Champion athletes know that winning is the science of being totally prepared.  For cheerleaders who want to ace a competition, here is a technique called the Enders Practice Routine. 

It’s based on a psychological learning theory called classical conditioning. The technique helps you to train your mind and body to respond in the way you wish. Each time you practice this you will be building the brain you want. 

Here’s how it works. You begin with a relaxation exercise and then you say your “power word” to yourself to connect yourself to your ideal performance state. And then you begin to practice. 

(A power word is a word or phrase that connects to the way you want to feel during competition.  It should be meaningful to you. It can be something like “focused,” or “confident” or “doing it” - whatever works for you.) 

Let’s say you are working on your tumbling; you would exhale slowly, call up your power word, and when you feel really focused, then and only then, begin to practice. As soon as you feel yourself getting distracted, stop everything! Then go back to your breathing, get focused using your power word, and then resume practice. Repeat. 

Each time you get distracted, stop and repeat the breathing, power word, and focusing. You only rehearse or practice while you are in this positive mental space. This way, you are training yourself to only perform while you are in this ideal state and when you reach the actual performance situation, you’ll be in great shape! 

Obviously this requires patience on your part.  The temptation will be to rush ahead and just practice in the same old way but please - give this a try and you will reap the benefits! 

ENDERS PRACTICE ROUTINE  

1. Begin with relaxation exercise - exhale slowly several times

2. Once relaxed, connect with your Ideal Performance State

3. Say power word/phrase to yourself

4. Once firmly in “positive space” begin to practice

5. As soon as you notice you are leaving positive space, STOP EVERYTHING, then re-connect with positive space.

6. Once firmly in positive space again, repeat power word/phrase and resume your work.

7. Practice ONLY in positive space.

8. Important to strengthen association between positive space and practice.

9. At time of performance, exhale slowly three times and repeat power word/phrase to get back into positive space.

As the author of 2 mental game training programs for cheerleaders, I am always eager to get feedback about the programs.  So, I am thrilled that Valerie Ninemire, one of the cheerleading industry’s most respected experts, wrote a review about my competition program. 

Valerie is well known for her website - About.com. Cheerleading - which is loaded with all sorts of valuable information for cheerleaders, cheer coaches, and everyone in the cheer industry. Also, Valerie is the editor of the highly esteemed Cheer Coach & Advisor Magazine.

Here is some of what Valerie said: 

The Bottom Line 

I believe that the key to using “The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions” is to realize that our mind controls a lot of what happens with our bodies. Whether it’s fear or anxiety; mental blocks or low self confidence; what we think affects how we act and more importantly how we perform. If your goal is to be successful in the sport of cheerleading, you have to understand how much the mental aspect contributes to the outcome. And these are the reasons I highly recommend this program to all cheerleaders and coaches. 

I was totally impressed with this 2-CD program which provides you “with everything you need to break through barriers, immediately improve concentration, eliminate distractions, and transform your performance.” 

Written and presented by Pamela Enders, PhD., a peak performance psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, these CDs help you learn to make your body do what you want it to do, relieve tension, reach your potential and break through fears and negative thinking. 

Keeping in mind that some say 50-90% of success in high level sports is attributed to mental factors, the importance of winning the mental game in cheerleading can not be stressed enough. Whether you’re a coach or a cheerleader, I strongly believe this program will help you reach your peak performance level. Available either as an instant download (MP3) or as a mailed CD program, “The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions” is an investment in yourself. 

To read the full review, please go to this link: http://cheerleading.about.com/od/cheershopping/gr/Mental_Game_Competitions.htm

You say you want to place first at your cheerleading competition? How hard are you willing to work for it? 

Successful athletes are single-minded in their focus and have crystal clear goals and expectations. This clarity helps them keep track of their progress and ensures they will reach their goals. 

Since I assume you, too, want to be a successful athlete, here are some questions for you to help you organize your thoughts and create a winning plan. Remember - the more specific and detailed your plan, the better it will help you succeed. 

And yes, this takes a bit of time and patience but a true champion is willing to do the work in order to win! 

1. Can you envision your cheerleading goal? Can you describe it in detail? Good! Go ahead and write it in here and be specific! 

2. What are the benefits or rewards you will gain by pursuing your goal?

3. What are the costs? (Such as time, money, forgoing other activities.)

4. What might get in your way? What challenges might you encounter?

5. How can you deal with these challenges? Who might help?

6. What specific steps do you need to take to reach your goal? 

7. How will you be accountable? Who else will know if you follow through with your plan?

8. In the space below, write in the times during a typical week that you will devote to working on your goal. Include time for practice with your team and alone  

Mondays:___________________________________________________

Tuesdays:___________________________________________________

Wednesdays:________________________________________________

Thursdays:__________________________________________________

Fridays:____________________________________________________

Week-ends:_________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

To succeed at cheerleading competitions, you need to think and act like a champion. 

The best cheerleaders are willing to evaluate every aspect of their performance.  A champion does so in an objective way, almost as if he or she is observing someone else in order to gain information. The more you learn about yourself the more information you have that will enable you to improve your performance. 

Performance Questions: 

Take a few moments and think about your current level of performance. Answer the following questions as honestly and fully as you can. If you are unsure how to respond, leave blank and return to this later on.  

• 1. What’s working well for you now?
• 2. How can you make it even better?
• 3. What’s not working well for you now?
• 4. If you were performing at your absolute best, what would be different about that compared to how you perform now?
•  5. What would you look like and feel like if you were performing at your absolute best?
•  6.What are your thoughts when you are performing at your absolute best?
•  7. What are your thoughts when you are not performing well? 

Very good!  Thanks for answering these questions. You are beginning to get to know your performing-self better - an important first step in becoming a better performer!

That’s right - cheerleading and regular physical activity in general contributes to enjoying a healthy, strong, and fulfilled life. 

The Women’s Sports Foundation has reviewed all of the existing research on the links between sports and physical activity and the health and well-being of American girls and women.  The new report includes the following:

• Research affirms that engagement in moderate and consistent levels of physical activity and sport for girls and women is essential to good health and well-being.
• Although more research needs to be done, early studies examining the connections between physical activity and academic achievement show there is a positive relationship between the two in girls and women.
• Emerging research in prevention and training practices show that gender-conscious approaches to physical training and conditioning for female athletes help to reduce the likelihood of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and concussions.

As if that weren’t good enough, their research also shows:

• Breast Cancer Risk: Based on the findings from 23 studies examining the effect of moderate and vigorous physical activity during adolescence on cancer risk, those who had the highest physical activity during adolescence and young adulthood were 20% less likely to get breast cancer later in life.
• Osteoporosis: A study following pre-pubertal 10-year-old girls for 20 months found that an exercise program (engaged in three times a week for 12 minutes per session) led to an increase in bone mass.  This result was not found for the girls who did not participate in the exercise program.
• Educational Gains: Females who participated in high school sports were more likely to complete college than those who did not participate in sports.

Thanks to Greg Webb of the Organization for Spirit Industry Providers (OSIP) for sending this information to OSIP members.

Entirely Cheer is the name of the new online cheerleading magazine produced by cheerleading experts Debbie Bracewell and Anne Gorman.  It is free! 

The magazine is produced in a very cool format which appears right on your computer screen and which allows you to flip the pages like a book as you read the articles. Debbie and Anne plan to reach all areas of cheerleading - nationally and internationally! 

Their goal is to bring in-depth training material that will help coaches and cheerleaders. Because it’s online, articles can be lengthier than they would be in a print publication plus it is possible to add hyperlinks, videos and audios for a more interactive experience. 

I am pleased to be part of the inaugural issue.  I wrote two articles for this issue - one is an introduction to sport psychology for cheerleading and the other is about the mid-year slump and how to get refreshed and revitalized for the new year. 

I encourage you to subscribe to the magazine which will come out every two months. Remember - it costs you nothing! 

Go to http://www.entirelycheer.com

Cheerleading coaches must work with a range of personalities.  This is fourth in a series of articles on this topic.  Today we look at the Overachiever - the person who lives at the gym, who hides or works through injuries because s/he does not want to miss practice or working out, and who is a perfectionist. 

This cheerleader type may be looking for approval and love (which may suggest that it is not happening at home). You can encourage the cheerleader to engage in other activities while setting a limit on gym time. 

The best approach is a gentle one; don’t be judgmental or too quick to set strict limits.  A friendly conversation about establishing a training schedule that is reasonable or that gradually decreases the amount of time spent at the gym is best. You can also try writing a “contract” with the Overachiever’s input and asking the cheerleader to sign it (if the training is extreme). 

Hiding or working through injuries is serious, obviously.  Letting the whole team know that doing so is NOT heroic but is, frankly, dangerous and puts the whole team in jeopardy would be a good idea (these are discussions that should happen at the start of the season and periodically throughout the year). 

In terms of perfectionism, I would ask him/her to come up with a list of 10 famous athletes and find out if they never ever made a mistake.  Of course, she/he will discover that the best athletes failed many times but the difference is their attitude about mistakes and set-backs, i.e., that they view them dispassionately and as opportunities to learn and improve their skills.

Cheerleading coaches should be paid well for their hard work and their ability to manage a range of personality types. 

Most cheerleaders are effusively extraverted but occasionally you might come across a cheerleader who is shy, quiet, and who seems to fade into the background. 

I would recommend giving Shy Sally a job to do (taking attendance, over-seeing the equipment, etc.).  Wallflowers are shy and insecure and also may be depressed.  They feel invisible and contribute to this feeling by becoming invisible!  By giving her a task to do, a coach can help build her confidence and her visibility. Shy Sally can also get to know the coach better and perhaps some of the coach’s attention and affection will also boost her sense of self.