Gymnastics: A sport of mental strength as much as that of physical – Part 1
As far as athletes go, I believe, that gymnasts are required to show greater tolerance, ambition and resilience, than any other sportsmen. To nurture these attitudes, it is imperative that their training incorporates a psychological aspect too.
For the purpose of establishing my claim, my argument will be based entirely on psychological parameters.
Gymnastics is considered to be one of the most injurious sports out there. It definitely is not a sport for the pessimistic or the easily deterred.
Of course injuries occur in other sports too, such as football, wrestling, boxing, et cetera. However, one thing common to most of the highly injurious sports, is contact.
Injuries are a result, usually, of one coming in contact with the opponent – be it direct or otherwise.
In gymnastics, the athlete does not have the luxury of placing the blame on anyone other than their own performance.
If they slip, it is their feet – nobody was there to push them. Did they snap a ligament while performing? Again, nobody threw a curveball at them, something went wrong with their own execution of the move.
At the end of the day, it is all tantamount to the athlete’s execution, and for that much, blame must most naturally be borne by the competence of said athlete. This automatically inclines one to doubt their abilities on the competition floor.
No referee will come forth to compensate with penalties or blow the whistle. For a gymnast, there is no comfort in external locus of control.
Injuries sustained in gymnastics, hence, deliver a greater blow to self esteem, and logically require greater mental and physical effort for proper healing.
When Great Britain’s Daniel Keatings fell off the Pommel Horse during the Tokyo World Championships this year, his disappointment filled every corner of the arena.
His reiterated comment exuded frustration as he exclaimed that he could not, for the life of him, figure out what exactly went wrong. For Keatings, it was the greatest mystery of the year.
Intentionally or otherwise, this was Keatings’ way of dealing with the fall.
Indeed, he claims to have watched recordings of his fall to decipher the fault in his execution. So he is man enough to look for the error in his ways. But to the public, he maintains that the reason behind the slip was obscure.
Keatings may be an exception to my analysis but I believe human beings in general have a tendency to blame external stimuli to make peace with an unfortunate incident.
What Keatings did was an example of internal locus of control. He wanted to outline his own error, correct it and claim control of his destiny.
In most cases, athletes go only as far as to provide comments on a comeback, and give updates on the healing process.
Recounts usually focus on the ‘what’, rather than the ‘why’, of the injury. It is the psychological safeguard.
Given the nature of their sport, gymnasts should especially develop an internal locus of control. The internal locus of control is an orientation that leads a person to conviction in the strength of their actions.
An athlete with such an orientation will attribute both, success and failure, to their own competence.
According to research, such persons are less susceptible to depression and stress. Although on the one hand they are accepting the blame, which is no easy feat, on the other hand they also realise their own power to affect the future.
Hence, an internal orientation needs to be coupled with positivity in order for it to work.
Recognising the importance of psychological well being and the mental disturbance caused by injuries, trainers should ensure that their coaching is not skewed entirely towards physical development.
Gymnasts should also be trained to develop attitudes that favour their growth and stamina in the face of mental setbacks.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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