How One Afternoon Transformed Our Entire Gymnastics Season
- raisethebargymnast
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
A few years ago, at the start of pre-season, I wanted to try something different with my athletes.
Instead of diving straight into skills, drills, and routine work, I set aside a quiet afternoon in the gym for a confidence and mindset training session. No routines. No timed warm-ups. No pressure. Just spotting blocks as tables, folding chairs, and a scatter of pens, markers, and stickers across the mats.
I used a packet I had created and later turned into the Pre-Season Confidence and Mindset Training Workbook—and we walked through it page by page. The first exercise? Writing down something each athlete was proud of in their gymnastics journey.
The room came alive. Faces lit up as they shared their proud moments with friends and teammates. It was a powerful reminder of how important it is to pause and celebrate progress, not just performance.
Next, we explored topics like:
ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)
Affirmations
Goal Setting
I was amazed to hear athletes talk openly about nerves, pressure, and fear of failure—things that usually stay bottled up during practice. Even better? Their teammates responded with encouragement and understanding, creating an immediate sense of trust.
By the time we reached the last activity—picking a “word for the season”—the team energy had completely shifted. Each athlete picked a word for the entire gymnastics season and decorated their word on a note card to display on the gym wall.
As a coach, I am sure you have had plenty of team meetings or talks after practice, but for me this one felt different. That single afternoon became a launching point for the entire season.
Athletes leaned on each other when things got tough.
They remembered to focus on progress, not perfection.
And they carried that confidence and trust into every practice and meet.
If you’re a coach looking to kick off your season with intention, I can’t recommend this enough. While the workbook can be used one-on-one, the group experience is truly special—and the lessons last long after that afternoon ends.
-Coach Taylor
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