LSU has previously been regarded as “one of the best teams to have never won a national championship,” but last year, the Tigers made history by winning their first national title in the 49 years of the program’s existence. The new question is, can they repeat?
Each year, teams experience a multitude of changes, whether this be losing experienced seniors, managing athletes who have been injured or are making their comeback, or having some who are exploring new opportunities and transferring to a new program. These potential losses, no matter how big or small, definitely impact the team, but they are also coupled with the arrival of new faces who are ready and excited to finally be a part of a collegiate team.
LSU is no exception to the ebbs and flows each team experiences with a new year and, arguably, had even more of a challenge coming into the 2025 season. Coming into another year following one that meant so much and adjusting to a new team dynamic, is both challenging and exciting. The team is losing people who contributed to this accomplishment in a major way but is also gaining new athletes who are trying to find their place in a tight-knit, quite literally, historic team.
Entering the year, every athlete has to be on the same page, regardless of whether each was a part of this previous team or is the newest addition. With a new year and a new team comes a new mentality, and reflecting solely on the accomplishments of the past is not ideal when looking toward the future. Jay Clark, in his fifth season as head coach for the LSU Tigers, spoke to how the team set themselves up for success, from the first practice to the final huddle of the national championships. Speaking on the 2025 season, Clark said, “Our focus has never been about a repeat. That was last year’s team that accomplished that. This is a new season and a new team, and that’s the way that we approach it.”
Sustaining a fourteen-meet season thus far leading to the final competitions of the year takes a toll on gymnasts physically, but equally on their minds. Making this mental health and prep work a priority throughout the season has greatly contributed to LSU’s success. “We spend a lot of time identifying what our message is going to be in the preseason because that is what dictates our outlook and approach to training and competition throughout the year,” shared Clark. The year of the national championship win, the Tigers focused on “the climb” to this goal, and now the message has shifted to “protecting the crown” and protecting the legacy of the program after this win. Throughout the season leading up to competitions, Clark shared additional resources the team uses to be at their peak when the time comes like using sports psychologists.
Having the same mentality throughout the team, and doing everything for the team, makes all the difference heading into the months coming. Ensuring the team is at its best mentally, outside of the gym, is crucial to the energy it brings each day. Being in the right headspace in other facets of life also heavily contributes to performance, and preparing the gymnasts to stay grounded, have clarity during competition, and foster a sense of unity while competing is just as significant to creating this success. Clark explained, “We try to create scenarios in the gym that are designed for them to learn how to depend on each other. These are just some of the things that we do to help sharpen their mental approach so that they are equipped to handle any scenario that may come their way.” This preparation was evident last year in the final rotation of nationals in how these athletes were able to lean on one another, trust themselves in their training as one, and create one of the most iconic moments in NCAA history with the team’s finish.
Preparing athletes for the many what-ifs of competition is only half the battle. For teams like LSU, teams that are well-known, who have strong social media presences, and big followings, these athletes have to be mentally tough enough to deal with outside noise they may face, even if it has nothing to do with gymnastics. “We talk all the time about staying present with the five minutes in front of our face and blocking out any external noises,” said Clark. “We learn how to listen to one another and the voices inside of our building instead of the outside world. It’s difficult, especially in today’s world … but we do the best that we can to teach them the value in insulating themselves from those things.”
Fans often hold athletes to high, sometimes unforgiving standards, and expect so much from gymnasts they have never even met. They may criticize not only a gymnast’s routine but also make comments about uncontrollable aspects like a gymnast’s appearance. It’s easy to forget these are real people, with real feelings, who are just doing a sport that they love and fulfilling lifelong goals. Understanding when it’s time to tune out the external and focus on the internal in competition is an important part of LSU’s preparation.
Heading into this final meet weekend of the year, the question prevails: Can LSU go back-to-back? LSU has continued to be strong and maintain a high pace all year, and the approach for the Tigers has stayed the same as it has since January. “We understand that the level of competition increases as we move through any tournament bracket. We’ve been battle-tested, and the SEC championship was a great example of that…, but our team has bought in and we are maintaining our same approach, said Clark. “The destination is not the definition for us. It’s how we go about getting there that will define who we are.”
READ THIS NEXT: TWU Defines Its Legacy With 13th National Title at Reimagined Championship
Article by Julianna Roland
