More tips on resolving cheerleading mental blocks
Brian Payne, who is an expert tumbling coach and the director of Super Duper Sportkids and owner of Acrojax Trampoline and Tumbling in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, wrote an article about mental blocks which appears in the most recent Cheer Biz News.
Brian offers a number of tips on how to work with a blocked athlete.
First, Brian suggests a coach attempt to help the athlete articulate what he or she is objecting to (in executing the skill). For example, an athlete might say that she feels disoriented in the air. In this case, Brian suggests using landmarks and visual targets to give her information on where she is in the air.
Or a cheerleader might have witnessed another athlete fall in which case she might be afraid it will happen to her. Knowing what the objection is helps a coach know how to resolve the problem.
Secondly, Brian suggests reminding the athlete of past successes. “What have you done to get you this far?”
Third, encourage the cheerleader to focus on the correct order of events ( for example, “Strong run, snap down, arm swing, shoulder shrug, snap down…”) instead of the “what-ifs” may go wrong.
Fourth, use positive reinforcement for other athletes who are doing well and do not verbally put down the non-achievers.
Fifth, assess whether problems in execution are due to lack of strength and if so, provide exercises that imitate part of the skill ha is lacking.
And last, videotape the cheerleader to show his or her angle, altitude and placement. (Some do not have a true perception of where they are in relation to the floor or stunt group.)
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Tags: Acrojax, Brian Payne, Cheer Biz News, cheerleader, cheerleaders, Cheerleading, mental blocks, tumbling