Expert: Pamela Enders - 5/10/2009

Question
I have been tumbling since I was 3. I am now in High School. I could do Running multiple backhandsprings, and tucks, running & standing.
I didn't go to the gym for about a month. I came back, tried to throw a backhandspring and couldn't. I finally got to the point where I wasn't able to do a roundoff. I haven't fallen, or anything recently on tumbling or cheerleading stunts. (I did have to go to the hospital earlier this year for an extension lib falling on me (the bass) but I am usually a flyer. But I now fall trying to do a roundoff and cant seem to get over this. Any advice at all would be great! Thank you SO much!

Answer
Dear Nicole,

Sometimes the questions I get generate more questions for me!  For you, I’m wondering what kept you from the gym for a month. Were you ill?  Was this related to your being in the hospital?  Is there anything else going on in your life that might be distressing or distracting?

It’s a good idea to make sure there isn’t any physical reason why you are having trouble so be sure you have a doctor’s ok to proceed.

Since I don’t know the answers to those questions and since I have to go away to CheerCon in North Carolina soon, I’ll answer the best I can for now.  If we need to do a follow-up, we can do so next week, ok?

Sometimes even the best and most experienced athletes go through a slump where they can’t seem to do what they used to do.  And sometimes the reason is unknown.  Still, these things can be fixed and hopefully what I tell you will help you fix it!

When you tumble successfully there is a good communication between your brain and your body.  You see, every time you make a move, you are creating or strengthening what is called a neural pathway in your brain.  Over time, these pathways run deep and make it easier to do what you want to do.  

(Think of a snow-filled hillside…if you use a sled on the hill, you will create a path and it will be easier for the sled to go that route each time you go down the hill.  But if you inadvertently put the sled in a different position, it will create a new pathway even though the path may lead right into a tree!  It’s the same with our brains!).

Ok, so because you have been a successful tumbler, the neural pathways are there, you just need to find them again.  For some reason, the communication between your brain and body has gone a bit wacky!  (Not unusual, just frustrating!)  It might be that at this point, when you get ready to tumble, you are telling yourself something like, “I hope I don’t fall.”  Or, “I can’t do it.”  If this is the case, you are actually sending a message to your brain to fall or fail.

The first thing is to set up a different communication with your brain.  So, try to tell yourself something like, “I did this successfully before and I’m going to do it again.”  You need to be deliberate about this in order to get back on track.

Here is another way to retrain your brain. It’s a special kind of visualization that can be helpful.

1.   Find a nice quiet place and while sitting up, close your eyes.
2.   Exhale as slowly as you can 3 – 4 times.
3.   Say to yourself, “With each out-breath, I am relaxing more and more.”
4.   Once relaxed, see yourself, with your mind’s eye, in a safe place, a place you feel ultra comfortable, secure and happy.
5.   Really enjoy being in your special safe place as you continue to focus on your out-breath.
6.   Now, shift your focus and “see” yourself in your cheerleading practice spot, beginning to do a simple tumbling move.
7.   If you feel more than a little anxiety, stop visualizing this move and return to your safe place.
8.   Stay in your safe place until you feel calm and secure.
9.   Now, once again, see yourself in your practice spot beginning to execute a basic tumbling move.
10.   If your anxiety level is manageable, stay with this scene, focusing on your exhale to keep calm and focused.
11.   See yourself executing the move with grace and ease and “feel” yourself enjoying it; enjoy your success.
12.   Now assign a power label or cue word for this successful execution. It can be anything.  For example, you could simply call it “success” or “good move.”
9.   Once you have your power label, visualize and feel the whole successful routine again only this time say your cue word to yourself.
10. Repeat over and over.  Each time you do this, you will be creating brain and muscle memory.  
11 If at any time your anxiety level increases too much, go back to your safe place and repeat the above steps
12. When you can “see” yourself doing a basic tumbling move without too much anxiety, move to a more difficult move.
12.  Just like before, if too much anxiety pops up, go back to the previous level or go back to your favorite place to calm down.
13. Repeat this process, each time gradually visualizing yourself executing  more difficult moves in a step-wise fashion, pairing the exhale and relaxation with “seeing” yourself doing the moves
14. Be sure to use your cue word or positive trigger with each step you take.
15. Repeat as necessary. Keep repeating this process until the anxiety associated with visualizing tumbling manageable.
15.   The anxiety may not  disappear completely, the goal is MANAGEABLE ANXIETY.


This visualization accomplishes several things.  It helps you ease into the idea of  tumbling while minimizing your anxiety and it also engraves the successful execution of the move in your brain.  You will be training your brain to feel and think in the way you want.  You will also be learning how to control your thoughts and feelings rather than have them control you!

Now, one last thing; when you next begin to do any tumbling move, take a moment to focus, exhale slowly, say your power label to yourself and see yourself executing the move successfully. Then go ahead!

I know this has been a long response but I wanted to be thorough.  Change takes time and effort but the effort is worth it!

Good luck to you.  Keep me posted, ok?  Oh – you might want to check out my blog which has lots of tips and information.  Go to http://www.confidentcheerleadingblog.com

Cheers!

Pamela