soon as struggled on are straightforward for them now.
If you have not already, obtain my Development Mindset Jar printable as properly.
3. Assist your gymnast set course of targets.
Throughout improve season, your gymnast typically units targets which might be primarily based on the end result of what occurs. In different phrases, she is working in the direction of a selected talent. This implies she is targeted on the end result, which is studying that talent.
Nonetheless, in case your gymnast is barely targeted on getting her expertise, she’ll be discouraged for many of the low season since she’ll study lots of her expertise after months of coaching (and never at first of improve season).
And being discouraged means she probably will not strive as arduous and can get caught on the truth that she would not have her expertise. It will decrease her confidence and in some instances, de-motivate her.
As a substitute, it is essential that your gymnast create course of targets alongside the best way. Course of targets deal with the method of her studying new expertise. Examples of course of targets is likely to be doing a sure variety of drills every day (that can assist her study the talents she’s engaged on). She will preserve monitor of whether or not she does these drills and that can assist her really feel success alongside the best way.
Course of targets may also embody doing a sure variety of makes an attempt at a talent every apply. Once more, the main target is on the method of making an attempt the talent and never on whether or not she achieved the talent purpose or not.
Whereas this would possibly look like a delicate distinction, it makes a BIG distinction in how gymnasts really feel about their skills when studying new expertise.
Once more, improve season can really feel like an thrilling time of yr. But it surely may also be a extremely arduous one for some gymnasts. In case your gymnast is likely one of the ones who’s struggling by way of improve season or is evaluating herself to her teammates, she would possibly undergo a whole low season the place her confidence plummets. Be sure you aren’t making comparisons between her and her teammates (even when the comparability is an effective one). Assist your gymnast discover a development mindset by reminding her of how far she’s come and of how her earlier struggles led to her studying new expertise. And eventually, assist your gymnast set course of targets as an alternative of end result targets so she will construct up some confidence alongside the best way.
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When you or your gymnast wants assist, along with the assets beneath I additionally supply one-on-one teaching periods through Zoom.
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