What is the hardest sport to play? Some might argue football because of its physical demand; others may say soccer because of its skills and conditioning – the answers will probably vary. But what about the scariest sport?
A popular answer would likely be gymnastics. Certainly, a sport where you seemingly spend half the time upside down is hard to argue against.
Gymnastics requires a lot of courage and mental toughness to compete, since the nature of the sport is to land high flying flips and twists that have very small margins of error. And while a lot of gymnasts seemingly take the mental demand in stride, exuding confidence in their difficult skills and routines, fear and mental blocks often torment these athletes at one point or another.
Many of us first became aware of the psychological demands of gymnastics during the 2021 Summer Olympics when reigning gold medalist Simone Biles famously pulled out of the competition due to a mental block, otherwise known as ‘the twisties.’ These mental blocks are not just reserved for Olympians or the elite; they affect gymnasts at all levels, including the ones here at Ursinus. The school’s current uneven bar record holder Kylie Ruggiero ’26 shared some of her thoughts on the role fear plays for her.
“It can be really frustrating, especially when you know you’re capable of doing a skill, but something holds you back,” Ruggiero said. Recently Ruggiero suffered a fall while attempting a back tuck, which resulted in her landing on her neck. Although she walked away physically unscathed, the incident impaired her mentally. “Ever since then moving backwards has felt unnatural. My body knows how to do the motion, but my mind doesn’t always let me follow through.”
For most other athletes, being afraid to perform the fundamental skills of their sport is not an obstacle they have to face. Yes, athletes of all sports are prone to injuries such as ligament tears, sprains, or concussions, which can be scary. However, most are safe from the more gruesome injuries that occur when gymnasts fall or land awkwardly at a heavy impact. So how do gymnasts manage to perform their skills again after experiencing a scary fall or landing?
“I rely on visualization,” Ruggiero explained. “I picture myself successfully performing the skill until it feels attainable.” She additionally noted that starting back to the basics and taking a skill step by step helps her to gradually regain her confidence to perform it again.
While fear is a difficult obstacle for Ruggiero, it is surprisingly part of the attraction to the sport for her. “I honestly can’t imagine doing any other sport. The adrenaline rush and challenge of gymnastics is unlike anything else, and that’s part of what I love about it.” Although Ruggiero admitted to occasionally being envious of other sports that are less “mentally demanding,” she assures that she appreciates the difficulties gymnastics brings. “It just reminds me how tough and rewarding gymnastics is, and how proud I am to compete at this level.”
It seems from Ruggiero’s perspective, being a gymnast does not mean you have to be fearless, but rather you just have to know how to manage the fear. And although fear causes frustrating mental blocks and can greatly disrupt progress and performance, it is also the reason gymnasts like Ruggerio love the sport in the first place.
“There’s nothing quite like the moment of weightlessness and freedom and the true risk of not knowing what’s going to happen next.”