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!

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 never ending quest to educate myself about cheerleading, I discovered a site that is definitely worth visiting.  It’s called the Cheerleading Info Center (http://www.cheerleadinginfocenter.com ) and is loaded with helpful articles on topics such as nutrition, body image, fitness, peer pressure, education and more. 

Cheerleading Info Center is truly a comprehensive site where you’ll be content to spend a good bit of time!  For example, it offers a blog with new articles, info, and tips offered daily.  I especially like CIC TV which offers videos galore!  You can watch and learn everything from how to execute a jump to how to strengthen your core using Pilates exercises. 

There is also a Forum which you can join where you can interact with other cheerleaders or coaches.  And check out Cheer County – a wonderful on-line cheer community where you can post photos of yourself or your team and share ideas and tips and information. 

And by the way, if there is a website you like, let me know and I’ll write about it!

A few days ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Pam Headridge, cheer coach extraordinaire.  I met Pam at Cheer Ltd’s CheerCon last month and she graciously agreed to talk with me as part of the research I’m doing for my book.  Pam is famous in the cheerleading world for good reason – she not only has many years experience but she also has written 2 books (101 School Spirit Ideas and Developing a Successful Cheerleading  Program) and produced 9 training DVDs!  As if that’s not enough, Pam is President of the Washington State Cheerleading Coaches Association and teaches and consults nationwide.  (Now you know why I wanted to interview her!)

In our discussion, Pam told me about a website she created which is loaded with valuable tips, insights, articles, and reference.  It’s way too good to keep it to myself so I thought I would tell everyone about it!  I encourage you to go to http://www.oakharborcheer.com Oak Harbor Cheer.  Be prepared to stay a while; there’s a wealth of information for you!