How to Prepare for a Gymnastics Meet

You’ve been honing your gymnastics routines and practicing your technique for weeks, or perhaps months. Now it’s time to put yourself to the test in a meet against other gymnasts. To help insure that all your hard work leads to the best possible results, prepare yourself mentally and physically for every meet.

Instructions

    • 1

      Hold a practice in which you simulate the format to be used in the next meet.

    • 2

      Reduce the intensity of your training in the final days before the meet. Instead of trying to cram everything in at once -- or trying to learn something new -- narrow your focus to a few key areas to help smooth out any rough spots in your routines.

    • 3

      Spend a bit of extra time during your final practices honing your presentation, rhythm, facial expressions and other performance skills, which may help to impress the judges at your meet.

    • 4

      Choreograph your warm-up to be sure you know what you’ll be doing, and how long the warm-up will take, on the day of the meet.

    • 5

      Think positively and share only positive thoughts with your teammates. Visualize your routines and picture yourself performing them flawlessly. Write out your vision and post the description in a convenient place to help you visualize a successful meet.

    • 6

      Avoid distractions immediately before the meet. Take care of any necessary business beforehand so you can focus solely on gymnastics.

    • 7

      Arrive early for the meet, particularly if you’re competing in an unfamiliar location. This gives you time to get used to your surroundings and to go through your pre-meet routine without any time pressure.