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.