Mental Block?

TUMBING

  • Set goals for yourself, and start them small. so maybe its 5 times in a row on tumble track with someone standing there. then 5 times with them further away, and so on. you have to get yourself to tumble SOMEWHERE. 

  • Dont stress. i know its frustrating, trust me, I KNOW. but getting stressed and worked up about it isnt going to help anything. relax and dont put pressure on yourself, sometimes just tumbling for fun again helps.
  • DONT BAIL. thats how you get hurt. once you start, you need to finish because more then likely, your going to land, if not youll maybe land on your knees, no big deal!
  1. When you’re not at practice picture yourself doing it perfectly and without fear on the tumble track with no one spotting you. Picture this at practice too, but definitely do it when you’re not at practice. You’ll be surprised because you’ll probably picture yourself with fear and with a spot at first, it takes practice to picture yourself doing it the way you should.
  2. At practice, warm up really good and thorough.
  3. Limit yourself. Tell yourself that you won’t get spotted more than once (or however many you need to be spotted on). Then promise yourself that you won’t leave until you throw it by yourself on the tumble track just once. Then the next practice, promise yourself that you’ll do it twice before you leave. And so on…
Try to find a way to relax yourself. If you get too frustrated, sometimes there is no point in trying to keep throwing it because it leads to more frustration, sometimes tears, and then it can lead to injury. When you get to this point, work on a fun and new skill. Once you’re relaxed again, work on your bhs again.
FLYING
  •   Find a nice quiet place and while sitting up, close your eyes.
  • 2.   Exhale as slowly as you can 3 – 4 times.
  • 3.   Say to yourself, “With each out-breath, I am relaxing more and more.”
  • 4.   Once relaxed, see yourself, with your mind’s eye, in a safe place, a place you feel ultra comfortable, secure and happy.
  • 5.   Really enjoy being in your special safe place as you continue to focus on your out-breath.
  • 6.   Now, shift your focus and “see” yourself in your cheerleading practice spot, beginning to do a full.
  • 7.   If you feel more than a little anxiety, stop visualizing this move and return to your safe place.
  • 8.   Stay in your safe place until you feel calm and secure.
  • 9.   Now, once again, see yourself in your practice spot beginning to execute a full.
  • 10.   If your anxiety level is manageable, stay with this scene, focusing on your exhale to keep calm and focused.
  • 11.   See yourself executing the skill with grace and ease and “feel” yourself enjoying it; enjoy your success.
  • 12.   Now assign a power label or cue word for this successful execution. It can be anything.  For example, you could simply call it “success” or “good move.”
  • 13.  Once you have your power label, visualize and feel the whole successful routine again only this time say your cue word to yourself.
  • 14. Repeat over and over.  Each time you do this, you will be creating brain and muscle memory.  
  • 15. If at any time your anxiety level increases too much, go back to your safe place and repeat the above steps
  • 16. Be sure to use your cue word or positive trigger with each step you take.
  • 20. Repeat as necessary. Keep repeating this process until the anxiety associated with visualizing doing the full is manageable. 
  • 21. The anxiety may not disappear completely, the goal is MANAGEABLE ANXIETY.

Notes