I have been asked to write a little something for those who find it hard to compete the same way they train. Most of us tend to train very hard and feel very good for majority of our trainings. Many feel though that as soon as they step on the competition floor, the training confidence and abilities go out the window. As many of you know if you have seen me compete for the last few years before this blog I have been a rocky competitor and had a very low hit ratio for competitions. I have been asked how I have learned to deal with the stresses and what I do to have a good competition.
1) Go train at above ground trampolines: I have gone to the Burlington Gymnastics Club and trained with Ken Robertson, the trampoline coach of the club. He was generous enough to allow me to put his above ground trampolines to use once a week. I was very shaky the first few weeks but after a lot of drills and timing bounces my stability improved a lot as well as my strength because having to bounce on those trampolines made my legs work much harder then I am use to, which is a good thing of course. After awhile I found that I did not even notice I was on an above ground trampoline and that is when I knew it was working.
2) Improve jump Height: I have been working hard at improving my jump height and if you look at the results I have posted for "Elite Canada Championships" You can see I am way ahead of everyone else. Believe it or not I use to be below everyone about as much as I am above them now. Anyone who understand Time of Flight will understand how much of an improvement it is going from a compulsory of 14.9 to 16.8 in a year. All athletes naturally jump higher in training because they are more comfortable. If you can increase training jump height by timing bounces and constantly beating your time as well as strength conditioning then the bounces you do at a competition will inevitably be higher as well.
3) Breathing techniques: I was told by Gary Izacs from Gymnastics Mississauga that before a routine, while I wait for the judges, I should do some breathing control to slow heart rate. Increased heart rate= increased breathing rate=increased fatigue=increased nervousness=increased chance of not doing well. I was told to take a breath in fro 3 seconds, hold for 3, out for 3 and hold for three. Repeat as many times as possible. This also takes your mind of the surroundings while will most likely increase pressure. I have found that this technique works great for me. Maybe you need longer intervals, play with it. See what works for you.
4) State of Mind: When I compete I do not think of " What if I fall" ," what if I don't do great routine". I think " I cant wait to show everyone how hard I have been training and to prove myself" It pumps me up to show everyone what I can do. I would freak out if I thought about "what if?" I find this is one of the biggest factors that have helped me to feel better on above ground. Now I feel confident that I actually belong with some of the best of them and I feel that fuels my routine.
5) Being Prepared: This one is an obvious one and it's funny that not many really think about it. If you are doing routines in your sleep so to speak then at competition you will have no doubts. One small doubt such as " what if I don't land back full perfect so I can get into my rudy?" can have huge effects on the routine.The athlete tends to think solely on that one aspect and most likely will mess up on another part of the routine. You can not have any doubts in your routine. Of course this is easier said then done but athletes must remember that even though we are all trying to increase D.D there is a time and place for it. I use to change my routine every competition but now I have done the same routine every competition this season and it has been working great. Do routines until its as easy as walking.
6) Do routines Low: At competition it is very likely that the routine will not go perfect. Be prepared and train routines or at least part of routines from low heights so that you practice getting back to full height to finish the routine on a high note ( pun intended). I try my last 6 skills from 3 bounces. I do my last 8 skills from 6 bounces. I also do my first three skills ( the hardest in the routine) as many times in a row. It will be fair to say that with nerves, exhaustion etc that the second interval of the drill will be what you will compete at. If I were to do Triffis Pike, Half Triffis Tuck, Triffis Tuck x 2 or 3 then I would say I am getting the second interval of those three skills around the same as I compete them as the first skills.
7) Mock Meets: Dave has worked with me and timed/judged a routine every training for the last little while. I find it forces me to put everything into that one single routine. I actually feel the same shakyness in my legs that I get at competition. This is good because it means I am directly working on how I feel at competition. I even have gone as far as to give myself a warm up time, competition time and cool down time. I then have gone out to get food to cool off and relax. Then I try it again. I am practising competing just like at competition. Competition does not give you 2 hours to get 5 routines done and you pick your favourite. You have to learn to go at someone else's time. I also try routines with no more then one warm up. If I can jump out of my clothes and get through a full optional then I know I am ready for competition.
8) Bounce on Small Trampolines: I have been working at Halton Hills Gymnastics for some time now as many of you know and have been training on their 6x12 feet trampolines. These are smaller then regulation size. I can not afford to travel on those for fear of flying off. I have become really comfortable on them and have noticed I feel more comfortable at competition because I remember the routines I fought through at Halton Hills.
9) Do not watch the other competitors: I find if I watch the other competitors I will get nervous if they do well. More pressure obviously. If they do bad then it obviously gives me more confidence. I can not bank on their performance though, but I can bank on mine. So to keep it consistent I just visualize my routines and don't care what anyone else does until the day is over. At the end of the day it does not matter how you place, as long as you are improving then the medals will come one day.
10) Bring Spectators: I have had my friends come in to watch me bounce and even coach me a bit. I know this is not normally allowed but who cares. Sometimes a new face can stir up the nerves you will feel at competition. Try bringing friends and family that do not normally see you train and make it a mock meet.
11) Wear Competition Attire: I have tried wearing longs the week before I compete and I find it helps mimic exactly how I will feel in the air with the strange attire. Not many of us wear longs in training so it will probably benefit you to practice wearing them. They are really different from most shorts that I have ever seen.
12) Mimic Training With Competition: Make a competition fall in line with when you train on a regular day. My normal day is
- up at 8
- school
- work
- training
- home
I notice my training is usually late in the evening so I try to get up at different times when I compete to make my body feel like its the same time it is use to. If I compete at 2pm then I will get up at 6 and work out, go for a walk to wake up, then do school work, then have a nap then watch some tv or something then go compete. My body feels like it is 7pm so I will be more awake and alert.
13) Post Activation Potentiation: I have made an article specially related to this topic. Look it up for more detail. Simply, do a few hard sets at about 6 Rep Max. It will wake you upa nd prepare the muscle for work. Do this a few hours before competing for best results. Too early means you lose the effect. Too late means you can not recover in time. It has helped me at least and many scientific articles swear by it.
I hope these ideas help you and remember that this is what I do, it may not work for you. You may have to try something different. But go out and try something new at every competition until you find something that works for you. Who knows, maybe its as crazy as having an alcoholic beverage before you compete ( I wont mention names).
Thanks :)
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