Up  for a competition? Tension may bring you down.

Competition of any level can be both rewarding and stressful. It is rewarding because at last you can show your talent to the world and win awards. It is stressful on the hand because the pain in training and preparation has to be experienced.
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One of the most common sayings says, success is not someone who never fails, but it is someone who never quit. So in gymnastics and other sports, you need to overcome stress situations to get the reward. If you fail, get up!

#1: Focus on the Process

If you want to win, don’t concentrate on the outcomes. Jumping ahead to the future cannot help as well as drifting back to the past. Work for on what you need to do today. This will help you feel relaxed and decrease nervousness. Bear in mind that if you have done nothing today, you will never get a good future in you.
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KEY: Concentrate on the present moment.

#2: Do Positive Self-talk
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Self-talk won’t make you crazy; it will bring you up instead. Sometimes, negative thoughts come to our mind and it’s normal. However, negativity ruins. It cannot help anyone during the competition. To keep you calm, think about the things you have accomplished. Imagine what brings you this far. Let yourself know how best you are.
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KEY: Be positive.

#3: Learn to Take a Deep Breath​

Deep breathing is probably the simplest way you can do to keep you relax. Take a deep breath into your abdomen to get as much fresh air into your lungs. The more you do this, the more oxygen you breathe in which will magically reduce the tense and anxious you have felt. 

KEY: Inhale, exhale. 

Wining Competitions

Reaching triumph in the competition depends on you. There are things you can’t control but you can focus on something you can. When you lose your focus, bring yourself back. Have fun and just do your best.

Have your meet fast approaching? Keep calm and win!

To know what to wear under your leotard, during your period can be tricky and is a nightmare. If your underwear is visible during the competition, you badly get point deductions.

Should you even wear anything underneath at all? If you are not sure what to wear, we’ve got you covered.

During Practice

What to Wear

Heavy-duty Pads

Wearing heavy-duty pads prevent any mess you may hate during practice. Heavy-duty pads are great for long rehearsals as well.

No Leotard

If you are not comfortable to wear a leotard during your period then don’t wear at all, only if your gym allowed.

During Competition

​What to Wear

Tampons

Tampons are feminine hygiene products that can absorb menstrual flow during menstruation. It is usually made of rayon. Some brands come with a blend of rayon and cotton for a more comfortable day.

You may find this alternative better than your regular pads as you can’t experience a heavy or sticky feel at your most moves.

​Built-in Liners

Most leotards have built-in liners. The liners can be removed and washed as you want. You can add thin liners along with it to save your day. Make sure the liners of your leotard are good enough so it won’t fall out.

What Not to Wear

Panties

Wearing panties under leotards is not good. It may move around when you do your routines making you feel uncomfortable at all times. What’s worse is that panties may also show up outside the leotard which will get your score badly lowered. 

​Conclusion

It is normal for girl gymnasts to experience period. We do hope that this article can help you minimize uncomfy feel whether you are up for the competition or just doing practice.

Do you think it is a part of gymnastics to push kids until they cry? While we can see gymnast crying at some gyms, it is not part of gymnastics. Absolutely not.

Parents wonder when they see tears falling from their kid’s eyes. Now is the time to clear your mind.

Kids cry for many reasons. Sometimes, it is normal and acceptable as it can ease the tension of the child. Adults around need to know that gymnast coaches do have hearts. If kids are crying, they may face a distressing situation. Your support and guidance are what they need the most.

Reasons Why Kids Cry

​Pain

Pain is one of the reasons why gymnasts cry – adults or not. Gymnastics is like other sports: before you learn, there is a pain. It is not easy to split, swing or hang on bars. Tears in training sometimes good. However, it is still important to address why the kid is having hard times for over-train issues.

Fear

There are different levels of gymnastics. Some are good. Some cause fear. Fear is experienced if the gymnast is not confident enough. When the kid is afraid to do a routine, he or she may need to pause or need motivation.

Mad Coach

Coaches do man and it's normal but most of the kids hate it when someone is mad at them or yelled at the athlete. Discipline is important in sports. If your kid did something wrong there is a correction provided. If it is about public displays of humiliation or bullying then it’s another thing.

The Final Word

​To see someone crying is very much disturbing. Whatever the reason for your kid’s crying, find out the cause as soon as possible. If the reason is good, see how you can make it better.

Remember, winners are not the people who never experience pain. It is about those who never quit.

​Working with bars in gymnastics is very much impressive. There is hanging, swinging and an amazing mill circle.
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The mill circle or stride circle is a basic skill that is usually performed on uneven bars or high bars. Getting involved with mill circling will not just help in maintaining control in the body but will also give enough momentum to create a sleek rotation. This exercise can also help gymnast progress to more challenging routines.

​There are certain skills a beginner gymnast cannot handle. A mill circle is a bit challenging trick but learning this can make you a winner. Here is how to do it.

Step #1: Mount on top of the bar. As you create the stride position, split your legs while getting your front or leading leg placed over the bar. Make sure to set your back leg behind the bar.
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Step #2: Hold the bar tightly with your hands together with the outside of your legs. This step comes with an underhand grip meaning you need to face your palms towards the bar.

​Step #3: Get your arms straight. Point your toes. Your back should be straight. Up your chest and head. Make your hips square to the bar.

Step #4: Lift your leading leg until it becomes parallel to the floor. Have your back leg vertical to the floor while allowing the top of your thigh to touch the bar.
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Step #5: Get your legs to a 90-degree angle. Lift your body up the bar. This will help generate the needed speed to create a circle. The distance of your body and the bar should be maintained as you about to create a circle.

​Step #6: Begin to create a circle. Lean the upper part of your body forward. This will help build up momentum and speed as you need to avoid dropping your front leg but rather extend it as if you are taking a big step forward.

Step #7: Since you have built up your momentum, now is the time to main it. Do a complete upside-down by keeping your body throughout. Then create a 45-degree angle with your legs quickly.
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Step #8: If you are in three-quarters of your way around the bar, switch your wrists toward the end of the circle. This brings you back to the vertical position you do right from the very start.

It is easy for gymnasts to leap, bend, split, spring and split because they use every muscle in the body.

Muscles are elastic tissues that allow us to move our bodies. With it, our internal organs can function. There are more than 600 muscles in the body making up around 40 percent of our body weight. However, not all muscles are named.
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Let’s welcome a few muscles that give gymnasts a life.

Core​

Gymnastics is equipped with balance, stability, and flexibility because of core strength a gymnast provide. Having a strong and stable core is essential to help the body perform a multiple of positions while keeping the muscles tight.

In back handspring, abdominal and pelvic muscles contract to pull the legs and pelvis over the top. It helps a gymnast move throughout a routine. When the player raises the torso, the pelvis is not just a big help but also the muscles in the leg and the lumbar vertebrate. Core muscles involve abdominal contraction and hip flexion that makes every movement possible.

Legs

Muscles in the legs tend to be the most used and important. The most positions in the gymnast routine such as back handspring takeoff and landing have used quadriceps and gluteal muscles. These muscles produce more power in the leg helping gymnast stand even at the heaviest fall.
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Gluteus Maximus is the main buttocks pushing muscle. If the gymnast is able to do an upside-down phase, some of the muscles they used are adductor longus, adductor magnus and adductor brevis. Tibialis posterior is one of the main muscles of the legs that let gymnast point, jump and flex.

Arms, Chest, and Back

The arms, chest, and back are the three parts of the body that work together in order to assist each other. Infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi, and supraspinatus are some of the main muscles that are used in the mid and upper back.
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When it comes to the chest and shoulders, there are cooperating muscles like sirratus anterior, medial and posterior deltoids. Triceps, biceps, and coracobrachialis are the essential muscles that enable the gymnast to do upside-down and right-side-up motion.

​There are many unnamed muscles gymnast used for everyday movement. What matters most is that a single muscle can do multiple jobs even in a single move.

A back handspring is an exciting gymnastics skill that is a bit hard to learn. It needs a gymnast to push and jump backwards. Most of the players have experienced mental blocks. Others got injuries.

But this shouldn’t stop you from learning back handspring at all. This skill is a big milestone in gymnastics. Though it takes time to become skilled at this, it is very much thrilling and fun.
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Here are some quick and easy steps to finally master your back handspring.

Important Reminders

​Have your coach or any other knowledgeable adult to demonstrate the movement correctly. Never attempt to do a back handspring on your own to avoid injury.
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The Step by Step Guide

Step #1: Use the strength of your leg to push off the floor. Learn to sit, lean and then push.

Step #2: Create a tight arch on the air. Your legs and hands should be straight while making a back curve.

Step #3: Now use the strength of your arms. Push off the floor then pull your legs over your head as quick as possible. This step is called tight arch handstand.
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Step #4: After you have pushed off the ground, snap from a tight arch to a tight hollow pose. 

​Step #5: For standing back handspring, land with your feet under your hips. You may also land with your feet in front of your hips of you are doing a back handspring with it.

Drills You Can Do at Home

Wall Angels: This drill requires you to sit with your back against the wall. Your arms should be raised above your head.
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Leg Lifts: From the name itself, you need to lift your leg while you lay on your back. This exercise is important to show the movement of your legs over your head in a back handspring.

​Bridges: Get your legs straight by pushing them back and forth in the bridge. Stretch your shoulder as it is important for a back handspring.
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There are many other drills you can do at home. What’s matter most is to remember that conquering fear is the most essential. Boost your confidence with a back handspring!

​Gymnasts have designated level they can work for. The best stage of training is where the player becomes the most successful.

It is not for you or your parents to decide what level of gymnastics you can nicely draw on. Coaches are the ones who can help you find the spot that is just right. But they do not just pick a level you like; they’re looking for a few positive pointers.

Important Things to Consider

Scores – There are certain scores such as mobility scores and rules a gymnast must be able to meet. If kids do have positive scores in their gymnastics test, they are placed in a room of the same scores.

Age and Ability – While age and ability is not a big factor as competition is not based on others, there are times a coach consider these when deciding which level is best for young kids. Sometimes, a gymnast with a team or of the same age may work better.

Confidence – The confidence of a gymnast is vital. Kids should have belief in their self and abilities. Confidence can also help them get up in the middle of failure. Confidence plus positive coaching equals a high level of improvement.

Physical and Mental Readiness

​Physical – When a child enters gymnastics, he/she is physically challenged. There are challenges in every level the kid needs to be physically ready to learn and survive.

Gymnasts should have the required:

• Strength
• Flexibility
• Skill

Learning gymnastics is best acquired through strength, flexibility and a series of skill progressions.
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Mental – Mental readiness is another important thing. Sometimes, young gymnasts are physically ready to welcome new exercises but their mind is having a hard time to catch up. 

​Here is how to become mentally ready:

• Learn to focus for an extended period of time.
• Understand technical corrections.
• Communicate.
• Overcome obstacles.

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Being physically ready is not enough if you are not mentally prepared. If you want to level up, these pointers might help.

There is only one thing a participant, a coach, the judges and audiences have to focus on the competition– score. Gymnastics score may go up or down in a blink of an eye. Deductions are common. But you may demand where all the deductions come from.
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If you’ve watched Olympics and got amazed at a participant’s atmospherically high vault or slick bars routine, you may hear some commentators who keep talking about what went wrong. At which point do gymnastics judges deduct? Well, behind routines that looked pretty much perfect, there are a couple of things audiences cannot spot. 

This time, you will learn how those deductions are made and discover how you can improve your score in no time.

Mistakes You Should Avoid

Judges would probably take a .10 deduction in every wrong move. One mistake you should never do to improve your score is a long pause. Taking a long pause before attempting a trick such as tumbling can create a bad impact on your performance.

On the floor, it is better not to wait too long or take small steps to adjust your position as there is an additional 0.10 deduction each time.

How to Improve your Score

​Don’t Fall

Learning not to fall is important on beam, practice to stay on it during your routine. If you fall twice, you will get a deduction of 1 point.

Stick your Landing

​Whether you are performing vault, bars or beam, learn to stick your landing. There is a deduction ranging from .1 up to .4 if you mess up.

Keep your Legs Straight

Each time you bend your knees on a routine that requires straight legs, up to .3 deductions are given in a gymnast that can’t make it up. You also need to point your toes for perfect straight legs.

​Keeps your Arms Straight

Bars and other routine require straight arms. Bent arms have to face deductions of up to .3 on your score. Take a regular arm exercise to prevent this.

Smile Always

There is a .1 deduction in the Artistry category namely Quality of Expression if you fail to show your teeth. So, smile and have fun! Remember, judges and audiences will enjoy the routine of a happy gymnast.