The Gymnastics Mindset Academy Podcast

Episode Summary: Is your gymnast struggling to move forward with her skills, or does she break down every time her coach gives her a correction? In this episode, Coach Stacie and Coach Ali dive deep into a topic that many gymnastics parents face: perfectionism. While it seems like a positive trait on the surface, perfectionism is actually a fear-based protective mechanism that keeps athletes small...

Episode Summary Does your gymnast suddenly refuse a skill she once had mastered? While mental blocks are often blamed on fear of injury, the deeper cause is usually the fear of disappointing the people who matter most. In this episode, Coach Stacie Roman and Coach Ali Havel explore how external pressure drives mental blocks. They explain why gymnasts are biologically wired to seek approval from au...

Episode Summary Is your gymnast suddenly struggling with a skill she used to have, or facing a mental block on a skill she needs for next season? While it may look like a fear of getting hurt, the real issue is often much deeper. In this episode, Stacie Roman and Ali Havel explore the hidden connection between mental blocks and the fear of the outcome. Whether it's move-up evaluations, end-of-seas...

Episode Summary In this episode, Coach Stacie and Coach Ali unpack the internal drivers behind gymnastics mental blocks. They focus heavily on two major internal obstacles: the "fear of being afraid" and an athlete’s harsh internal self-talk. The coaches explain that the goal of mental performance training isn't to eliminate fear, but to teach gymnasts how to tolerate the uncomfortable sensation o...

Episode Summary Does your gymnast suddenly refuse to do a skill she mastered years ago? When a gymnast develops a mental block, most people assume it's fear of injury. But often, the real cause is external pressure—the fear of disappointing a coach, teammate, or parent. In this episode, Coach Stacie Roman and Coach Ali Havel explore how fear of judgment contributes to gymnastics mental blocks. The...

Episode 4: External Pressure & The Hidden Sources of Gymnastics Fear Welcome back to the Gymnastics Mindset Academy Podcast! This week, we are diving into the third major category of mental block triggers: External Sources . If you are a gymnastics parent watching your athlete struggle with a skill she has hit a thousand times, this episode provides the missing piece of the puzzle. We unpack w...

How Your Gymnast’s Self-Talk Creates Mental Blocks (And What To Do About It) Is your gymnast struggling with a mental block that seems to have appeared out of nowhere? In this episode, Coaches Stacie Roman and Ali Havel dive deep into the "Internal Category" of fear. While most parents assume a mental block is about a fear of falling, the truth is often much more internal. For many high-level gymn...

Episode Description: Understanding and Overcoming Physical Fear Blocks In this episode, Coaches Stacie Roman and Ali Havel break down the physical mechanics of mental blocks. When a gymnast "balks" or freezes, it isn’t a lack of talent—it’s a survival response from a brain that doesn’t feel safe. We explore how to identify the root causes of physical fear and how to provide the strategic support n...

Episode 1: Why She Balks—Understanding the "Elsa Effect" and the Survival Brain! Welcome to the first episode of the refreshed Gymnastics Mindset Academy Podcast! We are kicking off Mental Block Month by pulling back the curtain on one of the most mysterious and maddening experiences in the sport. If your gymnast is "stuck," you aren’t just dealing with a skill problem—you’re dealing with a brain...