One of the toughest jobs cheerleading coaches have is managing conflict that might erupt on a cheerleading squad. It’s bound to happen sooner or later and I’m sure most cheer coaches have created methods that work well for them.
A good way to approach conflict is to try to understand why and how it happens. There are tons of theories in psychology but a framework I like is based on something called Transactional Analysis or TA. (more…)
The short answer is – yes! The longer answer has to do with the pressure coaches feel to “win” plus the fact that some cheer coaches may be overstepping their reach. (more…)
It happens every day. You, as a cheerleading coach, are constantly giving feedback to your squad as you observe them in practice. But did you know that the way you offer praise can affect the motivation of your cheerleaders?
Psychology professor, Carol Dweck, studied what happens when people praise others for ability versus praising for effort and the effect this has on young people’s motivation and performance.
The results showed that 90% of young people who were praised for effort (“you worked really hard on this;” “your persistence is helping you succeed,”) wanted to perform tasks which were challenging and from which they could learn (and not necessarily immediately succeed).
Two-thirds of young people praised for ability wanted to carry out a task which ensured further success; they weren’t as interested in being challenged.
When both groups were given a set of harder problems, the students who were praised for their ability (“you are so smart;” “you are really good at this”) reported the least enjoyment. They were also the least likely to take problems home to work on. Also, the students who were praised for their ability (not effort) demonstrated considerable negativity after failure (“I am stupid”) even though they had had a previous string of successes!
The group that had been praised for ability also showed a significant decline in performance compared to those who had been praised for effort.
The group that had been praised on effort continued to enjoy the task even when they encountered problems and they were more likely to persist when they confronted challenges. This group (effort) on the whole performed much better than the other group (ability).
How does this translate to cheerleading? Well, I would suggest cheer coaches will enjoy more success with their cheerleaders when they praise them for their efforts rather than their abilities. Why should this be true? Effort is something we can control. We either exert effort to learn, to improve, to refine, or we do not. It’s a matter of choice. Ability is innate; we either have it or not and thus we cannot control it per se.
So take note of how you give feedback to your cheerleaders. It’s fine to say, “good job!” or “great focus on that last jump” but be wary of saying, “you’re the best flyer we’ve ever had.” Even if this is true, add to this: “…your focus and practice time is paying off; you’re really enhancing your natural talent by all your hard work.”
The Burlington Patriots, a Massachusetts Pop Warner Cheerleading Team (Junior Midgets), has won 11 national titles and want to win another one. Will they do it? Watch the movie and find out!
Film makers Laura Molta and Al Ward follow the Patriots Cheerleading team over the months of preparing for their national cheerleading competitions. From the first practice of the season in August through the many long hours of grueling preparation to the final test of their skill and expertise at Nationals, this film will attract and hold your attention as you root for the home team.
I highly recommend this riveting movie to anyone who is involved in cheerleading. This means all cheerleaders, all cheer coaches, all cheer parents, and everyone in the cheer industry. If you’re new to the spirit world, this is a perfect introduction to the reality of this exciting sport. If you’re a veteran, you will appreciate the story of this team and its leaders as it moves towards its exciting finish.
There is so much to like about this film that it is hard to know where to begin! The cheerleaders themselves are superb athletes who dedicate countless hours perfecting their skills. The coaches pull out all the stops to devote their time, energy and love to the girls in their quest for a title.
If you think winning a title is just a matter of practice, then this film will be a revelation to you. Sure, the physical and technical preparation and practice are important, but the mental preparation is what makes the difference between a championship team and a runner-up. Co-directors Darlene Tierney and Carolyn Shannon and Coach Jennifer Currie know this well and their passion, wisdom and psychological astuteness help the team overcome setbacks and forge ahead. Perhaps without their knowing it, these ladies are teaching valuable mental toughness skills to these girls.
At one point, Carolyn says, “It’s a lesson in life…you don’t have power or control…” True! One of the key principles in sport psychology is to recognize the things you can and cannot control and to devote your energy to those things you can control. These women know this instinctively.
Right before the National competition, one of the girls has to have an appendectomy and cannot perform. Then, the night before the big event, the team is told they have to change one of their moves. One girl has the flu and another has a painful ovarian cyst. What do they do? They work fast and hard to change the routine and the girls pull it all together in a remarkable fashion.
I found myself rooting for the Patriots, feeling the excitement and the tension as they competed. (I even had tears in my eyes.) You can’t help but get involved in this story!
In addition to the main story, there are special features that are like a mini-course in cheerleading. These features include behind the scenes interviews with 10 of the top ranked Pop Warner Cheerleading teams in the country; more than 10 full length competition performances and live critiques of cheer routines by judges. Surely the last feature alone makes this video worth buying. Where else can you hear a judge assess a cheer team’s performance – in the moment?
Do yourself a favor and go to www.Cheerleadingfilm.com to purchase your DVD of Blood, Sweat & Cheers!
Conflicts are bound to arise in any kind of group and cheerleading teams are no exception. The way conflict is addressed can make the difference between a healthy environment and a toxic one.
I had the pleasure of hearing Greg Hicks of GDH & Partners talk about this topic at the Organization of Spirit Providers (OSIP) conference last week. He graciously allowed me to summarize his talk for you.
The first point Mr. Hicks made was that when you fail to confront negative behaviors, you essentially are signaling acceptance of them. So, you are, in effect, encouraging them to continue!
There are many reasons why this might happen including the fact that confronting someone is uncomfortable for most people. Sometimes you might hope it (the problem) will just go away and so, if you ignore it, perhaps harmony will magically return.
Another reason is fear that addressing a problem will affect a relationship in a negative way. And still another reason is not wanting to be seen as “the bad guy.” Of course you may simply not know what to do and so – you do nothing!
Can you think of what holds you back from confronting someone?
Stay tuned for my next posting when I will present a list of some behaviors and difficult situations that are typical of cheerleading.
Cheerleaders and good cheer coaches know that it’s important to have goals and it’s also important to have patience as you move along the ladder towards those goals. Big goals can be daunting if you ignore the many small steps along the way.
Today I was enjoying a lovely bike ride here in Maine. (I’m visiting friends who live in a pretty rural area of Maine – the foothills of the White Mountains.) At a certain point, there is a hill that goes for about 1/4 mile. If I had focused on the top of the hill only, I would have gotten discouraged quickly. Instead I “tricked” myself by focusing on a rock in the road 10 feet in front of me and told myself, “You only have to get to that rock.” Then, once I got there, I told myself, “You only have to get to that puddle 12 feet ahead.” By setting up small goals, I managed the hill with no problem. (That’s not to say I wasn’t huffing and puffing – but I did it!)
Think of your BIG goal as being at the top of the staircase. There’s no way you can reach it in one step, is there? Nope – but you will get there step by step.
It’s no secret that some cheerleaders experience injuries during cheerleading practices or performances.
One such cheerleader recently wrote to me after she fell on her head, asking me to help her cope with the stress of doing the stunt that led to her injury. This cheerleader fell on her head doing a 360 elevator/extension.
What follows is my response to this cheerleader:
How awful that you fell on your head! No wonder you are afraid!
First – I assume you got immediate medical attention, right? Any injury is serious business but a head injury in particular requires immediate and thorough evaluation. There is no way you should resume physical activity until you are cleared by a physician.
Second – has your coach been certified by an organization such as the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA)? All cheer coaches and cheerleading squads should go through a safety course. Safety is fundamental and the most important thing.
Third – ask your coach and squad to review what happened in detail in order to determine what went wrong. Someone wasn’t doing what he or she should have been doing, right? A careful analysis sets the stage for a plan to remedy the problem to ensure it doesn’t happen again. This process will contribute to your feeling a bit more secure about future attempts at doing a 360 elevator/extension.
Fourth – once all of these steps are taken, you can begin the psychological recuperation.
You have experienced a physical and a psychological trauma and the reality of that needs to be acknowledged and honored. Of course you are frightened…that is natural. You will need to rebuild your trust in yourself and in your team-mates and perhaps in your coach, too. This is a process and will take some time. Ultimately, only you can decide if you wish to return to cheerleading or not. Do not allow anyone to force you into doing something that you do not want to do. It is your decision.
If you want to stay in the game, here are some things to consider: After a serious injury, we tend to get stuck on replaying the incident. This prolongs the fear and it also engraves the incident in our brains. The body does what the brain thinks so you will definitely want to stop this process. To do this, you can try some visualization. (Many pro athletes use this to help them recover from injuries.)
Here’s how to do it:
Find a nice quiet place and while sitting up, close your eyes.
Exhale as slowly as you can 3 – 4 times.
Say to yourself, “With each out-breath, I am relaxing more and more.”
Once relaxed, see yourself, with your mind’s eye, in a safe place, a place you feel ultra comfortable, secure and happy.
Really enjoy being in your special safe place as you continue to focus on your out-breath.
Now, shift your focus and see yourself in your cheerleading practice spot, beginning an easy cheerleading stunt, something you learned a long time ago that is simple for you to do.
See yourself executing the move with grace and ease and “feel” yourself enjoying it; enjoy your success.
If you feel any anxiety during this phase, stop visualizing the stunt and return to your favorite safe place.
Stay in your safe place until you feel relaxed.
Once relaxed, return again to seeing yourself executing a simple cheer stunt.
Repeat until you have seen yourself successfully execute the simple stunt.
Now, see yourself begin a slightly more difficult stunt, something that requires more skill and competence.
Again, if you feel anxious, return to your safe place and focus on your out-breath.
Once relaxed, return to doing your stunt until you can do so with ease and confidence.
Keep building up the level of difficulty of the stunt until you are able to “see” yourself and “feel” yourself executing the stunt that resulted in your injury.
Remember, if you feel anxious, return to your safe place.
Once you can, in your mind’s eye, execute the 360 elevator/extension with success, repeat over and over.
This visualization accomplishes several things. It helps you ease back into the idea of cheerleading while minimizing your anxiety and it also engraves successful execution of stunts in your brain. You will be training your brain to feel and think in the way you want. You will also be learning how to control your thoughts and feelings rather than have them control you!
Good luck with this. I’m so glad you wrote to me about this. Please keep me posted.
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