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.

It has been a little over a year since I launched Confident Cheerleading and my success is due to readers like you. As an expression of my thanks and to commemorate our national day of gratitude – Thanksgiving, I am offering a special price reduction on 2 of my programs.

For a short time only – until Monday, November 30th – I am offering each program for $20 less than the normal investment of $67. That’s right…instead of $67, you only pay $47!

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!

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

This is my way of thanking you for your interest in Confident Cheerleading.

Whether you invest in one (or both!) of my programs or not, I truly am grateful for your continued support. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Warm regards,

Pamela (Dr. Pam)

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!

Any cheerleader and cheer coach knows that there are times when you experience too much tension.  It could be right before a big event like tryouts or competitions or just in your everyday life.  

You tense up your body in reaction to a perceived threat.  Performing in a high stakes event is experienced as threatening to you even if you aren’t consciously aware of this.  And a perceived threat leads to muscle tension along with all of the other classic flight-fight reactions.  As I’ve mentioned before, this series of events can undermine your performance so it’s wise to learn how to manage this. 

Here’s one quick technique that was described to me by Denise Maldonado, a wonderful coach with the World Cup All Stars whom I met at Cheer Ltd’s CheerConference 2 weeks ago.  (Denise was also given one of the 30 under 30 coaching awards at CheerCon!) 

This is what Denise taught her cheerleaders to do prior to a big event: 

Take a balloon and blow into it.  While you do so, imagine that you are getting rid of all your tension and anxiety and putting it into the balloon.  Once the balloon is full, tie it up and then pop it!  There goes all your fear and tension! 

I like this because it’s so simple and fun.  Denise said her team likes it, too!

If you’ve noticed that I haven’t been blogging as much lately, you’re right.  I’ve been busy getting ready to go to Cheer Ltd’s Cheer Conference in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  I leave this Wednesday evening and will be at Methodist University, in Fayetteville, until Sunday.

I will be one of the presenters and I’m excited about this.  My two talks are: The Mental Game of Cheerleading for Coaches   and The Mental Game of Cheerleading for Cheerleaders.  As you can see,  each talk is directed at a particular audience.  I will also have an exhibit booth where I will be offering free consultations so if you plan to be at the conference, please stop by and say hello!

The other exciting thing happening at CheerCon is that I will be launching 2 new training products!  One is called: The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions and the other is called The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Tryouts!

Each training program consists of a 2-CD set plus a work book or Action Guide.  The recordings are of me, teaching you everything you need to know to succeed at competitions or at tryouts. The Action Guides are meant to be used with the recordings; they contain tips and exercises and techniques  derived from sport psychology. 

I will be offering special conference pricing on these programs plus special bonuses.  If you can’t be at the conference but are interested in learning more, shoot me an email and I’ll give the first 20 people who contact me the conference pricing on these programs.

Elite athletes learn to sense how their bodies respond to all sorts of variables.  They learn this so they can then adjust their bodies’ arousal level to match the moment. If they are too revved up, they can calm themselves down; if their energy levels are low, they can rev up a bit. 

I hope you can see how useful it would be to be able to fine-tune your body to match and respond to the demands of the moment. 

To help you do this, try this:  Find a quiet place to sit and close your eyes.  Slow your breathing down by exhaling slowly through your mouth several times, inhaling through your nose. Once you are quiet, with your mind’s eye, do a body scan, beginning with the top of your head and moving down to your toes. 

Just notice if you are holding any tension anywhere in your body.  If you detect tension, try to release it with your out-breath. 

A typical body scan goes like this: 

• With your mind’s eye, “see” in slow sequence:
• The top of your head
• Your forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, lips, and jaw
• Your neck
• Moving around to the back of your head, the back of your neck
• Moving down to your shoulders, your upper back
• Middle back, spine, lower back and seat
• Now back up to the front of your shoulders
• Your clavicle, your sternum, upper chest and rib cage
• Your upper stomach and your lower abdomen
• Now your upper arms, elbows, forearms, wrists, hands and fingers
• Move down to your pelvis
• Your upper legs, knees, calves and shins
• Now down to your ankles, the soles of your feet
• The tops of your feet and finally your toes 

The above exercise is an introduction to your body, if you will. I realize that this is impractical to do on a regular basis but if you do it a few times, you will learn how to quickly identify and release unwanted tension in your body. That way at practice or especially at high stakes events like tryouts or competitions, you’ll be able to better control your body’s response to stress.

As you can see, I had a good time taking pictures at Cheer Ltd Nationals at CANAM! 

Here (below) is a photo of St. Anne’s Cheerleaders from Fairhaven, New Jersey.  They were outside the warm-up arena chanting and cheering and getting themselves revved up for the competition. They agreed to take a moment from their fun to pose for me.

 And here (below) are the Twisters from Richmond, VA, also awaiting their turn for the warm-up arena.

And now for something completely different…meet Shane Robbins (below) who is coach for the Elite Cheer and Dance cheerleaders of Raleigh, N.C.  Shane told me that, for fun, they decided to all dress up for “80’s Day” and he is dressed as an 80’s rocker. And yes, he is wearing a wig.

And last, but certainly not least, here are Kim and Chris, also with that “80’s” look, who are parents of Kiana with Elite Cheer and Dance of Raleigh, NC.  They told me that Kiana is on 6 teams with Elite including 5 cheer teams and one dance team! That must be some kind of record!

Here you see one of the Northeast Elite teams, from Rochester New York, showing good form while warming up before their performance on Saturday, March 21st.  Northeast Elite has a devoted parent team that travels with the cheerleaders and coaches to many of their competitions.  In the photo below, one of the parents shows her support and her sense of humor!

And here are (below) Joanna Borelli (on the left), who is co-founder of Northeast Elite, with her daughter, Janice next to her and another cheerleader and coach (sorry…didn’t get their names). This was taken immediately after their excellent Saturday performance.  The team went on to win the championship in their level on Sunday. 

 And because their love, emotional and financial support are so essential to the success of cheerleaders everywhere,  I just had to add a few more photos of some of the parents who attended Nationals.  As you can see, some go through extraordinary efforts to come up with just the right “look.”  Below you will meet some fathers of cheerleaders from the Wildcats of PennDel, a rec team.  The parents refer to themselves as members of Wildcat Nation.  And they do look…uh..rather wild, don’t you think?

 And one more from the world of Wildcat Nation, here are some dads and a few of the coaches from the PennDel Wildcats. 

 As you can see, Nationals was great fun.  Don’t miss it next year!