What are you doing to observe National Cheerleading Safety Month?  For some of the best ideas, visit the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) website – http://aacca.org/safetymonth .

No one wants to see a cheerleader get hurt and yet in the busyness of the season it can be easy to forget some simple guidelines. Of course all coaches should be trained in risk management and basic first aid.  Additionally, all gyms should have an emergency response plan. Again, the AACCA website offers a wealth of valuable information. (more…)

We all have fun on Facebook.  It’s an easy way to connect with friends and keep up on the latest cheerleading news.  But – there is a downside to Facebook and that is that there are sleazy predators out there who might pose as friends but who do not have your best interest in mind.

Today, Bill Presson, Chairman of the Parent Action committee of the USASF, posted a warning on his Facebook Wall about a person called Christian Stocker who is watching Cheerleading Facebook accounts, linking to Facebook sites and then reposting pictures and videos of kids along with other sexually explicit pictures and videos.  (more…)

One of my readers recently asked me if I knew of any training programs for newly minted cheerleading coaches.  I confessed I did not although I told her I am working on a program for coaches that will certify them as mental game coaches. 

Do any of you know of any training programs for new cheer coaches?  If you do, please let me know and I will write about it here. 

There are some books and websites that provide excellent information and education and although these are not only for new coaches, they will be helpful to anyone who is new to cheer coaching. (more…)

The best cheerleaders are always eager to learn something new or review skills they already have.  If you consider yourself a serious athlete (that’s you!!), then you might want to take a look at the videos produced by Coach Julie Cheers.  (more…)

It’s always nice to have your hard work recognized and that’s why I am so pleased to report that Confident Cheerleading Blog has been rated one of the top 50 blogs for aspiring cheerleaders by Online Christian Colleges.  (more…)

I am always reading books and articles on sport psychology.  Some are pretty technical and scientific and others are just good, fun, and informative.  A book I’m reading now is one that I would recommend to parents.  It’s not about cheerleading and as a matter of fact, cheerleading is not mentioned once in the whole book but it is still worth your time. 

The book is called – “Whose game is it, anyway?” and it is written by 2 of my colleagues at Harvard Medical School – Richard Ginsburg and Stephen Durant and Amy Baltzell, a professor at Boston University. 

The authors describe it as “a guide to helping your child get the most from sports, organized by age and stage.”  The book provides detailed information, based on child development research, about what skill sets you can expect from your child depending on the age of the child.  

The first section is called, “Knowing your child athlete” and  looks at child development and sports participation  from the Early Years (Ages 1 – 5) through Young Adulthood (Ages 19 and up).  

Part Two is entitled, “Pitfalls and Possibilities in Sports” and deals with such topics as “Should we push our children? How Much?” and “Quitting, Burning Out, and Moving On.” 

The book is easy and fun to read and provides many valuable insights for parents.  I recommend it!

By the way, if you are on Facebook (and who isn’t!) please join my Confident Cheerleading Center page. If you do, you can get lots of free stuff – questionnaires, worksheets, all designed to help you become a better coach and athlete!

The latest issue of the snazzy and information-packed on-line cheerleading magazine – Entirely Cheer – is now available for your reading pleasure. I might add that it is free!  That’s right – it won’t cost you a penny to read this cheer magazine.  (To enhance your reading pleasure, be sure to use the “whole screen” feature – it is the third icon from the left at the top of the page.) The current issue contains several “Tip Sheets” such as, How to prepare for the new All-Star season; How to prepare for the new High School Cheer season; and much more.  The articles include topics on communication, hydration, sportsmanship plus a video on how to do a back walkover mount stunt!  (more…)

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

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

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!