University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Gymnastics: Building Another Championship Season
April 12, 2011
By Lauren Seligman
The fourth tier of Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success begins with Poise. Poise is most simply defined as "just being yourself." This means that as an individual you don't try to be somebody you are not by pretending, acting, or faking. By being true to yourself, you can feel more comfortable in your own skin, know your limitations, and hold yourself accountable to realistic personal standards. Poise is a cumulative effect of practicing the blocks in the first three tiers of the pyramid. Without practicing self-control, cooperation, friendship, and intentness, an individual cannot display the qualities of Poise.
A few weeks ago, the phrase "BE YOU" started surfacing frequently in team meetings, huddles, and the locker room before meets. After a slower-than-anticipated start to the season, the Bruins were looking for a midseason pick-me-up. They reflected on the meets they had competed in and came to the realization that they weren't having as much fun as they should have been having on the competition floor. Some of them were getting overly nervous while others were playing it too safe or stepping outside of their comfort zone. "BE YOU" emerged as a reminder to the girls to be comfortable and confident with their training so that they could give 100% every time they competed.
The implications of "BE YOU" are different for each and every one of the Bruin Gymnasts. For instance, Monique's gymnastics has fierce, aggressive qualities, while, in contrast, Aisha's gymnastics has balletic and artistic undertones. If Aisha and Monique traded routines for a day, it would be wildly apparent that both of them were trying to imitate a style outside of their own. Although they are both very talented, neither of them would radiate the same confidence competing as they could with their own routine. Thus, imitation would result in a sub-optimal performance quality for both as compared to competing within their own comfort zone.
To fulfill your individual potential, you can't pretend to be anybody but yourself. At the end of the day, you can only get out as much as you are willing to put in. The Bruins were able to walk away with an outstanding win in Athens, Georgia at their NCAA Regional because all of the girls brought their "A" Game, put in maximum effort, and remembered to "BE YOU". By demonstrating poise on and off the competition floor, they were able to take their game to a whole new level.
Watch this week as they raise the bar again and strive to repeat their Regional success. Friends of UCLA Gymnastics will be at Barney's Beanery in Westwood at 1pm on Saturday to watch the meet online. Feel free to come join the fun and cheer on the girls as they seek to bring home another trophy to Westwood!