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 so as to transfer as much as the following stage.
For some gymnasts, it may be a extremely enjoyable time of yr (minus the additional conditioning) with out a ton of strain that is typically there throughout competitors season.
Gymnasts are flipping and twisting new expertise into the pit and regularly engaged on touchdown these expertise on mats. And most days carry a number of enjoyable as your gymnast is raring to maintain getting higher at these new expertise.
However for some gymnasts, improve season is considered one of wrestle. They may be watching their teammates study new expertise sooner 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’ ability stage.
This will result in your gymnast feeling damaging 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’ve got a gymnast who’s on the wrestle bus throughout improve season? How do you assist her keep extra constructive?
1. Do not evaluate your gymnast to her teammates.
This goes with out saying however ensure you aren’t making references to your gymnast’s teammates. Your gymnast is absolutely conscious of what the opposite gymnasts in her gymnasium can do and he or she does not must really feel in comparison with them anymore than she’s already evaluating herself.
Even when a teammate is struggling too, it does not assist to level that out or remind her that she’s not the one one. No matter what number of gymnasts may 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, give attention to how your gymnast is on her personal journey and the way everybody’s journey is exclusive. film to observe is Full Out which highlights the lifetime of Ariana Berlin. Your gymnast can see how setbacks prompted Ariana to discover a completely different manner again to the game she liked and in the end attaining the result she had all the time dreamed of.
2. Work on fostering a progress mindset.
Throughout improve season, having a progress mindset goes to assist your gymnast bounce again from robust practices. A progress mindset is when your gymnast can have a look at a scenario that’s arduous and keep in mind that she will be able to proceed to enhance. This differs from a hard and fast mindset through which your gymnast may determine she does not have the flexibility to study a brand new ability and that her expertise is already determined for her.
Some gymnasts are naturally higher at a progress mindset than others. But when your gymnast is one who has a hard and fast mindset, there may be hope. A method I like to point out gymnasts that they’ll study extra expertise is by reminding them of all the talents they as soon as didn’t know the best way to do and now can do. It is easy for gymnasts to neglect how far they’ve come of their journey.
I take advantage of a E book of Proof (free printable) to have gymnasts write down each ability they’ve discovered to date in gymnastics. This can be a good way for them to remain hopeful and keep in mind that expertise they as soon as struggled on are simple 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 result of what occurs. In different phrases, she is working in direction of a particular ability. This implies she is concentrated on the result, which is studying that ability.
Nonetheless, in case your gymnast is simply centered 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 the start of improve season).
And being discouraged means she seemingly will not strive as arduous and can get caught on the truth that she does not have her expertise. This can decrease her confidence and in some circumstances, de-motivate her.
As a substitute, it is necessary that your gymnast create course of targets alongside the way in which. Course of targets give attention to the method of her studying new expertise. Examples of course of targets may be doing a sure variety of drills every day (that may assist her study the talents she’s engaged on). She will maintain monitor of whether or not she does these drills and that may assist her really feel success alongside the way in which.
Course of targets may additionally embody doing a sure variety of makes an attempt at a ability every follow. Once more, the main target is on the method of making an attempt the ability and never on whether or not she achieved the ability purpose or not.
Whereas this may seem to be a refined 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. Nevertheless it may also be a extremely arduous one for some gymnasts. In case your gymnast is likely one of the ones who’s struggling by means of improve season or is evaluating herself to her teammates, she may undergo a complete low season the place her confidence plummets. Be sure to aren’t making comparisons between her and her teammates (even when the comparability is an efficient one). Assist your gymnast discover a progress 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 a substitute of final result targets so she will be able to construct up some confidence alongside the way in which.
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Should you or your gymnast wants assist, along with the assets beneath I additionally supply one-on-one teaching classes by way of Zoom.
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