1. Passion– You don’t want compete for the sake being a gymnast or because your friends do it or because you just want to win. You want to compete because you love it and you’re passionate about it. If you truly love gymnastics, then it’s not going to seem like work for you, it’s going to be enjoyable. Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin said it best when she said “although it will be an intense affair we will all have fun and in the end, the sport of gymnastics will be victorious.”  She’s saying no matter if he wins or loses, she ultimately loves the game, and that mindset probably helped her because she is  one of the best gymnasts in the country. So it’ll help you be a better gymnast.
  2. Courage– Having courage helps you feel comfortable taking risks, which is not always the easiest thing to do because sometimes taking risks leads to failures which can cause criticism and self-doubt. But courageous athletes don’t mind the risk of failure, instead, they take risks anyway and try everything they can to make sure that risk is going to lead to success. Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer, says, “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” This quote is important because taking these “risks” can be scary or playing in a championship game can be scary, and that’s ok. Just remember to have courage to take those risks or play as hard as you can in that championship meet and it’ll work out ok.
  3. Vision– This means that you literally have the vision of what you want for the future and how you plan on getting there. You’re able to create a long-term goal for yourself, and then set smaller goals to help you work your way up to the long-term goal. Also, literally using visualization is a great tool to help with this. A lot of the Olympic athletes use visualization right before they compete and it helps them get focused. Mohammed Ali, the famous boxer, has a quote saying, “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something deep inside of them: a desire, a dream, a vision.” And he’s right, having the vision for what you want in the future is going to help you develop the mindset you need to make that vision a reality.
  4. Resilient– Resilience means that you are able to bounce back after a mistake, or setback, or adversity. And a setback could be something as small as a missing a shot, or not scooping a ground ball or something much big like playing a whole season and not winning a single game. But being resilient means that you’ll still be able to succeed after you’ve experienced those setbacks. A good way to put this one is to think about the old Japanese Proverb that says, “Fall seven times and stand up eight.” It literally means even if you face a challenge, don’t let it stop you. And even if you overcome that challenge and then face a new one, don’t let that stop you either. “Don’t dwell on mistakes because it will only cause more.” There will always be setbacks and we need to be ready to face them head-on.
  5. Confident- To stay confidence in yourself, just focus on all the good things about you and your abilities. If you dwell on past mistakes or shortcomings, then you won’t feel confidence in yourself. Instead, focus on the positive things. Stan Smith, a professional tennis player, says, “Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.” And that’s very true. You could put in countless of hours in practice and training and know all the skills you need to succeed, but if you aren’t confident in your skills and abilities, then it’s not going to mean as much and you might not be as successful. Always be confident about your skills and in you ability to improve.

Category: Gymnastics