Self-Esteem and Your Gymnast
In all of the success and personal development books I have read over the past two-plus decades, one quality stands out as vital in all aspects of seeking and attaining success — self-esteem.
Over the next month or two, my focus, on all my media, will be on self-esteem and how we can help our gymnasts develop a healthy sense of this important personal growth attribute.
Over the past few months, I have noticed that my gymnasts have been obtaining more and more physical skills in the gym. They seem to be pushing themselves a bit more out of their comfort zones to attain skills that are more difficult than they’re used to performing. And this is in spite of reduced practice hours and only one coach in the gym.
Why is this?
I believe that it is because I am taking the time to really focus on each individual gymnast and her mental side of the sport. It takes constant effort. Before, I had other coaches to rely upon to interact with my gymnasts. Now it’s just me, and I know my gymnasts much better now. I better understand who they are and what they’re thinking on a daily basis as individuals, not just as members of my team. They no longer have 3–4 coaches who could share the responsibility of coaching and teaching them. Now they just have me, and I can really focus on getting to know each gymnast, and what makes her tick. It may sound strange, but having this relatively large group of gymnasts all to myself has allowed all of us much more freedom to develop and grow. (I am not suggesting to downsize your coaching staff, but I am suggesting to use my suggestions over the coming months to create a new culture within the walls of your gym.)
What is happening is that my gymnasts’ independence is growing; they are focusing on their own goals and what each one of them wants to achieve when it comes to gymnastics. They receive my trust, and in turn trust themselves more. This is translating to higher self-esteem for my gymnasts overall.
No, none of us is perfect, and none has perfect self-esteem that never waivers. But overall, my gymnasts are thriving. And I do believe that this is due to an overwhelming increase in their self-esteem.
Developing a high self-esteem requires constant effort, not only on the part of the gymnast, but also on the part of the adult who is guiding them and creating a learning environment for them. I must constantly be aware of the atmosphere I design, the attitude I portray, and the words I use. I’m not perfect, but I am constantly learning, and that is one of the most important things I want to impart on my gymnasts: we may not always get it right, but what matters is that we continue to learn and work to improve.
During this self-esteem unit, I will be drawing mostly from Nathaniel Branden’s The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, and adapting its lessons for life in the gym — specifically in order to help parents and coaches so we can continue to create a NEW gymnastics culture, one gymnast at a time. Each lesson can also be used in life beyond the gym. After all, that is what learning life lessons in youth sports is all about, isn’t it?
