by Dr. Patrick Cohn 

(modified slightly by Jay Thornton for the sport of gymnastics)

Have you ever performed poorly and had difficulty bouncing back?

Does a poor performance affect how confidently you perform in the next competition?

Bouncing back from a poor performance requires a resilient mentality. Resiliency is the ability to recover quickly from adversity.

Resiliency is like being elastic (quickly regaining your form)…

If you compress a spring (pressure) and then release it (let it go), the spring will bounce back to its original form (recover).

The same is true of a resilient athlete. Great athletes spring back after a mistake or poor performance.

For example, if you are experiencing a drought in making a particular routine in competition, you may start feeling the “pressure” during your performance…

You starting thinking negatively, “I just can’t seem to stay on the beam in the meet” and your confidence starts plummeting… One bad meet leads to more poor performances.

Dwelling on the past is not the answer….

You certainly want to “let go” of past performances. By letting go, you will be able to recover quickly and regain your form.

Do you replay–in your mind–past mistakes that haunt you? This will not help you bounce back quickly because you are holding onto negative feelings about your performance.

Try these tips to develop a resilient mentality…

1. Keep in mind that you’re not perfect and everyone is allowed a bad competition or routine. One bad competition doesn’t mean the next competition will be bad… unless you allow it.

2. Learn from your past performance to help you become a better athlete. What areas of your competition can improve? Try to be objective instead of self-critical.

3. Remind yourself of times when you recovered quickly from a bad performance. Stay focused on your strengths, your talents, and what you bring to the team or competition.

You may be thinking, “That’s easier said than done.” No one said it would be easy.

How many years have you (or your athletes) devoted to developing your athletic skills? Now is the time to commit to developing your mental game.

Learn Proven Strategies To Become A Resilient and Composed Athlete!

Want to learn all my secrets for moving past mistakes and keeping calm under pressure? Check out The Composed Athlete CD and workbook program, one of our best-sellers.

The Composed Athlete
A 14 Day Program For Maximum Composure

Now available on digital download–save on shipping costs and get 10% off!

Your Mental Coach,

Dr. Patrick Cohn

P.S. Personal mental coaching is the best option for improving your mental toughness in sports. However, The Composed Athlete CD and Workbook Program is the next best thing to personal coaching.