The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Learning a Back Handspring
This video demonstrates how to do a back handspring. Viewing it has been helpful to some cheerleaders. Here’s a technique from sports psychology to make it even more helpful! (But please…if you’ve never done this before, be safe and work with a coach and a spotter!)
Step 1: As you watch the video, observe the cheerleader intensely and begin to imagine how her body feels as she moves through the routine. Also, imagine how she feels emotionally and how focused she is. Notice every detail. Repeat this several times.
Step 2: View the video again and this time, as you observe the cheerleader carefully, imagine that you are feeling what the cheerleader is feeling (body and mind). Repeat several times.
Step 3: Now, with your mind’s eye, see yourself and feel yourself performing the back handspring. Really feel every detail.
Step 4: Making sure you are using a mat, get in position to begin the back handspring. Take a moment, exhale slowly to get focused and with your mind’s eye, see yourself performing the back handspring perfectly. Now you’re ready to do it!
By doing the above you will have enhanced the learning process by creating connections in your brain. Yep, that’s right. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between visualizing a routine and actually performing it! To your brain, it is one and the same therefore; you can begin to build those important brain maps just by visualizing whatever new stunt or routine you want to learn!
Tags: back handspring, cheerleader, cheerleaders, Cheerleading, mental game, Sports psychology, Visualization
October 23rd, 2010 at 2:04 pm
how do you get more confidence for doing a back handspring i can do it with the tiniest spot and im scared i just wont do it by myself and i dont know why ive been working on it for a year so i dont know what to do i also have alot of pressure on me right now from myself, my parents and my coach if i dont get alot of my tumbling i will get kicked off the team.
October 24th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Hi Ellie,
Thanks for writing! I just sent you a long personal email with some ideas how to resolve your problem. If you have had really good training thus far and are secure in knowing you have perfected all your basic skills, then you can try my suggestions which include identifying and changing the negative stories you are creating, calming the body so you can focus clearly, and using visualizations to traing your brain and body to perform in the way you want! Please let me know how it goes, ok?
Thanks.
Dr. Pam