This month in mental training, our gymnasts dove into content from a powerful digital course by Dr. Alison Arnold called “Fear - Tame The Beast”. Dr. Alison Arnold, also known as Doc Ali, holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She has spent the last 25 years helping collegiate and Olympic athletes work through fear and mental blocks. Her online program, Head Games University, shares her years of knowledge and fear busting techniques with gymnasts through an online platform. At Thrive, we use one video lesson at a time and pair it with a reflective written activity. This allows our gymnasts to be creative and truly make it their own.
Gymnasts were asked to identify one or two areas of their gymnastics that they are having fear or mental blocks. These became the “fear beasts”. Then Doc Ali began to share tools to help “tame the beast”. The first tool was connecting to our why. Gymnasts were asked to identify why they choose to do gymnastics. Answers ranged from “I like being the strongest one in my class” to “I love the thrill of flipping through the air”. Connecting to their why brought them back to the mindset that getting to do gymnastics is an immense privilege and also has a deep meaning in their lives.
The next tool we learned was creating “I am” statements. Each gymnast crafted an affirmation for each day of the week that they practice. Statements include:
“I am strong”
“I am capable”
“I am resilient”
“I am brave”
These statements were then attached to a symbol of the gymnasts choosing. This allowed them to have an illustration that they could use to bring them back to their why and their affirmations. By choosing these powerful “I am” statements, our gymnasts are beginning to learn the power of choosing their thoughts and also awareness of when fear thoughts arise.
The last tool we learned is one of the most powerful tools in the program, mental choreography. Mental Choreography is the planning of thoughts or words to match the skills the gymnast is doing. For example, a gymnast who has a tumbling series would take all the skills in that series and draw them out like a playbook. Then at key points in the series they would plan a certain word, number or thought to think. This would then be something they repeat every time they do the series. This trains the brain to stay busy in a positive way while the gymnast is performing their skills instead of going on a “fear field trip” that will leave them anxious or stuck.
These fear busting tools will be built upon throughout our season. Gymnasts will continue to use them in practices, discuss them throughout the year in mental training and make them their own. The goal is that they become so familiar with them that they are able to use them without hesitation and call on them in times of struggle. They are also experiencing a valuable lesson that mental strength, like physical strength, needs to be built with intention and consistency. When you get a moment, check in with your child about these tools and get their perspective on how they are incorporating them into their daily lives.
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