The 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships showcased the razor-thin margins that define elite competition. In a sport where tenths of a point separate champions from contenders, Oklahoma claimed the national title, followed closely by UCLA—just missing the podium but delivering standout routines that reflected their resilience and team culture. Programs like UCLA demonstrated how calm, confidence, and culture are pivotal in high-stakes moments. We spoke to UCLA coach Janelle McDonald about how mindset and confidence are the key to high-pressure performances.
Building Calm: Inside UCLA’s Mindset Training
McDonald spent the season emphasizing composure and consistency—not just under pressure, but as a way of life. This was apparent in the championships, her athletes train their minds as intently as their bodies. “We welcome all of the feelings and nerves that may come your way during a big moment,” McDonald says. “It shows how invested you are…I encourage them to trust their training, believe in what they and their teammates can achieve, and then approach each moment with intention and confidence.”
This intentionality includes breathing exercises, mindset work, and focusing on “controllables.” These are the things within our control that anchor our performance. Other top programs share that belief. “There was no doubt in our mind that we weren't going to make it,” said University of Utah gymnast, Amelie Morgan, “We knew we are that good, and I think that’s what carried us through.”
That kind of confidence doesn’t come from hype. For McDonald, it’s built through everyday intentionality. “When you approach your goals with intention, each step becomes a building block,” she says. “The journey becomes more rewarding, and ultimately, more successful.”
This paid off, as UCLA delivered one of its strongest team performances in recent history, finishing second overall with a 197.6125. Standout routines from Olympians Jordan Chiles, Emma Malabuyo, and Brooklyn Moors, along with consistent depth across all four events, highlighted the team’s mental and physical preparation. Their calm under pressure wasn’t just a philosophy—it translated into clean landings, clutch routines, and a historic finish for the program.
“We welcome all of the feelings and nerves that may come your way during a big moment. It shows how invested you are. I encourage them to trust their training, believe in what they and their teammates can achieve, and then approach each moment with intention and confidence. ”
Calm When It Matters Most
One of the most powerful moments of the NCAA gymnastics championships came from Mizzou gymnast Helen Hu, who described the feeling of going up for her beam routine with everything on the line. "I just go in, this is my beam routine, whether we need it or we don’t, I’m going to go up and do what I always do," Hu said in an interview with ESPN. "And so I really had no idea what the situation was. And when we circled up and said, 'Whether or not we make it, we can be proud of what we did today.'”
Hu’s calmness under this pressure demonstrated the mental toughness needed to stand out against elite competition. “I believed we could do it, but I also knew it took a lot of little things for it to happen on this day for us. And so yeah, [I felt] shock, joy, excitement, all the things, crying," Hu added.
McDonald believes that welcoming nerves rather than fighting them is key to staying composed in clutch moments. Her athletes are trained to anchor their minds on their training and technical execution, not the stakes of the meet itself. "Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re information," McDonald says. "If we stay curious and ask the right questions, the growth will come. The quicker I move on from a mistake, the quicker my athletes do, too."
Lasting Lessons: Beyond the Score
While the Bruins’ performances earned national recognition, McDonald says the true victory lies beyond medals or rankings. It’s about building strong, resilient young women who understand how to tackle big goals—inside the gym and far beyond it.
"When you set big goals, are willing to work hard for it, and believe it, great things can happen," McDonald says. "The relationships that are built when you work hard and accomplish goals together—that's what makes this so special."
For UCLA, the 2025 season will be remembered not just for the routines or scores, but for the mindset they built—and for the calm confidence they’ll carry with them long after the final salute.
