General Gymnastics - Acrobatics - Trampolining – Tumbling – Display - Pre-School -DMT

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• ·  Grassroots Gymnastics our most important goal

• ·  Affordable Prices for all

• ·  Coach, Judge, Teacher and Volunteer education

• ·  An excellent Insurance & Personal Accident Insurance Scheme

• ·  Cost effective services and support

• .  An organisation who really cares for you the customer, to allow your child to be the      , best they can be

• · Sapphire Gymnastics Academy is "Proud To Be Different"

Gymnastics is a very enjoyable sport that is practiced by all ability participants and ethnic communities across the United Kingdom. Gymnastics can be enjoyed by everyone and it is a great way to keep your body healthy. Gymnastics has been practiced for thousands of years back to ancient times and has been part of the Olympics for over 120 years.

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SAPPHIRE GYMNATICS MISSION       

Where every Child Matters, Sapphire Gymnastics is Proud To Be Different by providing a first class service to it's member’s clubs. Sapphire Gymnastics will ensure that every child that wishes to participate in gymnastics can reach their own individual potential, whether it be for competitive or for recreational. We want all our gymnasts “to be the best that they can be”.

We view health and safety as a positive, pro-active culture that is based on shared values, knowledge and engagement.

This booklet has been written to provide guidance and support for our gymnasts, coaches, parents and volunteers in our organisation and to provide knowledge and understanding of our health and safety culture. The title of raising the bar is our intention to raise the bar of health and safety standards within gymnastics.

Sapphire Gymnastics believes that excellence in the management of health and safety is an essential element within its overall business plan – a good health and safety record goes hand in hand with high productivity and quality standards.

We are totally committed to ensuring health, safety and welfare at all times. From an economic point of view, the organisation believes that prevention is not only better, but also cheaper than cure. There is no necessary conflict between humanitarian and commercial consideration. Profits and safety are not in competition. On the contrary, safety is good business.

The organisation is committed to ensuring that it complies with all relevant health and safety legislation. Where it is reasonably practicable to do so, the company will strive to go beyond the requirements of legislation.

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The organisation is committed to ongoing monitoring and review processes, so that continual improvement in the management of health and safety can be achieved. Our general intentions are:-

To consult with our employees on matters affecting their health and safety;
To provide and maintain safe equipment;
To provide information, instruction and supervision for employees;
To ensure all employees are competent to do their tasks, and to give them adequate training; To prevent accidents.
To maintain safe and healthy working conditions; and
To review and revise this policy at regular intervals.

Our commitment is implemented through this Policy statement for health and safety, and will be underpinned by a set of supporting occupational health and safety policies and operational procedures to be published throughout the organisation. These will be monitored to ensure their effectiveness and updated regularly.

This policy sets out the roles and responsibilities of our Employees. It is aimed to ensure the requirements of the of our Health and Safety Policy is fulfilled and achieved.

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Senior Management / Directors                                                                               

Senior Management and Directors have responsibility for matters concerning health and safety within their respective management teams and areas of operation. The health and safety responsibilities of Senior Management and Directors extend to:

• Ensuring the Health and Safety Policy is publicised and objectives effectively implemented in their

• Respective areas of operation by providing adequate resources to achieve this;

• Demonstrating leadership in health and safety to foster a positive health and safety  culture;

• Recognising their role to engage the active participation of colleagues in improving standards of health and safety in the workplace via the correct assignment and communication of health and safety

• Responsibilities through the lines of management; including health and safety into decision making processes using competent advice;

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Managers/Supervisors

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All Managers/Supervisors in general have a responsibility to ensure that the Health and Safety Policy is implemented in the areas under their control, as well as the day-to-day overseeing of safe operations as part of their normal managerial functions. The health and safety responsibilities of Managers/Supervisors

•  Encouraging consultation with employees (particularly in regard to risk assessments, the introduction of new working methods, equipment or technology);

• Making themselves reasonably available to receive and discuss health and safety queries raised by employees, and tabling safety at routine meetings;

•  Ensuring the development and maintenance of a General Risk Assessment for health and safety risks in the functions and areas under their control;

• Recording the significant findings of the General Risk Assessment, and communicating those findings to relevant people;

• The establishment of safe systems of work in order to eliminate or minimise risks, and making these systems and information about any risks known

• Ensuring that all their employees receive adequate information, instruction and training to enable them to work safely and understand the risks;

• Ensuring good standards of housekeeping and cleanliness are maintained in areas under their control, including clear walkways and fire exits and escape routes;

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All Employees

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In our work, all employees have a duty to take reasonable care for their health and safety and that of others. In particular, all employees must:

• Understand the Health & Safety Policy as it affects them, and co-operate in complying with our legal duties;

• Co-operate with management to ensure that safe and healthy working practices and workplace are maintained;

• Contribute to a positive safety culture by acting responsibly at all times – and not actively or tacitly condone unsafe behaviour;

• Report promptly to their manager any accident / near miss / aches and pains or illness apparently due to work, or any safety defect they have noticed;

•  Be familiar with the findings of the risk assessments for their work and adhere to the identified control measures;

• Tell their manager if they recognise a significant change to an activity, or notice a significant risk that is not being addressed in their workplace;

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Coach / Instructor’s Responsibilities

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The coach / instructor has a responsibility for their own health and safety and that of gymnasts and gymnasts, it is important that the requirements are communicated and enforced.

• To teach safe and effective exercise. To provide a high standard of gymnasts induction, exercise instruction and supervision consistent with customer satisfaction

• Maintain a high profile instructor presence ensuring availability to assist gymnastic activities as required.

• Ensure gymnasts are fit to participate and are from injuries and illness.

• Ensure gymnasts are suitable attired for the activities, including clothing and footwear.

• Check that jewellery and watches etc have been removed.

• Check that hair is tied back and grooming is appropriate, such as nails are trimmed.

• Ensure suitable space planning for activities, arrange for the safe transportation and erection of equipment.

• Ensure all equipment is checked and in good condition prior to use.

• Ensure suitable rest is allowed following a maximum of 1 – 1 1⁄2 minutes

• Only teach new skills after assessing the readiness of the pupil by observing ability, confidence, and background experience.

Gymnast Responsibilities

The gymnast has a responsibility for their own health and safety and it is important that the requirements are communicated and enforced.

Personal responsibility:

• Gymnast should wear a garment that is fairly light in weight and allows for complete freedom of movement without being too loose.

• All jewellery should be removed prior to participating in any activity.

• When glasses are worn, ensure they are securely fastened around the head.

• Grooming is important, ensuring nails are kept short enough to prevent interference with gripping or footing, as well as self-inflicted injuries.

• Hair should be securely tied to prevent entanglement and to prevent obscuring sight when engage within an activity.

• Chalk often used to absorb perspiration and can assist with preventing blisters by reducing the friction between the ands and apparatus. Chalk should be kept to a suitable amount. Too much chalk can caused irritation to the hands and may even cause excess powder to get into the gymnasts, or their spotter’s eye. Gymnasts should never engage in activity without supervision.

• Personal limitations may involve skill, experience, illness, injury, and other factors. Gymnasts should not pursue skills or activities that exceed their current abilities.

Health

• Gymnasts who are ill, fatigued, or otherwise unable to concentrate invite injury. Gymnasts should report to the coach anything that will compromise their ability to perform.

• Gymnasts taking medication should obtain clearance from a physician that indicates that the medication will not interfere with gymnastics activity.

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Duty Of Care

Health and safety is important to all clubs and organizations. Clubs have a legal obligation towards the health and safety of employees, volunteers, gymnasts, visitors and contractors - a duty of care is a general legal duty on all individuals and gymnast/sports clubs to avoid carelessly causing injury to people. As a start, the club needs to show that it is committed to protecting its members and volunteers against the risk of harm or injury by managing health and safety effective. This can be demonstrated by a health and safety policy (if you have more than 5 employees) and suitable risk assessment practices.

Each club’s policy and risk assessments will differ depending on the sport/activity, the type of club premises, if the club owns or hires its facilities, if it has paid employees, junior members or participants with special needs etc.

It is important to consult with employees and club members so that as many people as possible understand the policy and assessments, and then they will be more likely to put it into practice and follow the regulations.

To protect the club, and to make sure that you monitor and learn from accidents and injuries, you should keep an Incident/Accident report to record any accidents, injuries and incidents that have affected club members/visitors, whether on or off the premises. There are further guidelines within this document for dealing with an incident/accident.

It is good practice for at least 1 qualified first aider to be available at all club training sessions and events. Clubs should encourage members, coaches and/or volunteers to attend a first aid training course so that they can respond to basic first aid situations with confidence.

Duty of Care – Children / Young Persons

It is widely accepted that in relation to children and young people sports organisations have a duty of care. The purpose of this document is to clarify what that duty entails and to provide some guidance as to what steps can be taken in order to demonstrate that this duty is being met.

There is no general duty of care upon members of the public towards the public at large. If there is a formal relationship, however, for example between a club and a club member, or a coach and an athlete, there is a duty of care. When children and young people are involved in organised sports activities and are to any extent under the care and/or control of one or more adults, the adult(s) have a duty to take reasonable care to ensure their safety and welfare.

It is every club’s duty to consider the way in which it carries out its activities and to take all reasonable steps to make sure that participants, visitors and volunteers can enjoy the sport/activity provided by the club in a safe environment. This is particularly true when considering young people and vulnerable groups.

It is vital the club has the correct procedures in place to protect the junior and vulnerable members and also to protect the coaches and volunteers. The club needs to make sure that the policies and procedures which are in place are specific to the type of sport/activity and to the club.

In many sports activities, given the health and safety considerations, it is recognised that a sports organisation or individual (e.g. coach) owes a duty of care to its members. However, it is also understood and recognised that accidents can and do happen, and that it is not possible to predict every eventuality. Liability for the legal duty of care would only arise when an incident occurs and it can be demonstrated that the risk was foreseeable but no action had been taken to remedy it.

Those responsible for the management or supervision of children and young people in a club setting should consider what steps they may need to take in order to demonstrate the reasonable standard of care. Examples of this could include:
• Keeping up to date registers of attendance.

• Keeping up to date records of contact details.
• Maintaining appropriate supervision ratios.
• Maintaining up to date information on specific medical conditions – allergies, asthma, epilepsy.
• Ensuring that first aid provision is available at the venue.
• Ensuring those responsible for supervising the children and young people have been subject to appropriate recruitment and selection processes.

The Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 require that employers must make risk assessments and specify controls to reduce the risks of their activities. Those responsible for sports activities should consider themselves in a similar position to an employer and carry out a risk assessment for their activities. When carrying out risk assessments, it is vital to attend to the requirements relating to the duty of care and the other aspects of health and safety.

Hired Facilities

Any clubs that hire facilities or lease their facilities have a duty of care. In all cases you must work with interested parties to ensure the facilities and equipment is safe.

Insurance

Insurance is an essential responsibility for every club. It is very important to make sure that you have adequate cover to protect the activities that your club delivers.

Scottish and British Gymnasts provide members with insurance cover for all registered members and clubs are provided with cover that pays legal costs and damages in respect of claims against the insured while involved in gymnastics activity in an environment that is under the control or influence Sapphire Gymnasts.

To ensure everyone has a positive experience, coaches are required to complete an assessment for disabled gymnasts to understand the risk to the individual and determine the ratio of supervision required.

Heat Injury

While heat injury is not a common problem in gymnastics, the gymnastics professional should be aware of the symptoms and circumstances. Moreover, heat injuries are preventable. The basic problem in heat stress is that the body is producing heat faster than it can be dissipated.

Heat Fatigue.

The signs and symptoms of heat fatigue include impaired performance of skilled sensorimotor, mental, or vigilance jobs. There is no treatment for heat fatigue except to remove the heat stress by resting the individual and allowing the body to cool.

Heat cramps.

Heat cramps involve involuntary muscle spasms. Usually, the spasms occur in the exercised muscles. Body temperature may not be elevated. Prevention of heat cramps is achieved by drinking large amounts of water and including a small amount of salt in the diet

Heat Exhaustion.

The signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion are headache, nausea, vertigo, weakness, thirst, and giddiness. Fortunately, heat exhaustion responds readily to prompt treatment. Individuals should be removed from the hot environment, rested and given fluids. They should also take adequate rest.

Heat Stroke. Occurs when the body's system of temperature regulation fails and body temperature rises to critical levels. This condition is caused by a combination of highly variable factors, and its occurrence is difficult to predict. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The primary signs and symptoms are confusion; irrational behaviour; loss of consciousness; convulsions; lack of sweating (usually); hot, dry skin; and an abnormally high body temperature.

If an individual shows signs of possible heat stroke, professional medical treatment should be sought immediately. The individual should be placed in a cool area and clothing loosen. The individual’s skin should be wetted and air movement around the worker increased to improve evaporative cooling. Fluids should be replaced as soon as possible.

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Head and Neck Injury.

Head and neck injuries are rare in gymnastics, but the potential dire consequences of head and neck injuries require special consideration. Gymnastics professionals should always take precautions to prevent head and neck injuries. When an athlete is suspected of having a head or neck injury, the gymnastics professional should assume a serious injury and engage the emergency medical response system.

Head Injury.

If an athlete suffers a blow to the head, the athlete should not be allowed to continue participation without medical assessment. Some head injuries appear deceptively mild.

An athlete who suffers a head injury should, therefore, be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible. If an athlete is rendered unconscious due to a head or neck injury, one should assume that a serious injury has occurred and the emergency medical system should be activated.

If the athlete is conscious following a head injury, the following symptoms usually indicate that the injury requires immediate medical attention:

• ·  • Headache,

• ·  • Confusion,

• ·  • Amnesia,

• ·  • Dizziness,

• ·  • Nausea or vomiting,

• ·  • Sleepiness,

• ·  • Slurred speech Copyright of Phoenix Health ( v.2 )

NUTRITION FOR GYMNASTS .

The key to sports nutrition health is a well-balanced diet. Eating foods in their proper serving sizes from all five basic food groups is key. As an athlete you must maintain the proper balance of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and calories to optimize your performance abilities. Following these rules and getting plenty of practice will help athletes feel great and get winning scores!

What diet is best for athletes?

All athletes need a diet that provides enough energy in the form of carbohydrates and fats as well as essential protein, vitamins and minerals. This means a diet containing 55-60 percent of calories from carbohydrates (10 to 15 percent from sugars and the rest from starches), no more than 30 percent of calories from fat and the remaining (about 10-15 percent) from protein.

That translates into eating a variety of foods every day - grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, lean meats, and low fat dairy products. The base of the diet should come from carbohydrates. Fluids, especially water, are also important to the winning combination. Dehydration can stop even the finest athlete from playing his or her best game.

Proper hydration is especially important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake for athletes is essential to comfort, performance and safety. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right kind of fluids. Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid high-calorie, sugary drinks. Energy drinks that contain caffeine should also be avoided.

Symptoms of Poor Nutrition and Guidelines for Eating

Poor nutrition in female athletes is often underlying symptoms such as fatigue, performance plateaus or decreases, burn-out, and repeated injuries.

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Carbohydrates

When starches or sugars are eaten, the body changes them all to glucose, the only form of carbohydrate used directly by muscles for energy. Whether carbohydrates are in the form of starches (in vegetables and grains), sucrose (table sugar), fructose (found in fruits and juices) or lactose (milk sugar), carbohydrates are digested and ultimately changed to glucose.

The body uses this glucose in the blood for energy. Most glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. During exercise glycogen is broken down in the muscles and provides energy. Usually there is enough glycogen in muscles to provide fuel for 90-120 minutes of exercise.

Most athletes need not be concerned with "carbohydrate loading," the special technique of eating a lot of carbohydrates for several days before an endurance event. Instead, focus on getting enough carbohydrates everyday. The best way to ensure plenty of energy for exercise is to eat a nutritious, balanced diet that is high in carbohydrates and low in fat with lots of different foods.

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Proteins

Proteins are often called the building blocks of the body. Protein consists of combinations of structures called amino acids that combine in various ways to make muscles, bone, tendons, skin, hair, and other tissues. They serve other functions as well including nutrient transportation and enzyme production. In fact, there are over 10,000 different proteins in the body.

Adequate, regular protein intake is essential because it isn’t easily stored by the body. Various foods supply protein in varying amounts with complete proteins (those containing 8 essential amino acids) coming mostly from animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs and incomplete protein (lacking one or more essential amino acid) coming from sources like vegetables, fruit and nuts.

Vegetarian athletes may have trouble getting adequate protein if they aren’t aware of how to combine foods. The average adult needs 0.8 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of body weight per day. Strength training athletes need about 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of body weight per day.

Endurance athletes need about 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of body weight per day.

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Calcium

Calcium is another nutrient that female athletes have higher needs for, but fall far short. Half of all runners and 40% of dancers and gymnasts don't get enough calcium. Stress fractures which can sideline a gymnast for the remainder of a season are the most tangible risk. Weight bearing sports, those that involve running or jumping, are at greatest risk.

Calories

Most average girls require 1200-1500 calories per day. Gymnasts, however, require more calories due to their increased activity. Extremely low fat diets have risks, even if the overall caloric intake is adequate.

These are generally considered to be diets that are less than 10% fat calories. Consequences of these include low energy and performance, and deficiencies of iron, zinc, magnesium, folate, vitamins E, B6, B12, C, and A.

Weight bearing activity, dietary calcium intake, menstrual status, and overall adequacy of the diet are all major factors determining bone mineral development in female athletes. Studies suggest that repeated high impact, weight-bearing activity, such as that seen in gymnastics, increases bone mineral development. As dietary calcium plays a crucial role in promoting optimal bone mineral development, dietary calcium intake should be assessed in athletes with low energy intakes. It is important, especially for female gymnasts, to consume calcium-rich foods at meals and snacks to meet their daily calcium needs.

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Fluid Balance

Due to the short, explosive nature of exercise performed by gymnasts and the fact that gymnasts train and compete in indoor facilities, sweat losses tend to be small compared with those of other athletes. Despite lower sweat losses, it is still important for gymnasts to stop regularly during their long training sessions to replace lost fluid. Interestingly, it has been observed that some gymnasts concerned with their weight reduce their fluid intake in order to reduce body weight. For these athletes, it is crucial to point out that a decrease in weight as a result of sweating is purely a reflection of lost fluid, not a decrease in body fat stores.

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What should an athlete eat before, during and after exercise?

The most important thing is to concentrate on eating a nutritious, balanced diet every day. Here are a few tips on eating before, during and after exercise.

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Before

Have some high carbohydrate foods like bananas, bagels or fruit juices. These foods are broken down quickly and provide glucose to the muscles. The timing of this meal depends on athletes' preference for eating before exercise, but researchers have found that eating something from 1 to 4 hours before exercise helps keep plenty of blood glucose available for working muscles. It is also critical to drink plenty of cool water before exercise to keep muscles hydrated.

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During

Perspiration and exertion deplete the body of fluids necessary for an optimal performance and lead to dehydration. It is important to drink plenty of cool water, at least half a cup of water for every 20 minutes of exercise. Usually there is no need to worry about replacing carbohydrates, unless the exercise lasts over 90 minutes and is hard and continuous. When this happens, drinking a sports drink or other beverage with some sugar in it will fuel the muscles being exercised.

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After

If the exercise was strenuous and lasted a long time, glycogen stores may need refuelling. Consuming foods and beverages high in carbohydrates right after exercise will replenish glycogen stores if they are low after exercising.

No matter the intensity of the exercise, it's important to drink plenty of water and eat a nutritious, balanced meal that has lots of carbohydrate rich foods such as grains, pastas, potatoes, vegetables and fruits.

The most important things to remember for good sports nutrition health are to eat a well-balanced diet regularly, not skip meals, and avoid stimulants like caffeine. A proper diet throughout the year will ensure that you are at your best each season and at every level you compete.

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Nutrition Education

Sports dietitians can play a key role in educating gymnasts, parents and coaches regarding the unique nutritional requirements of junior and senior gymnasts. Nutrition lectures focusing on energy balance, calcium and iron requirements and balanced eating, along with practical sessions such as cooking classes and demonstrations, supermarket tours, and workshops on "better snacking" are useful in educating gymnasts, their parents and their coaches.

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Eating Behaviours

Gymnastics is a sport where athletes are required to maintain a low body weight-to-height ratio if they wish to perform at a high level, particularly as they mature into late adolescence and reach their peak performance years. This fact alone, places these athletes at greater risk of developing an eating disorder than athletes involved in other sports. It is important to have a weight management plan involving the doctor, the sports dietitian, the coach and the gymnast to ensure that athletes develop normally during their adolescent years.

Eligibility for gymnastics participation is based on the idea of an “apparently healthy” athlete. An apparently healthy athlete is eligible for gymnastics activity. Pre-participation physicals for all gymnasts are considered unnecessary. However, caution dictates that children should have had a health-oriented physical within 1-3 years prior to their participation in gymnastics.

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PRESSURE MANAGEMENT

Stress is defined as a stimulus that causes a reaction. Pressure can be good and may help us perform better, or bad stress which may lead to a reduction of coordination, generalized muscle tension, reduction of flexibility, narrowing of the visual field (tunnel vision), inability to attend to critical aspects of performance, and increased emotionality.

An athlete’s response to stress results in deteriorating performance. Performance deterioration occurs when the athlete perceives that his/her ability to handle the demands of the situation are inadequate. Athletes with fewer coping skills (inability to control arousal, concentrate, and think clearly under stress) have been shown to be more injury prone. Evidence from “life stress events” leading up to competition has shown a moderate relationship between these life-stress events and injury

The ability to cope with stress (i.e., deal with stress more efficiently and effectively) involves emotional adjustments and social networks. Emotional adjustments to stress are often linked to personal resources such as arousal control, rest, and ability to concentrate. Studies have shown that coping skills are important to injury prevention. Social support appears to be very important in both alleviating the impact of daily hassles that may lead to injuries and helping an injured athlete return to form rapidly. Injury prone athletes have also been shown to lack a social support system during major life events

These days life is complex and demanding, and it is all too easy for things to get out of balance. If such imbalances are not corrected, it can have permanent damaging effects, which is why it pays to take preventive action. Another reason for taking action is that imbalance tends to feed on itself and grow, unless a deliberate effort is made to correct it. We all have areas in our lives that are important to us, and we need to devote time and energy to them all if we are to remain balanced, happy and healthy. A characteristic of resilient people is that they draw on all areas of life to achieve and maintain a satisfactory balance. They determine the life balance that is right for them and strive to continually implement it.

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Effects of stress

When demands are made on us, the resulting stress produces a response which originates from a primitive “fight or flight” reflex which pumps adrenaline and hydrocortisone into our bodies. This can produce a number of physical (eg, the heart beats faster, hands feel sweaty) and psychological (eg, anxiety) effects as we switch on short-term energy reserves. Usually once the “danger” passes, our bodies adapt back to their normal state.

When does stress occur?

There are typically three ranges of stress: under stress (expressed by some as “I work better under pressure”), healthy stress (when we deliver our best work because we feel challenged by the demand and appropriately in control) and overstress (also known as distress, where we

‘Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilise.’

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So what are the signs?

Apart from the physical symptoms (eg, tension headaches, fidgeting, nervous twitching, exhaustion, loss of appetite, drinking or smoking more than usual), there are mental aspects too. Some of the signs are:

• ·  Personality traits often intensify;

• ·  Depression and withdrawal;

• ·  Mood swings;

• ·  Anger and irritability;

• ·  Loss of confidence/interest in appearance;

• ·  Repeated minor illnesses;

• ·  Loss of sense of humour;

• ·  Poor motivation and concentration.

The causes of stress can be any number of factors, eg, inadequate communication, ill health, organisational change, bereavement, change in personal circumstances; the list is endless and the “stressors” will vary for different people at different times. Long-term overstress (or under stress) can lead to physical and mental illness as well as lessened effectiveness in both your personal life and in the workplace. The body stops being able to revert back to normal. Instead there is a downward spiral of stress-related illness and emotional distress.

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WORRY BUSTER:

40% of people were worrying about things that subsequently never happened. Write a clear and accurate definition of the problem or problems that are worrying you. Once you have psychologically faced up to the possibility of the worst possible outcome, the worry loses a lot of its potency.

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TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE

The more you feel in control of your life, the less stressed you feel. It is virtually impossible to feel stressed and in control at the same time. The trouble is that for the most part we cannot control what happens to us. The good news is that we can control how we respond to what happens to us, and this is enough for us to feel in control.

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TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

List all the things in your life or about yourself with which you are not satisfied. Then ask yourself, in all honesty, what lies at the root of these dissatisfactions? If you find yourself blaming others or making excuses, look again. Be ruthless: what is the real reason?

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EXERCISE

Exercise is the best stress reduction techniques available. In fact exercise is often referred to as nature’s antidepressant because when you exercise your body will experience a number of beneficial psychological and physical changes.

Is the gymnast in a suitable frame of mind to conduct activities:

• Can the gymnast concentrate/focus enough to ensure that his/her attention is devoted to the task?

• Can the gymnast control his/her emotions? While fear may be a natural consequence of performing a new or difficult skill, can the gymnast prevent being overwhelmed by fear?

• Can the gymnast describe the skill in a meaningful way? Can the gymnast conjure a mental image of the skill?

• Is the gymnast trustworthy when faced with a difficult situation?

• Will the gymnast pursue the task to the end without hesitating or aborting unsafely in the middle?

• Does the injured gymnast have a social support network that will come to his/her aid following an injury and during rehabilitation?