Competitive trampolinists face a range of psychological challenges that can significantly impact their performance. These challenges often manifest as fear, anxiety, and mental blocks, hindering their ability to execute skills effectively, especially in competition.
Fear and Mental Blocks
Fear is a primary mental obstacle for gymnasts and, by extension, trampolinists. This fear isn't always based on logic and can be paralyzing, leading to a lack of trust in one's skills. A coach's perspective highlights this, noting an athlete's inability to "let herself go" when attempting a difficult skill, even though she can perform it in practice. This fear can manifest as hesitation, reluctance to take risks, and, in extreme cases, an unwillingness to compete at all.
Anxiety and Nerves
Competition itself is a significant source of stress. The pressure to perform, the judgment of others, and the high stakes can trigger anxiety. Even elite athletes experience nerves, and these nerves can have a debilitating effect on performance. The hypothalamus, a part of the brain, plays a role in this, sensing new environments and triggering a "fight or flight" response if the situation is perceived as threatening. This can lead to increased heart rate, widened eyes, and the release of hormones like testosterone.
Overcoming Psychological Challenges
Several strategies can help trampolinists manage these challenges:
Confronting Fear: Instead of avoiding fear, athletes are encouraged to acknowledge it and trust their training. Asking "What real evidence is there to support that I cannot perform this skill now?" can help challenge irrational fears.
Competition Simulations: Practicing under pressure, simulating competition conditions (judges, audience, limited warm-ups), and rehearsing routines can help athletes build coping strategies and become desensitized to the emotions associated with competition.
"Distancing": This technique involves athletes putting themselves in someone else's shoes or talking to themselves in the third person to reduce the emotional impact of a negative experience. This can help reduce activity in the emotional parts of the brain, allowing for more rational thought.
Mental Toughness and Resilience: Developing mental resilience and strength is crucial. This can involve goal setting, building confidence, and managing mental energy.
Psychological Support: Seeking mental coaching or sports psychology can help athletes uncover beliefs and attitudes that hinder performance.
Impact on Performance
These psychological challenges can significantly impact performance. Fear and anxiety can lead to hesitation, errors, and a failure to execute skills at the level achieved in practice. Conversely, managing these challenges can lead to improved confidence, better performance, and greater enjoyment of the sport. Bryony Page, a successful trampolinist, highlights the importance of overcoming mental challenges, even in the face of significant pressure, to achieve peak performance.
Conclusion
Hypnotherapy offers several benefits for trampolinists:
Enhanced Focus and Concentration: Trampolining requires intense concentration to execute complex routines. Hypnosis can help athletes enter a state of heightened focus, eliminating distractions and improving their ability to stay present in the moment.
Reduced Anxiety and Stress: Competitive trampolining can be stressful, leading to performance anxiety. Hypnotherapy can teach athletes techniques to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and perform at their best under pressure.
Improved Confidence and Self-Belief: Hypnosis can help athletes develop a strong sense of self-belief, enabling them to tackle challenges with resilience and determination. This is crucial for executing difficult maneuvers and recovering from setbacks.
Mental Rehearsal and Visualization: Hypnotherapy facilitates mental rehearsal, allowing trampolinists to visualize their routines and desired outcomes. This process primes the neural pathways and muscles, improving skill execution and performance.
Pain Management and Injury Recovery: Hypnosis can be used to manage pain and accelerate recovery from injuries. This is particularly important for trampolinists, who are prone to injuries due to the high-impact nature of the sport.
Managing Fear in Gymnastics. gymnasticsmentalcoach.com
Preparing for the Nerves: Competition Simulations. trampolineleague.com
Roots of Competition Anxiety. gregroetrampoline.com
Mental Blocks In Sport - Gymnastics & Trampoline. freestyletrampolineassociation.com
Resources. usagym.org
Bryony Page interview: Overcoming mental and physical challenges to win Tokyo Olympic bronze and world championship gold. yorkshirepost.co.uk
Research Articles Related To Trampolining
Day, M. C., Thatcher, J., Greenlees, I., & Woods, B. (2006). The Causes of and Psychological Responses to Lost Move Syndrome in National Level Trampolinists. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 18(2), 151–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200600653782
Abstract
Lost Move Syndrome (LMS) can be described as a psychological condition in which athletes find themselves unable to perform a skill that was previously automatic. This study examined the psychological causes of and responses to LMS using semi-structured interviews with 15 elite trampolinists. Responses were analyzed using inductive content analysis, which led to a total of 54 raw data themes forming 6 general dimensions. Results showed that despite positive experiences before the recognizable start of the syndrome, LMS could be traced back to initial skill acquisition and a gradual increase in pressure from various sources. This then led to negative emotional reactions, including self-presentation concerns and perceptions of poor coping strategies. A change in cognitions surrounding the initial motor program of the move also left the sufferer with altered perceptions and visual memory of the skill. Participants expressed that coping strategies were unsuccessful due to the current lack of knowledge surrounding the syndrome. Applied suggestions are offered for sport psychology consultants working with athletes suffering from LMS.
Marsollier, É., & Hauw, D. (2023). Toward a definition and classification of lost move state: Perceptions of elite trampolining coaches. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(1), 53-63. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541231196472 (Original work published 2024)
Abstract
Several severe performance blocks have been described in the sport psychology literature, in particular the lost move and the yips. Beyond the identification of the traumatic situations associated with these problems, there is a lack of understanding of the process that ultimately culminates in performance blocks. In the present study, a situated and dynamic analysis of a specific type of block in acrobatics was conducted to: (i) identify the propensities of trampolinists to develop lost move, (ii) categorize the types of moves involved, (iii) determine the circumstances of the occurrence of lost moves as typical situations, and (iv) describe the evolution of the loss and its duration. The nine national and international-level French-speaking coaches we interviewed were asked to describe the lost moves they had experienced as coaches. Prior to their interview, each coach had to answer a questionnaire in which they were asked to identify the number of lost moves they experienced. Based on our results, lost moves appeared as evolutive adaptive processes with four steps: disruption, manifestation, contamination, and final adaptation. The phenomenon appeared as observable behavioral manifestations emerging from the interaction between athletes’ dispositions and the situations in which they find themselves throughout their sporting careers. Thus, lost moves might be considered as transitional states in skill development to which an athlete’s performance can branch off. Three main levels of concrete interventions were described, including careful consideration of the athletes’ dispositions and life-course circumstances, avoiding contamination, time off, and engaging in other activities.
Hase, A., Korte, I. E., Dokter, M., Schiphof-Godart, L., & Freeman, P. (2025). Predicting pressurized competitive trampoline gymnastics performance with challenge and threat evaluations. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 14(2), 369–381. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000383
Excellence in trampoline gymnastics involves executing highly complex figures in a stressful competitive setting that punishes even small errors. Such competitive settings provide an ideal environment to study the theoretical predictions of the Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat. The model predicts that cognitive evaluations consistent with a challenge (vs. a threat) state relate to better performance. We aimed to examine whether a cognitive challenge and threat (CAT) measure taken before the start of the season predicts elite-level trampoline gymnastics performance at one highly pressurized competition 37.7 days on average later in the season. Using a prospective design with 50 preadolescent-to-adult elite-level trampoline gymnasts, we predicted first- and second-routine performance at the highly pressurized competition with preseason cognitive CAT (i.e., personal coping resources minus situational demands) evaluations regarding this competition. The main analyses partially supported the hypothesis that a challenge evaluation relates to better performance than a threat evaluation. Cognitive evaluations reflective of a challenge (vs. a threat) state predicted better first-routine performance (adjusting for age, sex, and average season performance). In the second routine, a subset of athletes reported relatively more challenge evaluations, but performed significantly worse by failing to complete their routine. These findings provide novel insights into the predictions and boundary conditions of the biopsychosocial model of CAT and emphasize the importance of routine type (mandatory, but relatively simple, first vs. free-choice second routine) in predicting trampoline gymnastics performance.