Fear Of Beam

[abercrombiegymnast]

I cant seeem to stay on the beam. I'm tired of getting nervous of falling, straddling or hitting my head on the beam. I can do the skills such as the back walkover perfectly on the floor but when it comes to the high beam i just cant do it no more. It's getting me frustrated. I'm a level 6 gymnast and ready to go into level 7, but cant move up because i cant hit the beam routine. Does anyone know a way to get rid of these mental blocks? Please Reply. Thanks.

[I-Heart-Beam]

Hiya. This sounds stupid but maybe you're trying too hard, if you get what I mean. Why not get your coach to spot you, or put the mats around the beam and take them away as you get more confident?

[united team girl]

Hey. i am a level six most likely moving up, and what i do is work them on the low beam or make a foam beam that goes on the floor. you can work backhandsprings on it and pretty much everything else! or just get a spot and move it up as you go!!! My friend had this problem but u r probably over thinking it. It held her back a lot. Just dont over think it.

[Robindq]

You could try working your way up slowly...
for example first do a backwalkover on a line on the floor, then on the low beam, then a little higher, and higher and higher... (with a spot if needed)
That's what I had to do to get rid of my fear of doing frontwalkover on the high beam.
Just a thought, hope this helps!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes XD

[gymgymgymnast08]

yupp I agree with Robindq! You start lower and keep building your CONFIDENCE then go higher and eventually the high beam! You can use spotters, beam pads mats under the beam whatever it takes! GOOD LUCK! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[abercrombiegymnast]

Thanks everyone.
You've all been great help
Merry Christmass too <3

[cccam]

funny story, every single mock meet i went to i fell off the beam. I was nervous shaky and so scared. i had nothing to be scared of, but still i was. The last mock meet i went to i stood up to the beam [i know it sounds weird] it felt like it was controlling if i was gonna fall or not. so i put myself in this mindset:
This little piece of wood was NOT going to tell me what to do anymore
i really had to treat it as if it was no big deal and i was the master of beams or something. i don't know if that helps, but thats what i did and i didn't fall off.

[flippin fool 08]

hey,
i stillam having the exact same problem i am a level six and my coaches threten me to be kicked off of beam if i don't go and say i am just playing games becausee i was able to do it before. i am sposed to be a level 7 next year. i just say k hands on feet on and then 1,2,3 go and most of the time i go.

[Beetle711]

Hey i have 1 mock meet before my compitition season starts and that just freaked me out and i lost my back handspring i didnt even warm them up and i did it in the routine and we have robin ruegg come up and judge us so she gave me a 9.0so yeah you need to work pit beam and build up your confidence .try comititing with a round off i did ,i fell ,got ticked off ,and did them so even though i dont know you

YOU CAN DO IT !just keep saying that and yes i can

good luck

Beetle711

[gymnasticsbabie]

okay, i totally know what your going through! here are some steps to help (i saw a sports psychologist about this lol)

1. identify your problem. Ask yourself why you are getting so nervous?? write them down so you don't get confused or mixed up. make sure its a clear reason too, don't just right i don't know. but really think about it. what gets you nervous? why are you scared? what changes when you go from a line on the floor to a high beam?

2.come up with some solutions to every fear you have no matter how small. if you are afraid of hurting yourself, then ask yourself "will i honestly hurt myself on this skill??" and the answer probably will be no. put mats under the beam to make the beam appear lower and then take out mat by mat. but make sure you stay on the same beam when your making the progress so if you take down a mat and then don't go for it then you can say to yourself "I just did this same skill with an extra mat under the beam, but i did it on the same beam!" do you understand what im saying?

3. don't think about it so much! your just like me in that you get frustrated. but that could also be your problem. i get SOOO FRUSTRATED when i fall on routines, even if its just in practice, and especially on beam. sometimes i cry sometimes i just say WHYYYYYY. but i'm telling you, DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED WITH YOURSELF. getting frustrated does not help. it only makes your problems worse. if you get frustrated after you fall then your more likely to fall again. so if you do fall, say oh well i'll try to go straighter, higher, faster, ect. next time.

4. think about something else either than beam. for example i sing a song in my head while im doing my beam routine. it helps i swear. and right before i go to do a skill, i will say a few key words to myself.

5. THINK POSITIVELY!!!!! okay if you go for a routine and the whole time your thinking i hope i don't fall, or you better not fall this time, or if i fall im going to be so mad, then you will most likely fall. okay heres an example. if i say don't think of pink elephants right now!!

what did you think of??? pink elephants right? thats because the only thing your brain processed was pink elephants. your brain doesn' t pick up on things like the word don't. so if you tell yourself you better not fall right now! then your brain is probably going to pick up the word fall and then you probably will fall. so before a routine say to yourself. i can do this. i am going to go straight and i am going to go for it.

okay and lastly just believe in yourself. if you believe you can do it then then you can and if you believe you can't do it then you can't. you can do what ever you put your mind to and if you go into beam saying oh im just going to fall again, then you probably will fall. so just believe that you can do it

hope this helped!