Following the LSU gymnastics team’s 197.950-197.425 win against Florida on Feb. 20, gymnasts and coaches referred to “sharpening the blade.”
“You can look at this in a lot of ways,” said associate head coach Jay Clark. “Basically, sharpening your blade is like taking another step up the ladder. This is dress rehearsal for what is to come in the postseason, which we hope is a national championship type of run. Qualifying for regionals, then qualifying out and moving on. Keep climbing. These meets are designed to sharpen your blade.”
Sharpening blades is a way LSU expresses progress as a team. The Tigers use the metaphor to signify development in their technique, style, team chemistry and preparation.
LSU coach D-D Breaux explained different reasons why the Tigers are developing into the team that she believes they can be. She said she uses positive reinforcement to help her gymnasts focus on landings.
“We stressed this without saying ‘You got to stick it’,” Breaux said. “We cannot tell these kids ‘You got to stick, you got to stick,’ then they will start to believe that we don’t think they can.”
Senior all-arounder Rheagan Courville said the Tigers become sharper during their preparation for competition. LSU spends time in the film room watching its performances in effort to address its minor mistakes.
Courville and Clark said they believe the Tigers don’t need to make any major changes, but adjusting slight flaws may be crucial for LSU to end the season the way it hopes to.
“[We’re] preparing to use the blade, sharpen it, get better every week,” Clark said. “Iron out those little wrinkles that are in your gymnastics — continue to improve. That is the metaphor. Every single meet, every routine — we are just sharpening our blade to get a little bit better.”
The Tigers have found that their team chemistry is a crucial aspect of continuing its success. LSU allots a period of time every week to develop its team culture.
“They are very invested in one another,” Clark said. “We put a lot of time and effort into our team chemistry. When you do that, there is a shared sort of pressure, a shared obligation to compete for one another. They compete for a purpose instead of competing for themselves.”
Clark said he believes the Tigers have been in the process of sharpening their blades for three years. The strong senior class this season has provided a good deal of experience, while relying on younger performers during the season.
The Tigers have had a taste of how much time and effort it takes to become a national championship contender, and they believe sharpening the blade will help them reach their ultimate goal.
“If you don’t believe you can win, then you won’t win,” Clark said. “That is the hardest part. We definitely believe we can win. We have quality experience over quantity experience. We have seen success. We know what it takes.”
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter @CBoutwell_TDR.