Champion athletes know that winning is the science of being totally prepared.  For cheerleaders who want to ace a competition, here is a technique called the Enders Practice Routine. 

It’s based on a psychological learning theory called classical conditioning. The technique helps you to train your mind and body to respond in the way you wish. Each time you practice this you will be building the brain you want. 

Here’s how it works. You begin with a relaxation exercise and then you say your “power word” to yourself to connect yourself to your ideal performance state. And then you begin to practice. 

(A power word is a word or phrase that connects to the way you want to feel during competition.  It should be meaningful to you. It can be something like “focused,” or “confident” or “doing it” – whatever works for you.) 

Let’s say you are working on your tumbling; you would exhale slowly, call up your power word, and when you feel really focused, then and only then, begin to practice. As soon as you feel yourself getting distracted, stop everything! Then go back to your breathing, get focused using your power word, and then resume practice. Repeat. 

Each time you get distracted, stop and repeat the breathing, power word, and focusing. You only rehearse or practice while you are in this positive mental space. This way, you are training yourself to only perform while you are in this ideal state and when you reach the actual performance situation, you’ll be in great shape! 

Obviously this requires patience on your part.  The temptation will be to rush ahead and just practice in the same old way but please – give this a try and you will reap the benefits! 

ENDERS PRACTICE ROUTINE  

1. Begin with relaxation exercise – exhale slowly several times

2. Once relaxed, connect with your Ideal Performance State

3. Say power word/phrase to yourself

4. Once firmly in “positive space” begin to practice

5. As soon as you notice you are leaving positive space, STOP EVERYTHING, then re-connect with positive space.

6. Once firmly in positive space again, repeat power word/phrase and resume your work.

7. Practice ONLY in positive space.

8. Important to strengthen association between positive space and practice.

9. At time of performance, exhale slowly three times and repeat power word/phrase to get back into positive space.

You say you want to place first at your cheerleading competition? How hard are you willing to work for it? 

Successful athletes are single-minded in their focus and have crystal clear goals and expectations. This clarity helps them keep track of their progress and ensures they will reach their goals. 

Since I assume you, too, want to be a successful athlete, here are some questions for you to help you organize your thoughts and create a winning plan. Remember – the more specific and detailed your plan, the better it will help you succeed. 

And yes, this takes a bit of time and patience but a true champion is willing to do the work in order to win! 

1. Can you envision your cheerleading goal? Can you describe it in detail? Good! Go ahead and write it in here and be specific! 

2. What are the benefits or rewards you will gain by pursuing your goal?

3. What are the costs? (Such as time, money, forgoing other activities.)

4. What might get in your way? What challenges might you encounter?

5. How can you deal with these challenges? Who might help?

6. What specific steps do you need to take to reach your goal? 

7. How will you be accountable? Who else will know if you follow through with your plan?

8. In the space below, write in the times during a typical week that you will devote to working on your goal. Include time for practice with your team and alone  

Mondays:___________________________________________________

Tuesdays:___________________________________________________

Wednesdays:________________________________________________

Thursdays:__________________________________________________

Fridays:____________________________________________________

Week-ends:_________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

To succeed at cheerleading competitions, you need to think and act like a champion. 

The best cheerleaders are willing to evaluate every aspect of their performance.  A champion does so in an objective way, almost as if he or she is observing someone else in order to gain information. The more you learn about yourself the more information you have that will enable you to improve your performance. 

Performance Questions: 

Take a few moments and think about your current level of performance. Answer the following questions as honestly and fully as you can. If you are unsure how to respond, leave blank and return to this later on.  

• 1. What’s working well for you now?
• 2. How can you make it even better?
• 3. What’s not working well for you now?
• 4. If you were performing at your absolute best, what would be different about that compared to how you perform now?
•  5. What would you look like and feel like if you were performing at your absolute best?
•  6.What are your thoughts when you are performing at your absolute best?
•  7. What are your thoughts when you are not performing well? 

Very good!  Thanks for answering these questions. You are beginning to get to know your performing-self better – an important first step in becoming a better performer!

Cheerleaders, cheer coaches, and cheer parents – are you looking for a last minute Christmas gift?  This may be just the gift you’re looking for!

To celebrate the holiday season,  I am offering each of my training programs for $20 less than the normal investment of $67. That’s right…instead of $67, you only pay $47! (Please note: when you click on the info about the products, the price will say “$67″ but the price on the order page will reflect the holiday discount.)

And – as an extra special bonus, I will offer a complimentary telephone coaching session to anyone who invests in either of these programs! Simply let me know you have purchased a program and we will arrange a time to talk about anything related to the mental game of cheerleading!

This special offer is good until December 31, 2009!

Here are the 2 programs:

The first program is The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions. This is a comprehensive step-by-step mental skills training program to maximize success in cheerleading competitions.

This 2-CD audio program plus 40-page Action Guide provide you with everything you need to break through barriers, immediately improve concentration, eliminate distractions, and transform your performance.

This program will change forever the way you practice and prepare for competitions. For more information please go to the Products section of this blog or http://www.confidentcheerleading.com/competitions/.

The other program is The Mental Game of Competition: Training for Tryouts! This is a complete mental skills training system that will maximize your success on tryout day. It is a 2-CD audio program plus a 54 page Action Guide loaded with practical information and worksheets – all designed to help you get on the team you want!

Please see the Products page on this blog or go to http://confidentcheerleading.com/competitions/Tryouts-Product.html 

Everyone wants to place first in a cheerleading competition, of course, but only one team will place first in a given category. How do you handle coming in second or third or…last?

I have heard from some people who attend many competitions, that they have witnessed poor sportsmanship at cheerleading competitions. They have seen things such as: parents who scream at the judges; coaches who have a “hissy fit,” and entire teams who refuse to show up for the awards ceremony because they did not place first.

For a sport which prides itself on instilling positive values, this behavior is simply unacceptable!

What might prompt such behavior? Here are some thoughts:

1. Some coaches/parents/cheerleaders may believe the judges were unfair in their assessment. Is it possible that a judge might be biased? Or course it’s possible but judges pride themselves on being fair. Plus, judges see things that other observers do not. And the reason there is more than one judge is to prevent bias from entering into the decision.

2. Some cheer gyms attract new students based on winning championships so there is a lot riding on winning.

3. Cheer coaches work hard and typically get paid very little; their “pay” is the delight in winning and when that does not happen, it hurts which can lead to a dramatic expression of their unhappiness.

4. Parents devote a good chunk of money plus time and love into their kids’ cheerleading efforts. They want to see results which, to some, mean winning! Also, some parents may live through their kids a bit too much!

5. Some parents are, frankly, over-protective of their kids. They are reluctant to allow their kids to “fail” at anything.

6. Some kids have never experienced not winning. In a misguided attempt to “build self esteem,” parents and some schools provide an atmosphere which makes it impossible for a child to not succeed. Instead of winners and losers, everyone is deemed a winner. Don’t think the kids don’t know the score! They see right through it and end up feeling worse. This flies in the face of reality and is ultimately not helpful to anyone.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Please write and voice your opinions. And stay tuned for my next post with more on this subject.

Cheerleaders, like all athletes, need mental toughness to succeed. The phrase “mental toughness” however, seems to lack precision and clarity.  I have written about mental toughness many times in this blog and I recently came across an article in Coach and Athletic Director Magazine (May 2006) which I thought you might find interesting.

The article offers a definition of mental toughness: “Mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

• Generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, and lifestyle) that sport places on a performer.

• Specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure.

(This is from an article from the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, written by G. Jones, S. Hanton, and D. Connaughton.)

In 2006 two other  researchers conducted a study among 22 NCAA coaches. The data showed that the following components were fundamental to the definition of mental toughness:

1. Having an unshakable self-belief in the unique qualities and abilities that make you better than your opponents.

2. Strength: You have to be in good physical and mental condition.  You must be psychologically and emotionally prepared.

3. Having an unshakable self-belief in your ability to achieve your competition goals.

4. Have conviction: You have to be a little bit stubborn.

5. Regaining psychological control following unexpected, uncontrollable events (competition specific).

6. Have a strong will to succeed: Don’t let setbacks stop you from achieving your goal.

7. Remaining fully focused on the task at hand in the face of competition-specific distractions.

8. Be consistent: Recognize and adjust to change so that you are always able to make a contribution to your team.

9.  Not being adversely affected by others’ good and bad performances.

10. Be competitive: It’s not just about beating your opponent.  You have to internalize competitiveness and take pride in what you do.

11. Switching a sport focus on and off as required.

12. Personal management: Don’t duck potential problems; take on the problems directly to prevent small problems from building into bigger problems.

13. Thriving on the pressure of competition.     

14. Take the right approach: Always be ready to play.

15. Accepting that competition anxiety is inevitable and knowing that you can cope with it.

16. Have passion for what you do.

17. Having an insatiable desire and internalized motives to succeed.

18. Bouncing back from performance setbacks as a result of increased determination to succeed.

19. Remaining fully focused in the face of personal life distractions.

20. Pushing back the boundaries of physical and emotional pain, while still maintaining technique and effort under distress (in training and competition).

 What do you think?  Do you think you have these qualities?  Do you think they are relevant for cheerleading?

It has been a little over a year since I launched Confident Cheerleading and my success is due to readers like you. As an expression of my thanks and to commemorate our national day of gratitude – Thanksgiving, I am offering a special price reduction on 2 of my programs.

For a short time only – until Monday, November 30th – I am offering each program for $20 less than the normal investment of $67. That’s right…instead of $67, you only pay $47!

And – as an extra special bonus, I will offer a complimentary telephone coaching session to anyone who invests in either of these programs! Simply let me know you have purchased a program and we will arrange a time to talk about anything related to the mental game of cheerleading!

Here are the 2 programs:

The first program is The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions. This is a comprehensive step-by-step mental skills training program to maximize success in cheerleading competitions.

This 2-CD audio program plus 40-page Action Guide provide you with everything you need to break through barriers, immediately improve concentration, eliminate distractions, and transform your performance.

This program will change forever the way you practice and prepare for competitions. For more information please go to the Products section of this blog or http://www.confidentcheerleading.com/competitions/.

The other program is The Mental Game of Competition: Training for Tryouts! This is a complete mental skills training system that will maximize your success on tryout day. It is a 2-CD audio program plus a 54 page Action Guide loaded with practical information and worksheets – all designed to help you get on the team you want!

Please see the Products page on this blog or go to http://confidentcheerleading.com/competitions/Tryouts-Product.html

This is my way of thanking you for your interest in Confident Cheerleading.

Whether you invest in one (or both!) of my programs or not, I truly am grateful for your continued support. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Warm regards,

Pamela (Dr. Pam)

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!

Any cheerleader and cheer coach knows that there are times when you experience too much tension.  It could be right before a big event like tryouts or competitions or just in your everyday life.  

You tense up your body in reaction to a perceived threat.  Performing in a high stakes event is experienced as threatening to you even if you aren’t consciously aware of this.  And a perceived threat leads to muscle tension along with all of the other classic flight-fight reactions.  As I’ve mentioned before, this series of events can undermine your performance so it’s wise to learn how to manage this. 

Here’s one quick technique that was described to me by Denise Maldonado, a wonderful coach with the World Cup All Stars whom I met at Cheer Ltd’s CheerConference 2 weeks ago.  (Denise was also given one of the 30 under 30 coaching awards at CheerCon!) 

This is what Denise taught her cheerleaders to do prior to a big event: 

Take a balloon and blow into it.  While you do so, imagine that you are getting rid of all your tension and anxiety and putting it into the balloon.  Once the balloon is full, tie it up and then pop it!  There goes all your fear and tension! 

I like this because it’s so simple and fun.  Denise said her team likes it, too!

If you’ve noticed that I haven’t been blogging as much lately, you’re right.  I’ve been busy getting ready to go to Cheer Ltd’s Cheer Conference in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  I leave this Wednesday evening and will be at Methodist University, in Fayetteville, until Sunday.

I will be one of the presenters and I’m excited about this.  My two talks are: The Mental Game of Cheerleading for Coaches   and The Mental Game of Cheerleading for Cheerleaders.  As you can see,  each talk is directed at a particular audience.  I will also have an exhibit booth where I will be offering free consultations so if you plan to be at the conference, please stop by and say hello!

The other exciting thing happening at CheerCon is that I will be launching 2 new training products!  One is called: The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions and the other is called The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Tryouts!

Each training program consists of a 2-CD set plus a work book or Action Guide.  The recordings are of me, teaching you everything you need to know to succeed at competitions or at tryouts. The Action Guides are meant to be used with the recordings; they contain tips and exercises and techniques  derived from sport psychology. 

I will be offering special conference pricing on these programs plus special bonuses.  If you can’t be at the conference but are interested in learning more, shoot me an email and I’ll give the first 20 people who contact me the conference pricing on these programs.