If you’ve seen a nightclub or stage hypnotist, you might think that a hypnotist can take control of your mind and make you do things that you would rather forget!    Well, that is not true.  You cannot be hypnotized unless you want to and you can’t be made to do anything that is normally objectionable to you. 

You night think that if you are hypnotized, you might reveal something that you would rather not.  This is also not true! Read the rest of this entry »

This site is filled with articles about the mental game of cheerleading.  As a mental game coach, I know that you can improve your performance through mental training techniques such as identifying and changing negative thinking; setting appropriate goals; arousal control; focusing and calming strategies; and imagery and visualization.  It makes sense that I would also advocate another mental approach and that is hypnosis.  Read the rest of this entry »

Mention the word “hypnosis” and some people imagine a sleazy stage hypnotist getting a group of otherwise mature adults to hop on one foot and quack like a bunch of ducks! 

Actually, hypnosis as a medical and psychological intervention has been around for a long time and it is considered an excellent treatment for all types of problems from reducing the impact of cancer treatment to curing insomnia.  Sport psychologists also use hypnosis to help athletes perform at an optimal level.  

As a trained hypnotherapist, I have had the pleasure of seeing the effectiveness of hypnosis and thought I would write about it for this blog. Read the rest of this entry »

Yep, that’s right.  Coaches can play a big role in fostering moral development in their cheerleaders.  How?  Well, it may be easier than you think and you’re probably doing it already! 

Performance excellence in cheerleading requires the consistent control of body, mind, and spirit.  This means developing good habits such as attending practices on time, listening attentively to the coach, attending to the rules, practicing diligently, and being a team player.  Read the rest of this entry »

I am always reading books and articles on sport psychology.  Some are pretty technical and scientific and others are just good, fun, and informative.  A book I’m reading now is one that I would recommend to parents.  It’s not about cheerleading and as a matter of fact, cheerleading is not mentioned once in the whole book but it is still worth your time. 

The book is called – “Whose game is it, anyway?” and it is written by 2 of my colleagues at Harvard Medical School – Richard Ginsburg and Stephen Durant and Amy Baltzell, a professor at Boston University. 

The authors describe it as “a guide to helping your child get the most from sports, organized by age and stage.”  The book provides detailed information, based on child development research, about what skill sets you can expect from your child depending on the age of the child.  

The first section is called, “Knowing your child athlete” and  looks at child development and sports participation  from the Early Years (Ages 1 – 5) through Young Adulthood (Ages 19 and up).  

Part Two is entitled, “Pitfalls and Possibilities in Sports” and deals with such topics as “Should we push our children? How Much?” and “Quitting, Burning Out, and Moving On.” 

The book is easy and fun to read and provides many valuable insights for parents.  I recommend it!

By the way, if you are on Facebook (and who isn’t!) please join my Confident Cheerleading Center page. If you do, you can get lots of free stuff – questionnaires, worksheets, all designed to help you become a better coach and athlete!

If you’re a cheerleading coach, you are always giving feedback to your athletes.  Chances are, unless you’ve gotten specialized training, the way you deliver feedback is similar to the way your coach gave you feedback. 

It may seem simple.  A cheerleader attempts to execute a toe touch and fails.  What do you do?   Read the rest of this entry »

When a cheerleader experiences anxiety in relation to executing a specific skill, there is a tendency to avoid it.  This is pretty natural – we all tend to want to avoid something that makes us uncomfortable.  The problem with this is that it works – meaning that each time we avoid something, our anxiety diminishes and thus we reinforce that avoidance behavior.  Read the rest of this entry »

Reality is tough.  Not every girl who tries out for a cheerleading team is accepted.  When you are a young teenager and this happens, it can seem like the end of the world.  I recently received a message from a girl who had just been rejected from her high school cheer squad.  She was desperately unhappy.  This is how I responded to her. (Some info has been altered to protect confidentiality.) Read the rest of this entry »

How do you build a successful, cohesive cheerleading team?  What are the elements you would put in place?  Sometimes cheerleading coaches are busy juggling so many responsibilities that they don’t take the time to consider this challenge.  Read the rest of this entry »

Are you interested in becoming part of Inside Cheerleading Magazine’s  Annual All Star All American team? 

Inside Cheerleading needs outstanding male and female stand-out athletes, who not only are great cheerleaders, but have a great personality, great grades, and of course, are strong leaders!  Read the rest of this entry »