At 4 inches wide and 16 feet long, the balance beam has become one of the most feared apparatus by gymnasts.
Under the pressure of big meets, falls have cost teams championships, while impressive routines have been the difference maker for others.
Being one of the favorites to snag the NCAA Championship, the Red Rocks have been preparing all season to make sure the beam isn’t their downfall at this stage.
“We’ve been setting the tone for balance beam being a place that we go and are comfortable and confident and low-stress and we work on that through the year,” said beam coach Megan Marsden. “We try and approach it the same no matter when we do beam.”
It is the mental toughness required to be successful at the beam that makes it one of the most stressful and mistake-ridden events.
The pressure of being at nationals and trying to win a championship only adds to the stress of tumbling on a 4-inch beam.
“You start to think about what you’re actually doing and what you’re doing it on, and it gets in your head,” said senior Nina Kim. “Your body knows how to do it already. You can’t think that much, you just have to go out there and do it.”
Overthinking isn’t the only cause of big mistakes on the balance beam, as adrenaline and the precision that the beam requires also play a factor in being successful.
“Usually in big meets, you have a lot of adrenaline and in other events you can use that adrenaline in a more powerful way, but on the beam, you’ve got to rein it in or it can send you way off the 4 inches,” Marsden said. “A lot of people don’t know how to mentally and physically approach that event.”
Utah has been working all season to be mentally and physically prepared for the challenges of handling the pressure of nationals and the stress of competing on the beam.
“We’ve practiced throughout the season to be mentally strong,” Kim said. “We do mental exercises like visualizing where you’re going to be at the meet, feeling the pressure and putting your emotions out like you’re at the meet.”
Aside from not falling off the beam, being able to perform flawless walkthroughs is a big part of earning high scores on the balance beam.
“You’ve got to be able to walk through your routine. If you wobble after every skill, it’s hard to score high,” Marsden said.
Although the Red Rocks haven’t scored as high on beam as they have on other events throughout the season, the coaching staff feels that the beam is a good event for them and is expecting good things out of the team at nationals.
“I think it’s been a good event for us all year,” said head coach Greg Marsden. “I can’t remember having to count a fall on a beam this year. I think it’s a good event for us and we’re very ready.”
The Utah gymnasts also feel confident in their ability to score well on the beam and are looking forward to showing the nation what they are made of.
“We’re lucky to have all the girls be able to do well on the beam and we have a really strong lineup from front to end,” Kim said. “We’re ready to get out there and show them what we’ve been practicing.”
Thien SokThe balance beam has been a nemesis for the Red Rocks throughout the year and good performances on the apparatus will be critical to the Utes? success at the NCAA National Championships in Lincoln, Neb.