Isabella’s Transformation — A Coach’s Perspective
Isabella (Isa) is a 16-year-old gymnast and apprentice who came to us four years ago. This is a story of her transformation over the last 10 months, and her interview will be featured in the upcoming issue of the Gym Rats Magazine.
Isa was a perfectionist. Everything she did was with straight legs, pointed toes, correct body position, everything.
From the outside, it looked like Isa had everything together. She did her basics correctly, and with her dance background, she had beautiful lines. Little did I know that she didn’t believe those things about herself.
She and I were chatting one day, and she mentioned that an old dance coach had a negative impact on her by tearing her down when she was her most successful. This caused Isa’s self-esteem to tank. I was so saddened by her experience when she told me because if you were to meet Isa, you would know that she had everything going for her.
I asked Isa and her mom if I could meet with Isa one-on-one via Zoom to see if I could help. Through my research on personal development and self-esteem, I know the true definition of self-esteem has nothing to do with what others think about you. Rather, it is “the reputation you acquire with yourself,” according to Nathaniel Branden.
Isa and I began to meet weekly, and I showed her that her self-esteem came from within — it doesn’t matter what anyone says about you (there will be naysayers) — are you happy with you?
What happened next was inspiring. Isa thought about it, and she picked a seemingly simple goal: to be happy. I say “seemingly” because usually people think that happiness is a byproduct of reaching other goals, and never really reach it. But Isa chose that as her focus. She wanted to be happy.
She then worked really hard. One of the main things she focused hard on was not being so concerned about what other people thought of her in the gym. This was something that was holding her back when going for her skills. It was difficult at first, but over a week’s time, Isa was able to finally let go and let herself go. This allowed her to go for more skills and be more confident in herself.
With this continuing transformation, I see a happy, confident young woman who knows who she is and what she wants. She is more outgoing with others, and I see the joy in her face when she comes to the gym now. She is not held back by her need to be perfect for everyone else. Rather, she is loving the sport for what it is, enjoying her time with her teammates, and trying new things without the worry of what others might think.
I’m very proud of Isa. She took a time in our world during this pandemic where others are falling into depression, addiction, and other destructive behaviors, and made a conscious effort to better herself. And it’s working. This will be a lesson she can carry with her through the rest of her life.
We can create a NEW gymnastics culture, one gymnast at a time.