It’s natural to get excited and nervous about cheerleading tryouts but some people take it a bit too far. You know what happens. You hang out with your friends and you talk about tryouts.  You text your friends about tryouts. You call your friends and chat about tryouts. You IM your friends and exchange your worries about tryouts. 

All of this would be fine if such discussions were objective exchanges of information but they usually are not. No, instead they could be tidbits of rumors and gossip carried out in high-voltage drama. 

You hear one friend say she’s never gotten over her last try out and will never ever put herself through it again.  You hear another friend complain that tryouts weren’t fair.  You listen to still another person say that only certain people will be selected. Wow! Even a little of this kind of talk can put you over the edge! 

Solution?  Become adept at sifting fact from fiction and helpful tips from scaremongering warnings. Anxiety can be contagious so inoculate yourself against this by using your good judgment. Remember – if you want accurate information, go to a reliable source.

Yes, that’s right, I am in the process of gathering information for my new book tentatively called: The Mental Game of Cheerleading but I need your help!  I am looking to interview cheerleaders, coaches and parents for my book.  Are you willing to help?

If you are willing to be interviewed by me, please let me know!  We could do the interviews by phone or if you live near me (Cambridge, MA) we could meet in person.  Most interviews run about 20 – 30 minutes but some go for longer. 

There’s a free gift for everyone who helps.

Thanks!

I found this photo on the web.  It’s an ad for the Marco Vet Dog Training School in Romania.  I show it to you just for fun! The dog on the left seems to be holding on for dear life due to the imbalanced nature of the base.

By the way, I’d love to hear from you so please feel free to comment on any of my postings or ask me questions about the mental game of cheerleading.

Readers – are you on Facebook?  If so, please be my friend and join my Facebook Group – Confident Cheerleading!

I LOVE this video!  It’s in keeping with the holiday season and spirit.  This lovable pooch has amazing energy and exhibits boundless joy as he romps in the snow.  Reminds me of some cheerleaders I know!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Happy Festivus…or whatever you celebrate!

This video shows the joys of cheerleading! It also provides a glimpse into the variety of cheer teams and cheerleaders.

This is a delightful collage of cheerleading…sure to put a smile on your face!  Enjoy!

Since I’ve been writing about the world of cheerleading, I’ve signed up for Google alerts on the topic of cheerleading.  Yesterday, my Google alerts led me to a Canadian cheerleader named Erika Tucker who writes for cbasports.ca.   She writes about the world of cheerleading in a witty and engaging way.  Her topics have included:fund-raising; almuni networking events; pain; stereotypes, and more.

Check her out!

It’s inevitable that sometime during your cheerleading career, you will meet another cheerleader who is more talented, more agile, and generally more competent at cheerleading than you are. 

What do you do when this happens to you?  How you manage this situation can result in your feeling fine or feeling miserable. 

For example, if you say to yourself, “I’ll never be that good…I’ll never be able to do what she does…” then you will likely feel discouraged.  But notice that you are the one who is discouraging you!  No one else is telling you you’ll never be that good. 

The way you think affects the way you feel and you have control over the way you think! 

Here’s another option.  What if you were to say to yourself, “Wow! She (or he) is really good.  I wonder how she does it?  What can I learn from observing him?”  This line of thinking is constructive and is likely to result in your feeling energized, not defeated. 

So, try it!  Next time you see an exceptional talent, instead of focusing on you and what you may lack (real or imagined), focus on the other person and observe with the goal of learning from that person.

I read the following quote in the About.com Cheerleading Guide: “The difference in (sic) a good cheer and a great cheerleader is… a good cheerleader stops at the sight of pain and a great cheerleader pushes through the pain.”   

Hmmm…is this true?  Should it be true?  I doubt it.  Sounds like youthful enthusiasm gone awry.  There is nothing meritorious or even smart about pushing through pain.  If pain exists, it should be investigated.  What is causing the pain?  Is it due to an injury?  If so, pushing forward will only exacerbate that injury. 

There are too many aging athletes out there hobbling around with arthritic knees and bum shoulders because they played through the pain.  In some instances they were given a shot of cortisone and told to go back out and play even though doing so ensured that they would likely injure themselves further. 

 Pain is the body’s way of signaling that something is wrong.  A smart cheerleader will respect that signal and ask for an assessment.