Gymnast with a fear of doing Gymnastic moves

The challenge

Ella* was a gymnast with the fear of doing gymnastics moves - in particular, flicks on a high beam.

Sometimes she could do the move, sometimes she couldn`t. When she failed, she would cry and cbe unable to do anything at all.
She had decided to give up gym.

*name changed to protect client confidentiality

The effect

Ella said that she

• couldn`t do the moves and some girls who are in her group can do more than her.
• was afraid of doing Tsuk (Vault) on hard, because the floor underneath the mat is concrete;
• was afraid of loud sudden noises when she does the moves;
• doesn`t like it when people are walking around as she is trying to do the move;
• was afraid that somebody will jump on the beam while she is doing flicks;
   

Solution

Methods used included:

• Meta model questions (helped with 3-5)
• Belief change: “I can`t do the flick” into “I CAN DO THE FLICK
• Anchoring (Laughter)
• Stacking Anchors (Happy, Confidence, Power)
• Conversation about knowing your value, ACT, visualization, changing your attitude towards anybody or anything

 

Result

• She was afraid of doing Tsuk (Vault) on hard, because the floor underneath the mat is concrete - NOW she is practicing it without any fear!
• She was afraid of loud sudden noises when she did the moves - NOW she is “blocking” people and paying less attention to anybody who is around her, on each apparatus.
• She doesn`t like when people are walking around when she tries to do the move - NOW she is “blocking” people out and paying less attention to anybody who is around her, on each apparatus.
• She was afraid that somebody would jump on the beam while she was doing flick - NOW she is more concentrated on the moves, not on distractions; 

In addtion,

• Her tumbles are more fluent.
• She completed10 flicks on a lower beam after not doing them for 3 weeks.
• She did a new move backaway from the bars.
• She connected “cartwheel into tuck” off the beam and completed did 3 in a row.