Feeling depressed with gymnastics

[KipGirl91]

Well this is going to be a rant about myself, I had a really rough night at gym, I'll try and keep it not too long.

I've been doing gymnastics for 7-8 years, I used to be pretty good, but I stopped doing formal lessons after I had a pair of crappy coaches (Had never coached that level, wouldn't push me enough, poor at discipline) that didn't pass me into the level up(Their fault, I would've passed if they pushed me hard enough). I went into a Open Gym setting, but I lost several skills that took quite some time to regain. I was tested for the level up, but didn't quite make it.

I've also injured myself in the past, and now it seems that I can't get forward in gym. I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle that I'm losing. I used to be doing some advanced rec skills(B-hip circle, cartwheel, front tuck, learning Back Handspring etc.), but now it seems like I'm losing skills left and right. I don't have any 'consistent' skills, I'll do it once, but then I can't do it right for the rest of the night. I'm also feeling really scared all the time(mostly related to injuries); I crotched the beam a couple years back, so I'm scared to do my leaps, I got rotator cuff tendinitis last spring learning back handspring and Caslavska, so I'm scared to try them again, I peeled off the bar last practice, so that fear is always there. So I'll try my best, fail, and then my self-esteem takes a tank; I'll start thinking "I'm no good, what am I doing here? I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a gymnast, I can't even do a round-off properly, my coworkers(at my summer job) say that they can do what I can do! I shouldn't even call myself a gymnast, I stink so bad! I don't belong here, everyone else is better than me, I'll never get that good." So then I usually end up leaving early, cutting my conditioning, and feeling depressed for the rest of the night. (which doesn't help, as I've gained weight since the last spring, I now feel like I look like an idiot.:loser: A 5' 18y/o in a leotard, who's not the skinniest person in the world - not good. :noA couple gym friends were like "No way, you are good! You should totally try out for the level up! Other parents put their kids in rec levels they haven't passed yet." But I still feel like I'm not good.

So has anybody else had feelings like this? What do I do? I used to love gymnastics with a passion, but now I'm even questioning if I should even bother looking for a gym for the summer(when I'm in a different town).:ashamed:

Sorry for the rant, I'm just feeling really down:gloomy:

 

[Metgrrl]

We ALL have those days, weeks, months, years! I think a change of scenery at a new gym might help you realize that you either really love gymnastics or that you might want to give it a break for awhile. I haven't formally competed in 12 years, but, if money works out, I may try again for next year, at 27 years old!

Also, you might want to talk with your coaches. Express how you feel, but go in with a plan. Say, "I'm frustrated because I'm losing my BHS (for example.) Can we spend a little more time on it, or can you give me some drills?" As adults, we are more able to figure out how we feel and why, and I think being able to do something about it.

Good luck! I'm thinking of you!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Going through these thoughts is a normal part of gymnastics or any sport. Our minds naturally do this to allow us to eveluate what we are doing and look for better answers. It can be good that you feel this way because it has helped you to recognise that there is a problem. Which you can now do something about.

The first step is to forget what "could" have happened if your coaches had been better. Or how good you "could" be by now. Focusing on this is just depressing you, instead focus on what is happening. There is nothing you can do to change the past so forget it. There is lots that you can do to change the furture so that is where your focus should be.

When you are learing something it is normal for it to be inconsistent. Skills don';t just come and then stay with you forever, they will come and go until you are complelety confident with them. The trick is not allow yourself to get too frustrated, recognise that you have been able to do them before which means you are capable of doing them and you WILL be aable to do them again, but it is something that is going to take time. If you get mad and upset with the procces of relearning skills you may as well quit now. Instead try to enjoy the proccess.

Your body will respond to whatever your mind tells it. If you say to yourself "I'm not good" then your gymnastics wont be good. If you say to yourself "I am good" it will be better.

You are a gymnast, and you should call yourself a gymnast. Being proud of being a gymnast will help you to feel better. If you want to get better you need to commit. By
1. Make sure you are at every training session. Don't skip training because you don't feel like it. make a committment and be there. You wont get better by not coming.
2. Stay for the whole class, if you are struggling with skills than the last thing you want to do is skip out on conditioning. You never know the day you leave early could be the day your coach says that mnagic thing that would have helped you a lot.
3. Do conditioning at home. To do the skills successfully you need to be very strong. Ask your coach to set you a home conditioning program and stick to it.
4. Do more classes. For a beginner once a week is fine but you arent a beginner anymore you really need to be going at least twice a week in order to progress.

 

[cher062]

Going through these thoughts is a normal part of gymnastics or any sport. Our minds naturally do this to allow us to eveluate what we are doing and look for better answers. It can be good that you feel this way because it has helped you to recognise that there is a problem. Which you can now do something about.

The first step is to forget what "could" have happened if your coaches had been better. Or how good you "could" be by now. Focusing on this is just depressing you, instead focus on what is happening. There is nothing you can do to change the past so forget it. There is lots that you can do to change the furture so that is where your focus should be.

When you are learing something it is normal for it to be inconsistent. Skills don';t just come and then stay with you forever, they will come and go until you are complelety confident with them. The trick is not allow yourself to get too frustrated, recognise that you have been able to do them before which means you are capable of doing them and you WILL be aable to do them again, but it is something that is going to take time. If you get mad and upset with the procces of relearning skills you may as well quit now. Instead try to enjoy the proccess.

Your body will respond to whatever your mind tells it. If you say to yourself "I'm not good" then your gymnastics wont be good. If you say to yourself "I am good" it will be better.

You are a gymnast, and you should call yourself a gymnast. Being proud of being a gymnast will help you to feel better. If you want to get better you need to commit. By
1. Make sure you are at every training session. Don't skip training because you don't feel like it. make a committment and be there. You wont get better by not coming.
2. Stay for the whole class, if you are struggling with skills than the last thing you want to do is skip out on conditioning. You never know the day you leave early could be the day your coach says that mnagic thing that would have helped you a lot.
3. Do conditioning at home. To do the skills successfully you need to be very strong. Ask your coach to set you a home conditioning program and stick to it.
4. Do more classes. For a beginner once a week is fine but you arent a beginner anymore you really need to be going at least twice a week in order to progress.

I agree.

Keep in mind we all have those bad days weeks months etc that we just don't think we can do it. If you love it keep at it. A new setting with different coaches might be just the change you need to get energized.

Don't be so hard on yourself either - others are telling you that you ARE good - listen to them.

When you are older it is harder to over come the fears of things like straddling the beam and only hard work and practice will give you that confidence you need. Also don't rely on others to "push you". You don't need the coach to be on you and pushing you. You know what you need to do and you can push yourself!

Keep in mind too at 18 ( I think that is how old you said you were) your body is and has under gone a major change during puberty. You are at the end of puberty but you may not be done changing as you can still have changes into your early 20's. This change in your body will change a lot about you including the center of gravity so some skills you could do before your body changed need to be re-learned several times as your body changes. It's all part of becoming an adult. I have seen over the years of my kids (a girl and a boy) on team many teens that loose skills when they start to develop but they learn quickly how to adjust.

Hope you keep at it and don't give up.

 

[-CRAYOLA?]

Yeah, we have all been through it. Maybe not all of us but I went through that
too.Except my problem was to many injurys, being depressed didnt help, not getting enough sleep and my coach would push me to the point of me getting horrible injurys like a fracture on my lower back. A new gym scenery would deffinatley help. Maybe when you go to your new town look for one and try it out. See if you like it there.