Ways To Help Your Gymnast Deal With Meet Nerves
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Written by Madison Melancon
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Written by Madison Melancon
A competitive gymnast’s favorite time of the year has arrived - meet season! You have been perfecting new skills and learning new routines for months. It is now time to put everything together and compete with your teammates for the judges.
We know it can be nerve-wracking to perform in front of anyone, let alone be judged for it. Here are some helpful tips to help ease your gymnasts’ nerves before her meets each weekend.
- Create a Pre-meet Routine: Routines are a great way to normalize any day, including meet day. Maybe your routine will involve a certain breakfast that you know will fill you up and keep you energized throughout the day, packing your gym bag, and putting on your competition leotard and warm-ups before heading out the door. Whatever your routine may be, it can help calm any pre-meet jitters just by going through the motions.
- Visualize Your Routines: Once you are at the meet, take a moment to look at each event and visualize yourself doing your routine from start to finish. This can help you remember each minute detail you have been working on in practice while getting your mind into competition mode.
- Pep-talks: Give yourself and your teammates a pep-talk! Positive affirmations before going to compete can help ease nerves while also hyping you and your teammates up for a great meet ahead!
- Prepare at Practice: Have the confidence in yourself, your team, and your coach that you have prepared as best you can during the many hours you spend at practice. Know that you have worked hard to be competing at this meet and nothing can stop you now!
