Kate Torgovnick’s book - Cheer! -  reads like a novel.  I found myself really caring about what happened to the various characters and became invested in their successes.  I felt my heart pounding in anticipation as she recounted the details of each competition and was crushed when things go wrong.   (I won’t reveal what went wrong where….read the book!)

Whether you’re a cheerleader, a cheer coach, or a fan, you will find something to like about this book.

You know what it’s like: you zero in on one cheer routine or one stunt and do it over and over until you get it right.  But sometimes it seems the harder you try, the worse you do! 

Well, there’s a reason for that and it has to do with the science of concentration.  I won’t go into all the technical details here except to say that when you engage in narrow-focus attention for too long (like when you rehearse a cheer move over and over), it literally affects your brain!  

Yep - you see the brain is the master control panel for your mind and body and if you are stuck in narrow focus, this will induce changes in your muscle tension, breathing, and even the flow of neurotransmitters and hormones. 

You see, everything is influenced by how you pay attention. 

Now narrow focus serves a purpose.  It allows you to see and deal with urgent or important situations and so it can be helpful in the short run but if you stick with narrow focus, you’ll be revving up your brain in ways that aren’t healthy, leading to chronic stress problems. 

So, what can you do? You can take mini-vacations or “focus breaks” periodically throughout your cheer practice to offset the negative impact of too much time spent in narrow-objective focus. 

For example, make it a habit to occasionally pause during cheer practice and allow your eyes to gaze at some open space.  The open space can be a big blank wall or a ceiling.  Just take in the largeness of the space. The trick is not to zero in on any one object but to soften your gaze as you take in a sense of background or space. Exhale slowly three times while doing this.  This should not take too much time away from your practice and - you will return to it feeling more relaxed and refreshed. 

When you gently direct your gaze to and imagine feeling space, your brain will respond by changing its electrical activity.  In other words, you will be able to induce alpha waves which are associated with feelings of well-being. 

So, take a mini-break, gaze out a window, at a wall, at a ceiling, or close your eyes and visualize the vast expanse of sky or the ocean.  You’ll feel better and then you’ll be able to return to your cheer practice with the ability to perform at an optimal level. 

In my last posting, I wrote about developing a championship mindset. I emphasized how important it is to be objective in your self-assessment. Below is a handy self-assessment tool, which you can you use either after a practice session or a performance. 

It may be useful for you to see this as an invitation to get to know yourself better. Remember the best performers are eager to learn as much about themselves as possible. 

If you use this self-assessment sheet on a regular basis, you’ll be able to keep track of how you feel, how you perform and how you improve! 

In the future, I will write more about how to manage your anxiety in high stress situations. 

If you would like a pdf of this self-assessment sheet write me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to send one your way. 

AFTER-PERFORMANCE SELF-ASSESSMENT SHEET 

Event: ___________________________________ Date: _________________ 

1. How anxious were you before today’s performance? 

0____    5_____      10____

low      not bad     high 

2. What were the things that caused you stress? 

3. When did you feel most stress…before, during, after? 

4. How did you experience the stress?  In thoughts, feelings, actions? 

5. How did you manage your anxiety?  How effective were you in controlling it using these techniques? 

6. Describe in detail your self-talk.  Remember key words and phrases you used. 

7.  What, if anything, have you learned from this performance that will help you plan for the next one?

Think of some of the best athletes of all time.  Who comes to mind: Gold medal winner, Shawn Johnson?  Tennis stars, Serena and Vanessa Williams?  NASCAR racer, Danica Patrick? Swimming ace, Michael Phelps?  

Well, each of these stars didn’t get to the top alone.  They all had coaches through the years who worked with them, observing their every move and giving them valuable feed-back to improve their performances. 

Do you think any of them ever told their coaches, “Don’t tell me what I’m doing wrong because you’ll hurt my feelings,”? Of course not! 

Having a Championship mind-set means being open to hearing and using feedback that can improve your performance.  It means, seeing feedback as useful, not as a personal attack. 

(Now, it is true that some coaches deliver critiques in a less than helpful manner but generally speaking, a good coach will know how to communicate in a way that is clear, understandable, useful, and respectful.  More on that in later postings!) 

So, hearing feedback as information, not an attack is essential. A champion is eager for feedback because he or she knows that it is valuable information that will make the difference between winning and placing second. 

 In addition to working with your coach, another feature of the Championship mind-set is a strong dedication to continually improving your performance by honestly assessing your performance in practice and in competition. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself (or for the team to do together): 

1. What went well and why?
2. What didn’t go well and why?
3. What do I/we need to change in order to improve?
4. What do I need from my partner or team in order to improve? 

It’s important not to beat up on yourself!  Be as cool-headed as you can be in the self-assessment process.  

Observing your routine on video is hugely useful!  Again, assume an objective stance - it’s information, remember?  

Okay, champions….onward!