Pre-Season Syndrome: ANXIETY
Gymnastics season is almost here! The moment of reckoning for most of us these
last several weeks approaches us like a flu epidemic. Injuries seem to be catching
and coaches wonder why.
These feelings usually stems from anxiety; a fear of what might happen. Gymnastically
speaking, pre-season syndrome occurs when anticipation of the season becomes
too much for the gymnast or coach to
control. Both find themselves worrying too much during this period. As in every
day life, deadlines must be met. For some, this presents no problem but for
the rest of us, the problems growing out of anxiety become more traumatic than
the anxiety itself. Injuries are just a physical manifestation of programmed
negative thoughts generated by anxiety. We tend to distort and exaggerate our
problems. Pain is more painful, emotions are intensified, skills become tougher
and time seems to warp.
Have you ever listened to the conversation that goes on inside your head during
anxious moments? It probably follows this thought: "I have to get this
trick in two weeks. I have to get it, or the routine won't be worth doing. What's
wrong with me, why can't I learn this? I'm just getting worse, I'm so lousy,
I should quit! I hate myself!" Does this sound familiar? Thinking along
this path only hinders you from meeting your deadlines. It contributes nothing
in getting the job done. It's a total waste of time and effort. You can begin
to fight this mental disease by focusing your thoughts on one thing. Thinking
of only what you want, right now, allows you to center yourself in the positive.
Now, you'll start controlling your emotions instead of them controlling you.
You now will have the ability to be patient with yourself. In time, you'll learn
how faith and confidence is stronger than all the muscles in your body combined.
With it comes all those skills you knew you could do but were too afraid to
try. Having faith/confidence enables you to let go more and hold back less.
Your effort should be put on learning how to stay calm. At first, don't worry
about how well the skill turns out. Developing calmness, increases air awareness.
Time seems to slow down and all of the sudden, you have more than enough time
to complete skills. You start to see where you are on the skill.
Calmness allows for Confidence, which is built upon readiness and supported
by smooth, easy progressions.
Taking the attitude or playing the role of "I am already able to do it,
I just have to stay as calm as possible," will help to strengthen confidence.
Forget trying to do the trick! Put your emphasis on staying calm. Quieting or
calming your mind, bringing yourself closer to here and now, results in emotional
stability and a consistent learning rate. Stop trying to do skills you know
you already have or keep losing. Start practicing staying calm. Learning how
to stay calm is the most important part of a skill and grows stronger with each
new skill. Learning calmness will allow you to see how good you really are and
then all that is left is your best.
Best ways to develop Calmness:
1. Conquering Fear: Distract fear by measuring how calm/fearful you are during
a skill, (while in a safe and non consequent situation, i.e. in the belt). Say
from "1" to "10", "10" is as calm as getting out
of bed in the morning, no fear there I hope! "1" is a real freak out,
totally losing where you are. "5" being really scared but you actually
did what you set out to do, whether is was right or wrong. After 5-10 tries
you should be able to put your mind more on specific parts of the skill without
being so afraid.
2. Hear your thoughts and be nice: find better ways to talk to yourself and
rehearse positive comebacks, i.e. I can't = I need to try harder!, I'm never
going to get this = I will get it…eventually! I'm no good = I've gone this
far, I must be good!
3. Boredom is a virtue: Mastering a skill, doing it easily, pretty and perfect
is sometimes a bore but its not until "bored" can you even start to
master anything. Boredom is more fun than fear. Often, balking or stopping in
the middle of a skill is caused by speeding through progressions too fast. Boredom
is easily fixed.
By Michael B. Zapp
ArtSports, Colorado Springs