In my last post, I said that sometimes a cheer coach can unwittingly cause mental blocks.  This can be due to the pressure to win and/or the lack of experience on the part of the coach.

So how can you know if a coach is the right one?  Here are some things to look for. (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…)

Just as there are many reasons why a cheerleader may develop a mental block, there are many types of solutions. For today I’ll focus on just a few.   (more…)

I get lots of questions (often from parents) about mental blocks and although I tend to invite people to call me so we can talk directly about the block, some are reluctant to do so.  I’m not sure why.  Perhaps they are shy or they prefer the anonymity of email. Still, there are some worried parents out there and so I thought I would devote the next few blog posts on this topic. (more…)

Tomorrow morning I will be catching a plane to go to Columbus Ohio.  From there I will drive to Mansfield for the Ohio Association of Cheerleading Coaches annual conference.  I am pleased to be the keynote speaker for the event (filling in for but not replacing the irreplaceable Valerie Ninemire!). (more…)

At a recent cheerleading coaches event, I posed the following question: What percentage of athletic success do you think can be attributed to physical/technical attributes and how much to mental/emotional factors?  (more…)

Cheerleaders, cheer coaches and cheer parents often write to me with all sorts of questions about the mental game of cheerleading and I am happy to respond!  

Recently, I wrote about a cheerleader who was getting ready for tryouts and who had lost her confidence.  She had been on the squad for the most recent season but was worried about the stiff competition for this year.  She wanted help getting her confidence back. 

I made several recommendations and am happy to report the result (in her words): (more…)

Here’s a thought provoking quote for you: “If you demand perfection of yourself you’ll seldom achieve it.  Fear of making a mistake is the biggest cause of making one.  Instead of pushing for perfection, relax and pursue excellence.”   (more…)

What happens when a cheerleader needs to build up her confidence fast?  In this case, the cheerleader is someone who successfully made a varsity team last year as a freshman and hopes to be accepted again this year.  But this year, the competition is tougher.  How can she boost her confidence in 4 days? (Tryouts are this weekend.)

Well, this is how I responded to this athlete’s question:   (more…)

Some cheerleading squads are limited in terms of how many athletes can be accepted.  This can lead to frustration and heartache for those who don’t make the team.  But – don’t give up!!  Consider that there are many factors that go into a coach’s decision to create a team.  Your job is to figure out what you need to do to get accepted this time!  (more…)