WAG Controlling nerves

[Presstohandstands]

Every competition I get super nervous and mess up easy skills. I am level 7, I started gymnastics late so I don't have as much competition experience as other girls in my level. (I skipped a few levels). I get so upset and frustrated because I work so hard in the gym for 20+ hours a week and it doesn't pay of because I can't control my nerves. I try to think positive, breath deeply and calm myself down but it doesn't seem to work. Do you think I will stop getting nervous after I have done more comps? And does anyone have any tips or strategies for nerves.

 

[gymjunkie]

Does your gym create pressure during workouts? I think this is key. There should be days when you are nervous to come to gym/an event because you are being tested on something or have to participate in a difficult contest or are being judged with an audience.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

My dd spent her first two years of competing very very nervous/stressed at meets. It made her performances very hit or miss depending on her mood that day. And if she had a bad first event, she usually struggled for the rest of the meet too. However, I think sometimes it just takes experience. And learning to lighten up and have fun at meets. She's gotten really close with a few teammates this year and they keep things much more fun and lighthearted at meets for her. She's so busy having fun with them, talking and giggling in between events, she doesn't have time to get nervous. Maybe that would be helpful for you? To try to chat with your teammates and distract yourself a bit from the nerves during warm up and in between events?

 

[Presstohandstands]

Does your gym create pressure during workouts? I think this is key. There should be days when you are nervous to come to gym/an event because you are being tested on something or have to participate in a difficult contest or are being judged with an audience.

At our club we do physical testing every month and do routines in front of the other squads. I never feel nervous when I we do this. To be honest at competitions I am usually fine and calm for the warmup, and everything in between but as soon at I present to the judges I get extremely nervous.

 

[Jenna Marie]

I get the same way. At state recently i wouldnt do one of my tumbling passes because of nerves and i had done it very well at the last practice. I think it will go away with the more competing you do becasue i havnt doe many meets either. once you get more and more comfortable with the skills at practice, it will slowly become easier! i hope you conquer your fears!

 

[ayyyrial]

The best thing is to not be under pressure. To remember meets don't really matter - what matters is what you do at practice every day. After all, 99% of the time you spend doing gymnastics is not in a competition - it's in practice. So your gymnastics experience is really not about meets or scores. I think also the more you do, the more comfortable you will become with the competition environment.

 

[rd7]

My DD gets really nervous in competitions and trying to control the nerves is not really possible. What she has done is learnt to focus the energy from the nerves into her performance, ie accept the nerves and carry on anyway. It has worked well for her.

 

[ProudDad]

What works to help with nerves can be very different from person to person and what the reason behind it is. Do you get test anxiety as well, how about public speaking? How severe is it? In most cases, experience will help overcome it. I totally agree with recreating the experience at the gym.

Leading up to and through meet season every practice will include at least one event where each girl will perform her routine while everyone else watches and cheers and the coach scores them. DD had told me that it's even more nerve wracking than a meet for her.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Trying to calm yourself down is your first mistake. Embrace the stress, harness the energy, I say.... Your body is dumping energy into your body in the days leading upto the competition. USE IT , tell yourself you want to feel stressed, and when you are standing in front of the judges, say these words to yourself, "Strong mind"and "feel yourself getting stronger". Finding out how to use nervous energy takes practice. Start here. Hope that helps.

 

[Presstohandstands]

Trying to calm yourself down is your first mistake. Embrace the stress, harness the energy, I say.... Your body is dumping energy into your body in the days leading upto the competition. USE IT , tell yourself you want to feel stressed, and when you are standing in front of the judges, say these words to yourself, "Strong mind"and "feel yourself getting stronger". Finding out how to use nervous energy takes practice. Start here. Hope that helps.

Thanks I do try to calm myself down so I will be sure to try this next time