Athletes: your tumble coach will disappoint you (but that's ok)
You learn a lot about yourself when your coach tells you something you don't want to hear. It might be that you're not quite ready for the next level, or that (daggers ready) you're not as good as you think you are. The betrayal is real. So is the truth.
What happens next is completely down to you. One pathway is to blame the coach, declare to the world that they hate you and that they're the worst tumble coach ever. Or, you can hear what the coach has to say and see what you can do to amend your technique.
This is the difference between having a fixed-mindset and a growth-mindset.
Fixed Mindset: If you have a fixed mindset your mentality tells you that where you are is the best you'll ever be and that no effort you put in could make the desired progressions.
Growth Mindset: If you have a growth mindset your mentality tells you that each setback is a learning opportunity that will make you better than you ever were before. Failure is part of the process.
Which athlete makes the better tumbler? Which athlete is more coachable?
It's not rocket science. Anything you learn in life is going to present you with challenges. Sure, you may have a natural ability for something but even then you're sure to meet hurdles along the way. If I'm being honest, this is about maturity. A fixed mindset is an immature way to approach learning- it's a deflection mechanism, a way to avoid accountability. The athlete with a growth mindset has a mature approach to learning- they take accountability when times are tough and come out the other side stronger because they have suffered and persevered.
It's your responsibility as an athlete to take control of the situation.
Scenario:
This past weekend I visited Storm Athletics. It's one of my favourite gyms to visit. Their tumble set up is strong, James Carlin knows what he's doing, and the athletes buy into the culture of the programme. While expectations are high it's always easy to get athletes to buy into what I want them to do.
My final session of the day was a focused session with the elite kids. There were five of them. Some were working layouts, a couple were on fulls and there was one double. I am not exaggerating when I say that I took each athlete back a step. One I even took back to round off handspring! It wasn't because I didn't like their tumbling, it was because the next step always requires a brush up of what's already there.
The session could have gone either way at this point. The athletes could have become demoralised and disengaged with the session. That didn't happen. Instead, they applied themselves to the angle work, to hollow-timing, to set engagement, whatever was specific to their progressions and they put a shift in. By the end of the session, doubles were being performed, layouts had hollow shapes with heads neutral and fulls were being pulled much later.
I didn't wave a magic wand. I said what needed to be done. The attitude of the athletes decided the rest.
You:
Your tumble journey is not going to go seamlessly from A to B. You're going to be pulled in different directions. You're going to have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The only constant is you. It's you're job to ride out the storm and come out the other side. That's the magic of a fixed mindset and realising your dreams knowing you put the shift in.
Good Luck!
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