In my many conversations with cheerleaders, cheer coaches, and parents, I have discovered that not all cheer coaches are created equal! 

To be fair, sometimes a person with no cheerleading background or no training is asked by a school authority to lead a cheer team.  (Actually, they are usually “told” to do so, not asked!)  In this situation,  we can easily understand if the “coach” is less than proficient in managing his or her team.

 There are so many facets to being a good cheerleading coach and this short posting does not assume to discuss them all but I came across some interesting research that I thought you might find useful. 

It seems that sport psychology researchers looked at 2 different kinds of approaches to coaching (and you should know that the research was not on cheerleading per se but athletic teams in general) to see which one created a more optimal environment for the athletes. 

One approach is called a Performance Climate and the other approach is called a Mastery Motivational Climate. 

A Performance Climate encourages intra-team competition and a punitive approach to mistakes (yelling, shaming, etc.). Now you may think that a punitive approach would be rare in cheerleading but if a coach is lacking in training and experience, the frustration level would be higher and so would the possibility of expressing that frustration in potentially punitive ways. 

The Mastery Motivational Climate, on the other hand, us is one where the coach supports effort and cooperation (instead of who’s the best) and where there is an emphasis on learning and task mastery. 

Not surprisingly, the Mastery Motivational Climate is a happier one for the athletes.  It promotes well-being, persistence and task perseverance.  It also attenuates negative responses and optimizes positive ones. 

Let’s hear it for the Mastery Motivational Climate!  Give me an M…!

Cheerleaders and cheer coaches have many opportunities to learn how to perfect motions, jumps, tumbling and stunts.  There are books, of course, many of which are excellent, and there are videos. 

The advantage of books is their portability and the fact that you don’t have to rely on technology to use them.  Videos require either a computer or a DVD player but since most people have one or the other, this usually doesn’t pose a problem. 

 I’ve taken some time recently to view several cheerleading videos and I’m happy to say I recommend them all!  Here’s the scoop: 

1. Coaching 101: Introduction to Motions and Progressions (with Shari Goodman) 

(This DVD and the 3 that follow are all produced by Cheer Coach & Advisor Magazine and can be found at http://www.ChampionshipProductions.com ) 

Coach Goodman expertly teaches 10 separate motions, ways to drill a squad while moving into basic motion sequences, and then demonstrates an intermediate level sequence that includes a cheer with the motions.  This is an easy-to-follow video that will make your learning a pleasure. 

1. Coaching 102: Beginner Cheer Formations and Transitions (with Alison Dytko) 

Alison Dytko begins with a review of how to set six different formations and then demonstrates six transitions. There is a demonstration of the full skill for each transition. Every move is broken down into simple steps to enhance your learning. 

1. Coaching 103: Introduction to Jump and Jump conditioning (with Mayra Brandt) 

Coach Brandt takes her squad through 3 basic stretching exercises (important!) and then moves into 3 jump approaches.  Brandt offers specific instructions and tips for 7 jumps.  She also provides conditioning exercises and other goodies! 

1. Coaching 104: Level 2 and Level 3 Tryouts (with Stephanie Scurrah) 

Getting ready for tryouts?  This DVD will definitely help! Coach Scurrah’s cheerleaders demonstrate tryout skills required for Level 2 such as running, and tumbling.  She also shows a simulation for Level 3. 

1. FlyGirl Elevation Series: Coaching Confidence in Cheerleading

Visit http://www.flygirl.ca for more information. 

Mandy Cheetham is President of FlyGirl.  She is a choreographer and coach who has worked with some of the best teams in the world. Mandy narrates this DVD which depicts 4 cheerleaders executing stunts. 

A thoughtful and patient teacher, Mandy puts her cheerleaders through several stunt routines as she describes each detail of how it’s done.  She also demonstrates several common mistakes stunters make and how to resolve them. 

The DVD covers double base elevators, cradles, full twist cradles, liberties, and more. 

1. For the Love of Tumbling by Debbie Love

Contact Debbie at Debbie@showtimespirit.com  or Marcandluv@aol.com 

Debbie Love is Tumbling Director at Showtime Spirit in Lexington, KY.  Debbie also consults to cheerleaders and coaches nationwide. 

This DVD comes with a manual that includes detailed instructions on how to do several tumbling moves, from basic skills such as a forward roll and a handstand to combination skills. 

Debbie narrates the video as several cheerleaders demonstrate the various moves. One thing that Debbie stresses over and over is the need for cheerleaders to develop a strong and conditioned body. Her manual offers detailed information on what exercises a cheerleader can do to get in excellent tumbling condition. For example, she has a pages on “tuck conditioning” and “jump conditioning” which include explanations for the suggested exercises.

Most people would agree that cheerleading coaches have the ability to influence their cheerleaders in a positive way  but some cheer coaches may not fully appreciate the extent of their reach.  

A fellow named Jack, from a website called aha.com, wrote to me about a cheerleading coach who describes his “aha” moment when he realized just how powerful his mentoring had been.  It’s on a short video and can be seen at http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/2520 .  Check it out!

Many lucky cheerleaders are getting ready to go to cheer camp.  It is a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills and strengthen old ones. Plus - it’s fun! 

Like anything else, the time will fly by and before you know it, you’ll be back home. To facilitate your learning, here’s a tip for you. 

Focus is essential when learning a new skill.  Sometimes it’s tempting to rush into something and just do it.  What I recommend is to slow things down a bit to allow your brain and body to develop a memory of what you re learning. 

It may be helpful to think of how a camera works.  If you just point and click you may get a picture but it won’t be half as good as it would be if you had taken a moment to compose your shot, check the focus, hold the camera still, and then shoot.  

To help engrave your new learning in your brain, think of your brain as being like a camera - “see” it with your mind’s eye, “feel” it in your body, then do it.  Similarly, when you observe your instructors do a stunt or a jump, imagine your eyes are a camera so, be still, focus, and take it in.

Raising money is a chronic challenge for cheerleaders.  Typical ways of raising cash is by selling things such as cookie dough, pizzas, T-shirts, and other items or by hosting car washes and so forth.  These methods can be time consuming and may not actually yield much in the way of funds. 

My friend, Kristy Hall, is an expert on fund-raising and she has developed some innovative ways of helping organizations raise money - fast! 

 For example, Kristy helped a non-profit organization called One Home Many Hopes raise over $40,000 in 30 days last fall!  I might add that this organization is small and entirely run by volunteers; they have no paid staff and had no budget. 

Kristy has produced a complimentary DVD of this successful process in which she describes the exact strategies One Home Many Hopes used to raise over $40,000 in 30 days.  

The DVD also describes: 

 >>How One Home Many Hopes Did This With No Budget, No Paid Staff & Virtually No Database

>>Specific Ways They Implemented the Strategies 

>>How Their Strategies Changed Over the 30 Days 

>>How They Got Their Team to Reach Out To Their Networks 

>>How They Kept Their Team Motivated & Focused for 30 Days 

>>Specific Tips You Can Immediately Implement With Your Team 

>>How Much Time Is Required to Raise $40k in 30 Days

>>The Step-by-Step Process I took One Home Many Hopes Through to Get Results 

>>5 Key Things One Home Many Hopes Did To Succeed - and How You Can Do Them Too! 

 Kristy is offering this DVD for FREE (you pay only shipping and handling) to anyone who would like one. 

Simply go to her website to order yours now!

I have heard from many cheerleaders who are worried about tryouts.  This has led me to decide to write a book about this topic.  I am working on the book now but I will include excerpts from it in today’s and upcoming posts. 

Doubts are fueled by several factors including Lack of Accurate Feedback about Skill Level and Ability.   If you are a true beginner, with no previous cheerleading or tumbling experience, you will be trying out for a beginners’ team so this does not apply to you. 

I have seen cheerleaders who think they are not skilled enough pass on trying out for a varsity squad when, in fact they did have the right skills for varsity.  And I have seen the reverse - cheerleaders believing they were highly skilled but were not - trying out for an upper level team that was way out of their range.  

There are also cheerleaders who think they can learn a new skill such as a backward handspring a week before tryouts!  Well, this is obviously not a good idea!  Having an accurate and objective sense of your skill level is important and can save you much heartache. 

The solution?  Ideally your current coach or instructor will already have been giving you consistent feedback about your skill level and ability but if not, ask your coach to assess your skills and ask your coach if you are ready to try out for a particular squad.  If your coach tells you that you are NOT ready, take this information as data, not as a personal attack. Find out what you need to work on so you can prepare for next year. 

Inadequate Training: This problem is related to problem number three. In this instance the cheerleader simply has not had the right kind of training in order to move to the next level. Many cheerleaders know that they have not have the right kind of training or experience because their skill level is not up to par. Not having the right kind of training contributes to doubt. 

Solution? The solution in this instance is pretty straightforward and that is to make sure that you do get adequate training. There are countless cheerleading gyms available to learn the skills. There are also videos and books which may be helpful.  (Of course do NOT try any tumbling moves on your own - be safe!) Before you sign up for a cheer gym, visit several and observe other cheerleaders and talk to them to see what they recommend. You can often get a sense of a place from the “feel” of the mood of the cheerleaders who are there.  If you are a parent looking for a gym for your kids, definitely talk to other parents to get their read on a place.

Meet the Higher Ground Christian Cheerleaders from Robbinsville, North Carolina.  I asked them for a little “attitude” when I took this picture and they readily complied. They were getting ready for warm-up on Saturday when I met them.    

Although I witnessed a lot of hard work, there was plenty of fun, too, as you can see in the picure below.  Music played between performances and everyone and anyone was invited onto the mat to dance. I saw a lot of fancy footwork and big smiles. 

Speaking of fun, a new boy band, called appropriately enough - WOW - performed on Saturday night.  Five good looking guys with great voices, fantastic choreography, and snappy songs won the hearts of more than a few cheerleaders in the audience.  This photo isn’t that good but it will give you a sense of their performance.  Just imagine you can hear the squeals of delight and screams of excitement as WOW lived up to their name. 

Be sure you keep on visiting this blog because I will be showing you more photos from Cheer Ltd. Nationals at CANAM!

Cheerleaders and those who want to be cheerleaders are getting ready for tryouts.  Here are a few more mistakes you should avoid! 

1. You get visibly upset when someone else nails a routine.
2. You act like you know it all (uppity and arrogant).
3. You don’t “hit the crowd” when you enter.
4. You look and act deflated after your routine.
5. You ignore the other people who are trying out.
6.  You cheer in a sing-song voice.
7. You say “whoo-whoo” instead of something like “Go team!”
8. You talk about other people in a nasty way.
9. You wear way too much makeup and glitter.
10. You look at the floor instead of the judges. 

Stay tuned for more about tryouts.  I’m working on a new product called: The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Tryouts!  If you have any questions you’d like me to address please let me know. 

Readers - are you on Facebook?  If so, please become my friend and join my Facebook Group - Confident Cheerleading.

 Cheerleaders and cheer coaches are gearing up for cheerleading competitions all over the nation - and beyond!  Some of you have already participated and some of you are getting ready to go.

This year I will be attending Cheer Ltd Nationals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The event takes place from Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22nd. It’s not too late to register so if you are interested, check out the website at http://www.cheerltd.com or call directly at 1-800-477-8868.

I am excited to be attending this event and I do hope, if you are attending, you’ll look for me and say hello. 

As I have mentioned before, I have created a new training program for cheerleaders called - The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions.  The program includes 2 CDs and a 40 page workbook.  It will be available on my soon-to-be new website - hopefully in the next few days but if you are interested in learning more or wish to purchase a program right away, please contact me and I will handle it personally.

Hope to see some of you in Myrtle Beach!

Readers - are you on Facebook? If so, please become my friend and join my Facebook Group - Confident Cheerleading.

 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: 

1. Find a nice quiet place and while sitting up, close your eyes.
2. Exhale as slowly as you can 3 - 4 times.
3. Say to yourself, “With each out-breath, I am relaxing more and more.”
4. Once relaxed, see yourself, with your mind’s eye, in a safe place, a place you feel ultra comfortable, secure and happy.
5. Really enjoy being in your special safe place as you continue to focus on your out-breath.
6. 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.
7. See yourself executing the move with grace and ease and “feel” yourself enjoying it; enjoy your success.
8. If you feel any anxiety during this phase, stop visualizing the stunt and return to your favorite safe place.
9. Stay in your safe place until you feel relaxed.
10. Once relaxed, return again to seeing yourself executing a simple cheer stunt.
11. Repeat until you have seen yourself successfully execute the simple stunt.
12. Now, see yourself begin a slightly more difficult stunt, something that requires more skill and competence.
13. Again, if you feel anxious, return to your safe place and focus on your out-breath.
14. Once relaxed, return to doing your stunt until you can do so with ease and confidence.
15. 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.
16. Remember, if you feel anxious, return to your safe place.
17. 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.

Readers!  Are you on Facebook?  If so, please be my friend and join my Facebook group - Confident Cheerleading!