Stop the fear?!?

[gymnastica96]

Hey everyone I need advice: I am a worrier, and when I'm about to do a trick, it kills it. How can I stop this annoying fear?

 

[gymnast<3forlife96]

heyy!! i used to be a worrier too! dont worry, you'll get over it soon! what you need to do is when you're about to do something you're scared of, or something new, NEVER, and I mean NEVER, stand there for 5 minutes thinking about it! The longer you wait, the longer you have to think about falling or hurting yourself. When you're about to do something, just say 1,2,3 go in your head...or what I do is when I'm about to go I say what I'm doing in my head, and I say okay go. It always works for me. When I say those things in my head, I usually go for it. Never overthink what you're doing! Just get up there, tell yourself what you're doing, and just go for it! I go for everything when I just get up there and go! If i think about it, I freak myself out, and I won't go for it! But this could just be me, I don't know! lol well, i hope this helps you out

 

[NotAMom]

In my terms, there is fear and there is phobia. To me, fear can be overcome, it just takes time, mileage and confidence, and sometimes a trigger. But, a phobia OTOH is almost impossible to get rid of and often lasts a lifetime.

Fortunately, for athletes, it's fear they have to face.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Fear in gymnastics is not a bad thing. Its a very good thing, the kids with no fear go and throw a skill they aren't ready to do and often injure themselves. You need to learn to tune into your fear. A lot of the time when you are too afraid to do a skill it is your body telling you that you are not ready, you need to listen to your body. You may think you are ready to do it because you can do it fine with a spot but often once the spot is no longer available the gymnast changes their technique's, so you may need more in order to be ready.

It takes time and practice but eventually you should get to the point where you can read your fear and know when it is irrational and know when it is telling you you're not ready.

The first step to dealing with your fear is to do a quick thinking check. The main reason for kids not being able to do their skills is that they are thinking negative thoughts. Pay attention to what you are thinking before a skill. Make sure its not "I'm going to stuff this up". "I can't do this", "I'm going to land on my head". If you think this way of course your body is not going to let you do it. Try instead to focus on more positive thoughts, usually the best are things your coach has told you to do/ "Strong take off", "shoulders, hips knee's" or whatever you are taught to think.

If this doesn't work try visualization. Picture yourself doing the skill perfectly and landing well just before you go for the skill. For some people it helps to watch someone else do the skill first to aid in the visualization process.

If this doesn't work then you probably need some more drills to help you work up to this skill. If you are trying a Back handspring on beam for example without a spot, you may need to start with a mat over the beam, or mats built up to near the beam height and work your way down. This can work with any skill on any apparatus, just think to yourself "What can I do to make this skill less scary". "what would make me more comfortable to do this skill", or "what is a step between where I am now and doing this skill on my own".

 

[fishchimes]

Sometimes, if you compare the skill you are trying to do to skill you already know how to do, just with a slightly different technique, it can really help. I learned a back tuck on the tramp by thinking of it as like a super high bhs with no hands. Then I fixed up the technique and I can do a good back tuck

 

[gymdog]

The first step to dealing with your fear is to do a quick thinking check. The main reason for kids not being able to do their skills is that they are thinking negative thoughts. Pay attention to what you are thinking before a skill. Make sure its not "I'm going to stuff this up". "I can't do this", "I'm going to land on my head". If you think this way of course your body is not going to let you do it. Try instead to focus on more positive thoughts, usually the best are things your coach has told you to do/ "Strong take off", "shoulders, hips knee's" or whatever you are taught to think.

Absolutely. And this means they're thinking different things all the time. I have some athletes who need to come up with one word to say beginning, middle, and end and they need to always "loop" that thought. It's much more reassuring through repeated performances - whether in practice or competition. Either that or I recommend not thinking a million things and just thinking "I can I can I can."

For tumbling for some a rhythm type thing can help, i.e. 1 2 3 4 with hands being one, feet being two, etc.

 

[gymnastica96]

oooh smart!

 

[erinmarie]

Don't worry! I think everyone has fears at some point. I heard this once: "You have to want it more than you fear it." Just think of how much you want to do a trick and forget that you're scared. When I first wanted to try a back handspring, I was so scared but I just told myself that I want it and being scared is wasting time. Go for it!

 

[Optionals United]

ok i had this problem too!! my coaches told me to visulize myself doing the skill perfect.then go 1,2,3 and just go the longer you stand there the bigger the fear gets!! i hope this helps!