MINNEAPOLIS — The American Women’s Gymnastics Trials will be held Friday at Target Center.
Reigning Olympic champion Sunisa Lee, six-time World Championship medalist Shilese Jones and national runner-up Skye Blakely are all facing health concerns heading into the U.S. Olympic Trials. But in competition, it’s not always physical injuries that are lurking.
At this past summer’s Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s team finals due to mental health issues. It’s a common struggle for athletes, especially those competing at the highest level. Dr. Carly Anderson, an Olympic sports psychologist, said the key is how to keep their minds on the mat.
“By the time I graduated, our team had won three national championships and I remember thinking to myself, ‘I think there’s something to be said about this whole mental health issue in sports. I think I want to be a sports psychologist,’” Anderson said.
Inspired by her experience in collegiate level gymnastics, Anderson discovered her passion for helping others. As the owner of Premier Sports Psychology in Edina, she works with a variety of athletes, from the University of Minnesota to Olympic curlers and hockey players. Its role is to strengthen the minds of the participants.
“Just like you would do strength and conditioning, you don’t do it once. You do strength and conditioning regularly to maintain strength and get better, and you do it week after week after week, for years, to be at your best,” Anderson said. “If the same is true, why wouldn’t we train our minds the same way?”
For the Olympic hopefuls competing in the gymnastics trials in MinneapolisAccording to Anderson, the pressure has never been higher.
“The United States is so competitive in some sports that the Olympic qualifiers can be even more stressful than the Olympics themselves,” Anderson said.
This can be especially true in gymnastics, where precision is everything and your mental focus can make or break your landing.
“If you lose your sense of air or have any problems, it’s really scary and very dangerous,” Anderson said.
While her advice to athletes is specific to their needs, the general advice she gives to every competitor is to let go of what you have no control over.
“Not to be so mentally strong and rigid, but to be more mentally flexible and flexible,” Anderson said.
