A year-in-review for gymnastics is an important tool that should not be overlooked!
This blog contains a free 12-page printable. Scroll down to snatch it.
(Article last updated January 2024)
I know January can feel like a wonky time to review the last year because it might fall in the middle of your season. If you're a compulsory gymnast you might be done with season already. But if you're an optional gymnast you might be just starting your season up. So every gymnast is in a different situation.
Regardless, I'm a firm believer in doing a year-in-review at the end of one calendar year/start of the next.
Not only do you have the collective energy out there of all the people who are setting new goals this time of year, you also have the ability to examine your entire calendar year from start to finish.
So how do you conduct a year-in-review in gymnastics?
This time of year there are a few things you should ask yourself regarding your gymnastics year.
P.S. If you haven't already, download the updated Year-In-Review & Goal Setting worksheets now so you can answer the questions in the packet.
1. What are some good things that happened for you in gymnastics this year?
Remember you're looking back to January 2023 all the way until the current moment. You might have to scrunch your brain to think back to the beginning of last year.
Ask yourself questions like:
What happened that was good this past year?
Did I learn new skills?
Did I compete well?
Was I finally able to compete after being in lockdown?
Did I switch to a better gym?
Did I move up in level?
Using the free download, reflect on and write down 3 things that went well for you in 2023.
Then reflect back on which moment you are most proud of.
2. What are some things you really enjoyed this past year in gymnastics?
The bottom line is that doing gymnastics should be fun. You want to make sure you are keeping the things you enjoyed at the forefront of your mind.
Ask yourself what you enjoyed most about this year.
What was the moment that made you smile the most?
When did you feel happiest?
Did you have fun, learn a lot, make new friends?
On the download, fill in the box on the bottom of page 1 with your answer.
3. What are some things that did not go so well for you this past year?
It's not always fun to reflect back on the negatives, but the negative events offer valuable feedback for you moving forward.
List out 3 things that did not go so well for you on page 2 of the download.
I don't want you to dwell on these things. Instead, reflect on them so that you can think about some things you learned from those failures or negative events.
That brings us to the next step...
4. What are some things you learned from your mistakes?
Again, mistakes or negative events can be looked at as information.
You can always find a lesson learned in every situation.
On the download, write down one big lesson you learned from a failure in 2023.
Remember not to just write down this lesson and then ignore it. You should be using it as a guiding force for your upcoming year.
For example, if you learned that you shouldn't focus so much on what other people think about you, then you want to make sure that this upcoming year you are paying more attention to your own inner guidance.
Or if you learned that you need to let the past go in competitions, you should be focusing on using mental strategies where you stay in the present moment.
5. Did you achieve the goals you set out to achieve in 2023?
This is a valuable question because again it gives you information.
If you did achieve your goals, ask yourself why. What do you do that made sure you were able to achieve them.
If you did not achieve your goals, ask yourself why (see the pattern here?). What happened to make you not realize your goals this past year.
In order to be able to repeat the good things and get rid of the negative things, you need to know what worked and what didn't for you!
6. Think about some habits you had (both negative and positive ones) and decide if they helped you be successful in 2023.
Ask yourself questions such as:
What were the habits that helped me be successful in 2023?
What were the habits that hurt me or didn't help me be successful?
What are some new habits I'd like to make in 2024?
Fill in your answers on page 4 of the download.
Remember, knowledge is power. And awareness is always the first step to gaining better habits and skills in gymnastics. If you know what you're doing that is working for you then you can duplicate those again. Likewise, if you know what is NOT working for you, you can then try to eliminate those habits and behaviors.
On the other hand, if you have no idea what is working or not working, you won't have the ability to make changes or become better over this upcoming year.
Finally, while I encourage you all to do this Year-In-Review, looking back from last January until December, I also think this is a beneficial practice for the end of season as well. Don't let your season finish without also reflecting back on what worked and what didn't work.
Best wishes for a happy new year! I look forward to seeing you all crush your goals and enjoy gymnastics in 2024.
Here's a quick video version if you prefer the cliff notes :)
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If you or your gymnast needs support, in addition to the resources below I also offer one-on-one coaching sessions via Zoom.
Helpful Links:
- Resources: Get gymnastics downloads to help your gymnast work on her mental skills in gymnastics
- Mental Health Training for Gymnasts: Help your gymnast learn about her brain and the fight-flight-or-freeze response.
- Free Facebook Group for Moms of Gymnasts: Join this group to chat with other gymnastics moms and get tips for how to help your gymnast navigate through the mental ups and downs of gymnastics
