This video demonstrates how to do a back handspring. Viewing it has been helpful to some cheerleaders. Here’s a technique from sports psychology to make it even more helpful! (But please…if you’ve never done this before, be safe and work with a coach and a spotter!)

Step 1: As you watch the video, observe the cheerleader intensely and begin to imagine how her body feels as she moves through the routine. Also, imagine how she feels emotionally and how focused she is. Notice every detail. Repeat this several times.

Step 2: View the video again and this time, as you observe the cheerleader carefully, imagine that you are feeling what the cheerleader is feeling (body and mind). Repeat several times.

Step 3: Now, with your mind’s eye, see yourself and feel yourself performing the back handspring. Really feel every detail.

Step 4: Making sure you are using a mat, get in position to begin the back handspring. Take a moment, exhale slowly to get focused and with your mind’s eye, see yourself performing the back handspring perfectly. Now you’re ready to do it!

By doing the above you will have enhanced the learning process by creating connections in your brain. Yep, that’s right. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between visualizing a routine and actually performing it! To your brain, it is one and the same therefore; you can begin to build those important brain maps just by visualizing whatever new stunt or routine you want to learn!

Have you ever noticed that you can perform a cheer stunt better after watching an expert do it?  Well, there’s a reason for that. When you observe another cheerleader perform a stunt or a full routine, your brain is processing what you are observing and is creating new connections or neural pathways.  So, in essence, you are actively changing your brain!  Cool, right? 

Now this is true for all mammals – even rats!  Yep…scientists note that laboratory rats who observe other rats perform a  task such as walk across an elevated bar, are able to learn how to do this much faster and more efficiently than lab rats that do not observe such behavior.  

So what does this mean for you?  Well, if you want to improve your performance, take time to observe the best cheerleaders you know.  But don’t just look, be interactive in your observation.  By this I mean as you observe, imagine how it would feel for you if you were doing the routine the way the expert is doing it.  Really focus on what you are observing and how you are experiencing it. Feel it in your body and feel it in your heart.  With your mind’s eye, see yourself performing like the person you are observing. By taking the interactive approach you will enhance the creation of new neural pathways.  In other words you will be creating performance maps in your motor cortex, the part of your brain that is responsible for movement. 

 There are many fascinating studies that demonstrate the validity of what I’m talking about here.  Here’s one for you.  Scientists at Harvard University wanted to assess the power of visualization so they studied 2 groups of students.  One group came in every day for 2 hours over 2 weeks time.  They were taught how to do a simple 5-finger exercise on a piano keyboard and each day after they practiced, the scientists measured the growth of their motor cortex (the part of the brain responsible for movement). 

The other group was also taught the 5-finger exercise but they were not given a keyboard and were told not to move a muscle but to just imagine they were moving their fingers.  In other words, to visualize themselves dong it without actually doing it!  They measured the growth in their motor cortices also.  Well, both groups showed a growth in their motor cortices! 

What this study demonstrates is that it is possible to change your brain, to build new motor pathways that will improve your performance by thinking about it! Of course the thinking has to be focused, deliberate, and repeated with an emphasis on feeling and seeing yourself performing brilliantly! 

I recommend devoting time studying videos using this interactive observation approach.