Parents 7 Tips For A Meet-Ready Mindset

[JBS]

Here is our next article by Jen Kula...

7 Tips For Developing a Meet-Ready Mindset In Gymnastics

With the right mental toughness tools your child can learn to tame his or her fears and compete in gymnastics with confidence.

blog.chalkbucket.com

 

[JBS]

What's your favorite tip from the article?​

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What other methods do you or your athlete use?​

 

[Janchen]

What really helped me to get in a competition mindset when I was competing was to have a meet day routine.
I always packed my bag the day before and laid my clothes and everything I would need out. This helped me not to worry about those things and to know that I had everything I needed.
On meet day I tried to minimize stress. Waking up early, taking my time to eat and do my hair. Always having plenty of extra time so I didn’t get stressed.
I learned that if I was stressed before the meet, I would be even more stressed during the meet.

 

[DTAG]

What's your favorite tip from the article?​

​

What other methods do you or your athlete use?​

Great article! Love the tips suggested here. We have changed what we listen to on the way to a meet. I used to think that fast-paced motivational songs were the way to go. Hype music so-to-speak. He was all over the place in warmups. Anxiety through the roof. Couldn’t stay on a mushroom to save his life.

We are now listening to classical music in the way and what a game changer. His mind is relaxed and he is focused. The stretch/warm-up gets his body ready. The music steadies his mind. He’s a totally different gymnast out there.

 

[JBS]

This one is just awesome...

SET A PLAN FOR AFTER THE COMPETITION

If we could find a way to go out to eat as a team after every competition it would be great. This is just getting harder and harder to do though... so I think it's really important to do things just like the article says.

We have many times done the frozen yogurt thing... or find a very special and fun restaurant (like a slice of pizza at a go-cart track).

One other thing about this... something that I have witnessed time and time again as a coach... it should not be determined by the results...

"If you don't fall off beam... then we'll get frozen yogurt"... no... no... no. The plan that is set for after happens no matter what... that is the key.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

I’m fortunate to have a DD that doesn’t get too nervous before meets. She usually sets one non score goal for each apparatus, like getting leaps to 180, and we keep it very relaxed. My advice to her before she heads out on the floor is “have fun, and it’s just gymnastics.” I always try to remind her that gymnastics is what she does, not who she is, and that we are proud of how hard she works regardless of placements and scores. After the meet, it’s a tradition that she gets to pick where we go to eat.

 

[cmg]

We always stopped at DQ on the drive back from the meet which was usually about 1.5 - 2 hours away. We started this tradition after her first meet and we have kept it going for the last 8 years. We still do that no matter what and she is a senior in High School! Some traditions are worth keeping.

 

[JBS]

This article is so awesome I'm actually using it with my high level athletes. Make sure you have read this if you have not... and please share it with all of your friends on Facebook!

 

[novagymmom]

"competition is an opportunity to show where you are today. Then you get feedback on where you are, and you go from there."

Love this!

 

[JBS]

Everyone… please do leave comments here about the article. We want to hear your thoughts!

 

[ProudGymnast]

My favorite tip is "give your mind a job." Visualization is SO powerful. In between warming up and competing, especially beam, we always take a moment and visualize our routines with our keywords instead of sitting there and coming up with the what-ifs. My coach also helped us create keywords for each tumbling pass so we have something to focus on mentally, while our bodies take over.

But honestly, as you move through the levels, competition has just become less and less of a big deal as you find what works for you. And as it becomes less of a big deal, mistakes become less of a confidence wrecker. I can now say if I start on beam and fall multiple times, I will shrug (dance?!) it off at the meet and perform my best after. Then on the car ride home I'll be ticked, but that is besides the point haha. I have just mentally come to a point where you can't break my chill positive mindset, because its supposed to be FUN. I have had my fair share of meets where I've stressed myself sick and I just wanted it to be OVER, which is not how it should be. When your wound that tight mistakes are even more bound to happen.

Plus, nothing like floor to dance off your disappointment, or tumble away your internal anger at yourself.

 

[southernmama6116]

I’ve been told many times that my daughter’s main issue is lack of mental strength. It definitely gets in the way of not only meet performance, but also her mastery of new skills.
How do you find a mental coach?

 

[JBS]

How do you find a mental coach?

Doc Ali is well known in the gymnastics world...

Home - Head Games World

 

[LucyRobinson]

Visualization. All the time. It is so much more helpful that it is cracked up to be.

But at the end of the day, unless you are hitting 100/100 routines at practice, you will have bad meets.

It helps to be competing skills you feel safe doing, not something you put on the high beam last week. Though speaking as a tooootal hypocrite who would rather do something 'up to level' and fall off than do something way too easy and get a 9.5.

 

[For Flip Sake]

What a great article, and the tips in the comments are so helpful. My main focus on meet days are to keep the morning stress free and to remind her how far she has come this season to help her focus on her own routines and improvements.

DD does have some “phenoms” on her team who place 1st AA frequently, and she was devastated the first two meets when she scored much lower than her friends did. Bringing the focus back to her improvements and her goals (pointing toes, higher leaps, more attitude on floor) has changed the way she approaches the meets for the better, and the confidence she is building shines more and more with each competition. It has been beautiful to watch as a parent.