Coaches Motivating words?

[Short Balding Guy]

I am working on my pre-meet words before a meet this coming weekend with our Optionals. It is a hotly contested gymnastics meet with quality L6-10 athletes. Excellent teams/athletes and an event finals. It is not "just another meet" for our athletes.

I am certain you other team coaches are in this situation often as you build for State Meet/Regions/East-West/Championships and the special motivating words for the pre-travel and pre-meet need preparation.

Any sage suggestions or experiences with pre-travel and pre-meet motivation/focus that I can contemplate as the "Not just another meet" part of the USA Gymnastics L7-10 season is now upon us athletes/coaches?

I am curious to read your tactics/suggestions. I did check in early 2013 with our local D1 college coach staff and asked them about their meet prep's and they had excellent suggestions that I have started to practice. Best, SBG -

 

[Nicole19]

I don't know that this is what you're looking for, but I like to put the focus on what each gymnast can control. We talk about how we can't control the scores or the placement but we can control the performance we deliver. I tell them their performance brings about scores and placement. And while we can't change those, they can change their performance. I emphasize thinking about the performance they want to deliver on meet day and training for that.
I'm curious about what the college coaches told you though. Can you share?

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Nicole; Thanks for the RSVP. I understand that my written question is not clear - I had intended to ask how other coaches come up with sage wisdom/motivating words for travel day/competition day?

As to college coaches: In broad strokes they planned each meet theme in advance. Not the exact words, but the themes as they matched the step by step training and season progress to the "big show"-National Championships. All meets had individual/team goals.

In an afternoon they changed my planning for that gymnastics competitive season. We went thru my weekly/monthly calendar all the way from summer thru State/Regions/East.-Western/Nationals. The dissection of physical/mental training was excellent detail for me. They encouraged more practice/reps of mental training with occasional tests. I learned quickly from their planners that the "que coaching words" were written down and planned. The D1 coaches shared that they re-enforce the words often and frequently. I took away that learning sessions of the mental can easily be done without doing it in a leo on an event. The mental strength learning was planned to done in a group, small group and individually. By the time the training was repeated at the individual level it was really understood. Testing of mental training was encouraged to be "a competition" as much as possible. Competition and excellence thru the testing was an excellent reminder to me in setting up my planning.

Mental training that I found I needed to focus on was "team." They had terrific suggestions to build "team" thru the year. The benefits showed up right away end of the season last year - my girls were excited for the new season right away after their big meets. I had the lowest "retirement numbers" ever. "Team" energized them.

The creative games/themes for training has worked wonders with making my conditioning assignments something that is actually looked forward to vs. dreaded. The games/themes in physical prep matched the themes. Yes, their planning was that complete. I quickly adjusted as my training was not that completely rounded. The emphasis on measurement and goal meeting was excellent reminders to make the process meaningful. The skill/routine prep was easier and more difficult. I needed to spend a ton of time learning and upgrading that was very different than the D1 coaches. My year, in that way, has much more training steps. I took away to prepare themes thru that process and do more intermediate "shows" or small competitions.

I got to read a couple prepared "Meet Planner" s and immediately copied the format as it better organized myself for the orchestration of the event. Coach assignments, athlete reminders, trainer assignments, theming, special event words/thoughts and the category that I had missed in the past - travel words/special pre-meet prep.

Nicole, I am running out of steam. My fingers are failing to recall any more info at this time. I am just completing travel back from this weekends meet. I will arrive at the gym in a few hours with seemingly no down-time. Fortunately, my Workout Planner for this week and the Meet Planner for this weekends meet are already written on my cmptr. and printed on my desk.

Thanks again Nicole. I hope I assisted with my response, SBG -

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Nicole; I am have been musing that I have not provided the real dirty detail of what travel/meet focus I did this past weekend.

Boldly let me share -
Pre-meet: "BE" in your event routine. They are asked to go thru the practiced mental prep to BE ready pre event mount. We worked general and specific focus in practice this past week. Athletes, read your printed event goals during the travel. Read your motivational words(on printed travel sheet for athlete) during travel.
Meet: Scripted on my Meet Planner was in general - We have practiced to BE our best all year. When you, the athlete, can BE in your routine you are at your best. BE today. Team - Help your teammates BE in their routine with motivating words. Use your teammates energy and force to BE today.
Event Finals - Congrats. Show with pride as your hard work is done and has paid off - BE in your routine.

I am too close to the meet to evaluate my planning or executed. That will come over the next couple of days for me.

Bold morning, SBG -