Fear of failure is not uncommon in cheerleaders, as I mentioned in my previous posting.  Excessive concern about making mistakes and perceived pressure to be perfect are associated with fear of failure.  It can be a problem in that it may lead to sub-optimal performance, avoidance behavior and mental blocks. 

What contributes to this dilemma? 

Well first is the cheerleader’s basic temperament and personality style but then we need to consider the coach and the parents. A good coach wants his or her athletes to excel.  A good parent wants his or her child to succeed.  But how this is communicated can make all the difference between a cheerleader who has fun while learning and one who agonizes over every mishap. 

A sport environment is an evaluative environment.   The athlete is a learner who must be open to instruction and coaching.  Ideally a cheerleader has or develops what I call a championship mind-set which means being open to learning, eager for feedback, and maintaining a perspective that every set-back and mistake is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow and improve. (This is a life skill, too!) 

Coaches and parents can nurture a championship mind-set or they can interfere with it. If the egos of the coach and/or parent are too closely intertwined with the success of the cheerleader, objectivity can suffer and emotions may run high. 

If a coach/parent gets unduly upset when an cheerleader makes a mistake, this communicates to the athlete that mistakes are not ok, that they are a problem and are to be avoided.  Patience and a sense of humor plus a championship mind-set on the part of the parents/coaches go a long way toward creating a healthy learning atmosphere. 

Let’s not forget that this sport of cheerleading is supposed to be fun! 

It is good to set high standards and strive for excellence in sport performance and it is imperative that coaches and parents never put down the cheerleader’s efforts, performance, and self worth when the results are imperfect. 

To an athlete, the reactions and words of a parent and/or coach carry enormous weight.  If coaches/parents pressure athletes (especially young beginners) to perform perfectly, to avoid mistakes, and to meet high (perhaps unrealistic) expectations, and if they criticize the athlete when he or she fails to meet those expectations, all this contributes to the athletes’ fear of failure. 

Fostering a good work ethic with clearly defined and realistically high expectations, encouraging healthy team relationships, nurturing a spirit of curiosity and openness to learning where mistakes are gifts and not demons are all ways to contribute to the development of a happy, healthy cheerleader.

Cheerleaders – you will be happy to know that your coaches take their work seriously.  A good sized group of cheerleading coaches from across the country attended this year’s Cheer Ltd’s Cheerleading Conference held at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. 

The event offered abundant opportunities for coaches (and cheerleaders) to learn new skills and refine and strengthen existing ones. Some coaches attended safety certification programs which, of course, are essential for any coach. Other courses included such topics as team-building, tryouts, flexibility, tumbling, stunts and pyramids, and developing leadership skills. 

Cheerleaders were able to attend some of the same courses as coaches and also had their own courses such as a cheerleader master class, motions, jumps, how to succeed in college, and confidence.

 I was honored to offer two classes, one for coaches and one for cheerleaders on The Mental Game of Cheerleading. 

I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the other instructors and all of the participants.  It’s clear that everyone sees him/herself as life-long learners. That makes sense since excellence means that one is always open to learning! 

It wasn’t all work however!  There was a lot of fun including chatting at mealtimes, the big pep rally on Friday night, and the wonderful celebration dinner on Saturday night where coaches and cheerleaders were honored for their contribution to the spri industry. (More about that in a future blog.) 

 It was a personal pleasure for me to be so warmly welcomed into the cheerleading community by these outstanding individuals.  I learned a lot and look forward to continuing my education and deepening my relationships with my new found friends.