How to Overcome Your Tumbling Mental Block

 Have you ever taken a few weeks off of a tumbling class, only to come back scared to try skills you had previously been working on? Are you nervous to do a tumbling skill on your own even though you’ve mastered the skill with a coach spotting? If so, you may need to start working on overcoming your tumbling mental block.

A mental block is a something in your mind that prevents you from successfully completing a train of thought or a skill. What does this mean for tumbling? This means there may be a fear that is keeping you from performing a certain tumbling skill. Why is overcoming your tumbling mental block important? If you have a limited number of skills that you can perform because of your tumbling block, then your overall potential in tumbling and cheerleading is also limited. In the future, if you plan to compete and progress to higher levels of cheerleading, having a mental block with your tumbling could be a huge problem.

“Tumbling is like any other sport, practice and repetition are the best preparation to mentally prepare yourself,” says V!ROC Choreographer and tumbling expert, Josh McCurdy. “Tumbling blocks are not going to be fixed in a matter of days or weeks. It’s an ongoing process of building trust and confidence back in the athlete.” (http://www.varsity.com/event/1391/overcoming-your-fear-tumbling.aspx)

Before trying out for the college cheerleading team at Sacramento State, I had taken a year off from tumbling. After I had made the team, I was scared to do my standing back tuck because I was out of practice and had built up of fear of doing my tuck. In order to compete, everybody needed a standing back tuck. At each practice I would do a few back tucks with a spot and then try them by myself. Outside of practice I would do exercises that helped strengthen the muscles needed for each part of my standing back tuck. After months and months, once I was able to convince myself that I could land the back tucks, I was no longer scared to do them and I actually started landing them!

Here are some tips that helped me and lots of others get over tumbling mental blocks.

First, you need to figure out what part of the tumbling skill scares you and why. Then, every time you visualize yourself performing the skill, visualize yourself executing it perfectly! Mentally preparing yourself to do the skill with the correct technique will help you break away from bad habits when performing the skill. Visualize yourself doing the skill the way you want your body to physically execute the skill. Josh McCurdy says, “The athlete should focus on performing the skill without using bad habits or personal rituals, such as ‘fake throwing’ or counting through multiple 8-counts before going for it. When an athlete stands there for a long period of time, it allows them to think about the skill too much, therefore allowing the block to remain. The skill needs to be thrown over and over quickly, so the athlete’s body can get used to performing the skill, and thinking too much about the negative is not an option.” (http://www.varsity.com/event/1391/overcoming-your-fear-tumbling.aspx)

Next, focusing on technique is key. Pick apart each part of the skill. What is the very first step of the skill? What is your body supposed to do in the middle of a skill? How do you land the skill? At practice, do drills for each part of the skill. Work on a drill that will help gain confidence doing certain parts of the skill on your own.  That way your body can re-learn the correct technique for each part of the skill. Once you have those drills mastered, put the parts together. Use mats to help you apply the technique to your body while doing the skill. This way you can focus on your body completing the technique properly. For my standing back tuck, I would work on drills that would help me jump up and pull my shins fast instead of just throwing my body backwards, try to pull my knees over, and hope I would land on my feet. Then I would work on drills that would help my rotation so I can land on my feet rather than my hands or my knees.

When you are ready, have a coach spot you on the skill. You can also try it on the tumble track or a crash mat by yourself. This way your body knows exactly what technique needs to be used for you to successfully land your skills. When you are confident and ready to go, try it on the spring floor at the gym!

Then, practice practice practice! Work on the skill each and every time you come into the gym so you don’t build up that fear again.

Once you have pushed through your tumbling mental block, you have the ability to reach your maximum potential as a cheerleader! Remember, “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t”.

 The authors：

Rebecca

 Rebecca Virgadamo has been on UCA Staff for 9 years. She has taught cheerleading camps all over the country as well as internationally. She has performed with UCA  in Las Vegas and New York City. She also cheered at Sacramento State for 4 years and was captain for one year. Rebecca is very happy to be in China to share her cheerleading knowledge with the kids in China!