Most cheerleading coaches know the importance of establishing goals for their cheerleaders as individuals and as a team.  Typically these goals focus on improving cheerleading skills or physical conditioning.  These are certainly important but I encourage you to include mental game goals as well. 

Part of the joy of coaching is seeing your cheerleaders grow as athletes and as individuals.  You can enhance this process by teaching your squad some simple mental game techniques.  These techniques are valuable not only for cheerleading, but for life! 

Here are a few you can easily incorporate: 

• Maintaining a positive attitude
• Focus on present, not past
• Leaving distracting thoughts outside the gym
• Identify and change negative thinking
• Using more positive self-talk
• Be realistic in self expectations
• Change focus when you get frustrated
• Notice when your mind wanders from task at hand
• Think about what you can control
• See yourself performing well
• Think process not results
• Focus on strengths 

This is how it could work. 

1. Cheerleaders select goals from the above list.
2. To keep track of progress, choose a number that reflects current level of competence for each skill with 1 representing the least competence (weak) and 5 being the most competence (strong).
3. Each week or month, cheerleaders rate themselves again
4. The goal is to move that number to a higher level
5. Note where the most work is needed and focus on that!

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Fear of failure is not uncommon in cheerleaders, as I mentioned in my previous posting.  Excessive concern about making mistakes and perceived pressure to be perfect are associated with fear of failure.  It can be a problem in that it may lead to sub-optimal performance, avoidance behavior and mental blocks. 

What contributes to this dilemma? 

Well first is the cheerleader’s basic temperament and personality style but then we need to consider the coach and the parents. A good coach wants his or her athletes to excel.  A good parent wants his or her child to succeed.  But how this is communicated can make all the difference between a cheerleader who has fun while learning and one who agonizes over every mishap. 

A sport environment is an evaluative environment.   The athlete is a learner who must be open to instruction and coaching.  Ideally a cheerleader has or develops what I call a championship mind-set which means being open to learning, eager for feedback, and maintaining a perspective that every set-back and mistake is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow and improve. (This is a life skill, too!) 

Coaches and parents can nurture a championship mind-set or they can interfere with it. If the egos of the coach and/or parent are too closely intertwined with the success of the cheerleader, objectivity can suffer and emotions may run high. 

If a coach/parent gets unduly upset when an cheerleader makes a mistake, this communicates to the athlete that mistakes are not ok, that they are a problem and are to be avoided.  Patience and a sense of humor plus a championship mind-set on the part of the parents/coaches go a long way toward creating a healthy learning atmosphere. 

Let’s not forget that this sport of cheerleading is supposed to be fun! 

It is good to set high standards and strive for excellence in sport performance and it is imperative that coaches and parents never put down the cheerleader’s efforts, performance, and self worth when the results are imperfect. 

To an athlete, the reactions and words of a parent and/or coach carry enormous weight.  If coaches/parents pressure athletes (especially young beginners) to perform perfectly, to avoid mistakes, and to meet high (perhaps unrealistic) expectations, and if they criticize the athlete when he or she fails to meet those expectations, all this contributes to the athletes’ fear of failure. 

Fostering a good work ethic with clearly defined and realistically high expectations, encouraging healthy team relationships, nurturing a spirit of curiosity and openness to learning where mistakes are gifts and not demons are all ways to contribute to the development of a happy, healthy cheerleader.

I’ve heard many cheerleading coaches use the term “perfectionist” when describing a (usually anxious) cheerleader.  And just the other day a cheerleader wrote to me and said she was a perfectionist.  Before that, a cheer mom told me her daughter was a perfectionist. 

Ok, so what exactly is a perfectionist and is it really a problem?  Turns out this is a more complex dilemma than you would think! 

Now I admit that psychologists can be good at making things more complicated than they need to be but in this case, the research makes sense.  Please bear with me and read on… 

First, sport psychologists make the distinction between perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns.  There is an important difference! 

Perfectionistic Concerns are preoccupations with making mistakes, parental expectations, parental criticism, and coach’s expectations and criticisms.  As might be expected, athletes who score high on this dimension have a high fear of failure. These athletes also tend to have problems with depression, anxiety and avoidance. 

Coaches and parents communicate the standards of what is acceptable in performance situations.  They provide feedback and evaluation to the athletes about their abilities and performances.  Because of this, their criticisms and expectations are a source of pressure and concern for athletes. 

 For the athlete who has Perfectionistic Concerns, the words and behaviors of parents and coaches are weighed heavily.  It’s important to note that these athletes might PERCEIVE criticisms and feedback as being harsher than it is objectively communicated. 

Perfectionistic Strivings relate to a desire to excel and are accompanied by high personal standards of success.  These athletes tend to be more self confident and have a positive approach to practice and goal-setting as long as they have some capacity to accept minor imperfections.  When they demand perfection in all things, they fare less well. 

Stay tuned for more on this topic…

By the way…it’s competition season!  Learn all about the Mental Game of Competitions here!  Don’t miss out!

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.

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!

It happens every day.  You, as a cheerleading coach, are constantly giving feedback to your squad as you observe them in practice. But did you know that the way you offer praise can affect the motivation of your cheerleaders? 

Psychology professor, Carol Dweck, studied what happens when people praise others for ability versus praising for effort and the effect this has on young people’s motivation and performance. 

The results showed that 90% of young people who were praised for effort (”you worked really hard on this;” “your persistence is helping you succeed,”) wanted to perform tasks which were challenging and from which they could learn (and not necessarily immediately succeed). 

Two-thirds of young people praised for ability wanted to carry out a task which ensured further success; they weren’t as interested in being challenged.  

When both groups were given a set of harder problems, the students who were praised for their ability (”you are so smart;”  “you are really good at this”) reported the least enjoyment. They were also the least likely to take problems home to work on.  Also, the students who were praised for their ability (not effort) demonstrated considerable negativity after failure (”I am stupid”) even though they had had a previous string of successes! 

The group that had been praised for ability also showed a significant decline in performance compared to those who had been praised for effort. 

The group that had been praised on effort continued to enjoy the task even when they encountered problems and they were more likely to persist when they confronted challenges. This group (effort) on the whole performed much better than the other group (ability). 

How does this translate to cheerleading?  Well, I would suggest cheer coaches will enjoy more success with their cheerleaders when they praise them for their efforts rather than their abilities.  Why should this be true?  Effort is something we can control.  We either exert effort to learn, to improve, to refine, or we do not.  It’s a matter of choice.  Ability is innate; we either have it or not and thus we cannot control it per se.

So take note of how you give feedback to your cheerleaders.  It’s fine to say, “good job!” or “great focus on that last jump” but be wary of saying, “you’re the best flyer we’ve ever had.”  Even if this is true, add to this: “…your focus and practice time is paying off; you’re really enhancing your natural talent by all your hard work.”

The Burlington Patriots, a Massachusetts Pop Warner Cheerleading Team (Junior Midgets), has won 11 national titles and want to win another one. Will they do it? Watch the movie and find out! 

Film makers Laura Molta and Al Ward follow the Patriots Cheerleading team over the months of preparing for their national cheerleading competitions. From the first practice of the season in August through the many long hours of grueling preparation to the final test of their skill and expertise at Nationals, this film will attract and hold your attention as you root for the home team. 

I highly recommend this riveting movie to anyone who is involved in cheerleading.  This means all cheerleaders, all cheer coaches, all cheer parents, and everyone in the cheer industry.  If you’re new to the spirit world, this is a perfect introduction to the reality of this exciting sport.  If you’re a veteran, you will appreciate the story of this team and its leaders as it moves towards its exciting finish. 

There is so much to like about this film that it is hard to know where to begin!  The cheerleaders themselves are superb athletes who dedicate countless hours perfecting their skills.  The coaches pull out all the stops to devote their time, energy and love to the girls in their quest for a title. 

If you think winning a title is just a matter of practice, then this film will be a revelation to you.  Sure, the physical and technical preparation and practice are important, but the mental preparation is what makes the difference between a championship team and a runner-up.  Co-directors Darlene Tierney and Carolyn Shannon and Coach Jennifer Currie know this well and their passion, wisdom and psychological astuteness help the team overcome setbacks and forge ahead.  Perhaps without their knowing it, these ladies are teaching valuable mental toughness skills to these girls. 

At one point, Carolyn says, “It’s a lesson in life…you don’t have power or control…” True!  One of the key principles in sport psychology is to recognize the things you can and cannot control and to devote your energy to those things you can control.  These women know this instinctively. 

Right before the National competition, one of the girls has to have an appendectomy and cannot perform. Then, the night before the big event, the team is told they have to change one of their moves.  One girl has the flu and another has a painful ovarian cyst.  What do they do?  They work fast and hard to change the routine and the girls pull it all together in a remarkable fashion. 

I found myself rooting for the Patriots, feeling the excitement and the tension as they competed.  (I even had tears in my eyes.) You can’t help but get involved in this story! 

In addition to the main story, there are special features that are like a mini-course in cheerleading.  These features include behind the scenes interviews with 10 of the top ranked Pop Warner Cheerleading teams in the country; more than 10 full length competition performances and live critiques of cheer routines by judges.  Surely the last feature alone makes this video worth buying.  Where else can you hear a judge assess a cheer team’s performance - in the moment?  

Do yourself a favor and go to www.Cheerleadingfilm.com to purchase your DVD of Blood, Sweat & Cheers!