Motionwear || Gymnastics Blog

Gymnastics, Self Doubt and Success

Posted on 11. Feb, 2009 by Bob Wilson in News and Notes

Self doubt can become a big stumbling block for a competitive gymnast, or any other high performance athlete for that matter. Unlike basketball, soccer or even a sport like tennis, a gymnast occupies a very lonely “stage” and is critiqued so precisely and instantly that it is utterly unrelatable to team sports.

I have witnessed parents glazing over the distinct challenges that come with gymnastics like assuming that if little Jenny enjoyed soccer, then she will do just fine in gymnastics with the same amount of coaching and support. There is a real danger in this.

As I was reading an article in Dance Magazine written by a psychotherapist named Anne Wennerstrand, who helps adult dancers with self doubt, I realized there is an emotional parallel with gymnastics. Both activities are very personal expressions by one individual, are very competitive and are intentionally critiqued.

What’s more, the self doubt of a gymnast, like a dancer, is usually linked to childhood and can bleed into all aspects of adult life. Anne Wennerstrand explained this when she told the story of Emily, who had been “trained in an exclusive ballet conservatory” but now, as an adult, struggled deeply with a rejection letter.

She said, “as a child, she (Emily) was praised for following directions…and thinking of herself as one of a special chosen few. Some of her ballet teachers, in a misguided effort to uphold high standards, devalued her abilities in class, forcing her to prove herself worthy of their attention. The unquestioned belief that she must prove herself worthy of success became a part of her adult thinking…”

We all know that childhood experiences impact our adult life but this story really seemed relevant to me. As a father with girls active in dance and that did take gymnastics, I decided to help my girls question the belief that they have to prove themselves worthy. As the president of a company that makes gymnastics wear for girls of all ages, adults included, I decided to relate this story and encourage you all to question that belief as well.

You ARE worthy of approval and success!

photo credit: goetter

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Tags: gymnasts, psychology, training