Every cheerleading squad has some members who are – well – a bit difficult. They can be a challenge to coach and to manage.  Let’s look at one type today. 

The “Diva” is someone who likes to be in the spotlight.  He (Divo?) or she might be a bit pushy at times.  How to manage such a person? 

It’s useful to remember that the Diva may actually be quite insecure.  Her clamoring for the spotlight reflects her need to be loved and her wish for approval.  Sure it can be annoying but this girl needs reassurance and guidance. A good overall approach is one of frank kindness.   

As a coach I might say something like this to her: “Hey Kathy, you did a great back handspring at practice today.  I want to be sure to acknowledge that.  You are a very important part of the team but at the same time, I’d like to remind you that you are part of the team and sometimes I’ve noticed that you seem to set yourself apart from the rest instead of being a part of the rest.  Do you understand what I’m getting at?  Let’s talk about how we can resolve this.  I worry sometimes that your behavior puts you at risk for being disliked by the other girls.  Let’s figure out how we can avoid that from happening.” 

Another technique is to ask Kathy to help out another cheerleader who might be struggling.  Give Kathy a task that will feed her need to be important while also helping the team.  This will help prevent Kathy from being ostracized for being such a Diva…it gets her more integrated with the team. It also redirects her attention from herself to another. 

How do you handle the Diva?  Please share your secrets!

For some cheerleading squads, January means it’s time for the mid-season blahs. Perhaps some of the excitement of the cheer season has waned and fatigue and complacency have set in. 

A good coach will be tuned in to his or her squad’s mental and physical states.  Along with complacency comes increased distractibility and with that come falls and injuries.  It’s always critical to keep the team focused on the task at hand – especially during the mid-season blahs. 

Cheer coaches might want to be on the look-out for their athletes’ motivation and enthusiasm levels decreasing.  Typical signs are: cheerleaders finding it harder to get to practice on time; chatting more and focusing less on practice; and there may be a lethargy that seeps in to the practice sessions; finally, there may be increased irritability and more complaining and whining. 

What to do?  Get them involved.  You can start off the year with a chart that keeps track of things like motivation, energy level, enthusiasm, focus, etc.  So on a scale of 1 – 10 (with 1 = very low and 10 being wow! Super high) ask each cheerleader to rate herself on these dimensions. Plot it out on a simple graph so they can see when they are slumping. 

If they are involved with monitoring their mood and energy, etc. from the beginning, they will be more attuned to these dimensions and be more likely to be open to discussing what to do about it.  Even very young children can learn how to assess their energy and spirit.  Coaches can engage the team in a frank discussion about what to do about slumping energy.  The team involvement is a key to success.

What do you do to keep your squad motivated?  Please share your secrets!

Here’s a video clip from the movie – Holiday Inn – an old film where Bing Crosby sings, for the first time ever, the popular Christmas song – White Christmas. If you’re at all sentimental, you’ll enjoy old Bing’s rendition in this classic movie.

And I would like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and if you don’t celebrate this holiday, I hope you can soak up some of the excitement and joy that this season brings.

Warm wishes to you all.

Inside Cheerleading Magazine recently announced that Shawn Johnson, the 2008 Olympic gymnast America fell in love with, is joining the magazine’s roster of writers and contributors.  Shawn will make her Inside Cheerleading debut in the January/February 2010 issue with her column, “Shawn Says.” 

In addition to her column, Shawn will periodically contribute to the workout, training, fashion and lifestyle segments within the magazine.  Also – and this is VERY exciting – the magazine will run several promotions in which subscribers will have the opportunity to win a prize package that includes lunch with the celebrated gymnast and the Inside Cheerleading editorial team! 

After the Olympic Games, Shawn had several opportunities to become involved with cheerleading and she said, “I loved every one of those events.” She went on to say, “…when I saw the passion, the excitement, and the spirit of cheerleaders coast to coast, I was so impressed – not to mention how fun it is! I’m really looking forward to joining Inside Cheerleading and interacting with the readers!” 

As a regular contributor to Inside Cheerleading Magazine (see my Mind Games column in each issue), I am pleased and proud to welcome Shawn Johnson to the team!

Cheerleaders, cheer coaches, and cheer parents – are you looking for a last minute Christmas gift?  This may be just the gift you’re looking for!

To celebrate the holiday season,  I am offering each of my training programs for $20 less than the normal investment of $67. That’s right…instead of $67, you only pay $47! (Please note: when you click on the info about the products, the price will say “$67″ but the price on the order page will reflect the holiday discount.)

And – as an extra special bonus, I will offer a complimentary telephone coaching session to anyone who invests in either of these programs! Simply let me know you have purchased a program and we will arrange a time to talk about anything related to the mental game of cheerleading!

This special offer is good until December 31, 2009!

Here are the 2 programs:

The first program is The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions. This is a comprehensive step-by-step mental skills training program to maximize success in cheerleading competitions.

This 2-CD audio program plus 40-page Action Guide provide you with everything you need to break through barriers, immediately improve concentration, eliminate distractions, and transform your performance.

This program will change forever the way you practice and prepare for competitions. For more information please go to the Products section of this blog or http://www.confidentcheerleading.com/competitions/.

The other program is The Mental Game of Competition: Training for Tryouts! This is a complete mental skills training system that will maximize your success on tryout day. It is a 2-CD audio program plus a 54 page Action Guide loaded with practical information and worksheets – all designed to help you get on the team you want!

Please see the Products page on this blog or go to http://confidentcheerleading.com/competitions/Tryouts-Product.html 

In my last post I wrote about sore losers - cheerleaders cheer coaches and cheer parents who respond negatively (and loudly – in some cases) to not placing first in a cheerleading competition. 

This behavior has led some people to ask: “whatever happened to good sportsmanship?”   Good question! 

While it is natural and understandable to feel sad, frustrated, or disheartened when you do not place in the top tier, this is no excuse for unseemly behavior.  Honor your feelings of disappointment by accepting them and then – and this is important – step back and try to determine what you could have done differently in order to win.  

You may not be able to do this right away…wait a while and then debrief with your team at a point when you can all be more objective; when you are in a growth and learning mode. 

A true champion exhibits grace and class under pressure.  I was watching “The Sing Off” on NBC this week and each show one of the singing groups was voted off the show.  Each of the groups who was asked to leave did so graciously.  Some cried but they accepted their fate with poise and style.  They took the high road. 

You will never regret taking the high road.  And when you do, you will be a real winner!

Everyone wants to place first in a cheerleading competition, of course, but only one team will place first in a given category. How do you handle coming in second or third or…last?

I have heard from some people who attend many competitions, that they have witnessed poor sportsmanship at cheerleading competitions. They have seen things such as: parents who scream at the judges; coaches who have a “hissy fit,” and entire teams who refuse to show up for the awards ceremony because they did not place first.

For a sport which prides itself on instilling positive values, this behavior is simply unacceptable!

What might prompt such behavior? Here are some thoughts:

1. Some coaches/parents/cheerleaders may believe the judges were unfair in their assessment. Is it possible that a judge might be biased? Or course it’s possible but judges pride themselves on being fair. Plus, judges see things that other observers do not. And the reason there is more than one judge is to prevent bias from entering into the decision.

2. Some cheer gyms attract new students based on winning championships so there is a lot riding on winning.

3. Cheer coaches work hard and typically get paid very little; their “pay” is the delight in winning and when that does not happen, it hurts which can lead to a dramatic expression of their unhappiness.

4. Parents devote a good chunk of money plus time and love into their kids’ cheerleading efforts. They want to see results which, to some, mean winning! Also, some parents may live through their kids a bit too much!

5. Some parents are, frankly, over-protective of their kids. They are reluctant to allow their kids to “fail” at anything.

6. Some kids have never experienced not winning. In a misguided attempt to “build self esteem,” parents and some schools provide an atmosphere which makes it impossible for a child to not succeed. Instead of winners and losers, everyone is deemed a winner. Don’t think the kids don’t know the score! They see right through it and end up feeling worse. This flies in the face of reality and is ultimately not helpful to anyone.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Please write and voice your opinions. And stay tuned for my next post with more on this subject.

Cheerleaders, like all athletes, need mental toughness to succeed. The phrase “mental toughness” however, seems to lack precision and clarity.  I have written about mental toughness many times in this blog and I recently came across an article in Coach and Athletic Director Magazine (May 2006) which I thought you might find interesting.

The article offers a definition of mental toughness: “Mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

• Generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, and lifestyle) that sport places on a performer.

• Specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure.

(This is from an article from the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, written by G. Jones, S. Hanton, and D. Connaughton.)

In 2006 two other  researchers conducted a study among 22 NCAA coaches. The data showed that the following components were fundamental to the definition of mental toughness:

1. Having an unshakable self-belief in the unique qualities and abilities that make you better than your opponents.

2. Strength: You have to be in good physical and mental condition.  You must be psychologically and emotionally prepared.

3. Having an unshakable self-belief in your ability to achieve your competition goals.

4. Have conviction: You have to be a little bit stubborn.

5. Regaining psychological control following unexpected, uncontrollable events (competition specific).

6. Have a strong will to succeed: Don’t let setbacks stop you from achieving your goal.

7. Remaining fully focused on the task at hand in the face of competition-specific distractions.

8. Be consistent: Recognize and adjust to change so that you are always able to make a contribution to your team.

9.  Not being adversely affected by others’ good and bad performances.

10. Be competitive: It’s not just about beating your opponent.  You have to internalize competitiveness and take pride in what you do.

11. Switching a sport focus on and off as required.

12. Personal management: Don’t duck potential problems; take on the problems directly to prevent small problems from building into bigger problems.

13. Thriving on the pressure of competition.     

14. Take the right approach: Always be ready to play.

15. Accepting that competition anxiety is inevitable and knowing that you can cope with it.

16. Have passion for what you do.

17. Having an insatiable desire and internalized motives to succeed.

18. Bouncing back from performance setbacks as a result of increased determination to succeed.

19. Remaining fully focused in the face of personal life distractions.

20. Pushing back the boundaries of physical and emotional pain, while still maintaining technique and effort under distress (in training and competition).

 What do you think?  Do you think you have these qualities?  Do you think they are relevant for cheerleading?