Take stock of your teams’ goals, and create strategies for communicating with cheerleaders who require a little extra TLC.
By Jennifer Renée Smith
CBN Dec/Jan 2010
It’s vital to change athletes’ daily take on things and reignite their passion in order to make it through those last four months [of the season].” —Julie Czuchna, Cheer Central Suns
At the beginning of the season, it’s hard not to notice how psyched your cheerleaders are about bonding with their new teammates, learning fresh material and verbalizing the goals they hope to achieve. However, after several months of working on the same routine and skill drills with the same people, some athletes may become complacent, and if you’re not careful about keeping tabs on their vibes, this ho-hum attitude can spread and affect even the most upbeat members of your team.
The midpoint of your season—as the biggest competitions on your calendar are fast approaching—is a great time to reflect on what is and isn’t working, as well how each athlete is progressing, both physically and psychologically.
Here are some steps to help you evaluate your program and athletes and, if need be, to revitalize their efforts so everyone performs at his or her best during the second half of the year.
Step 1: Sweat the Small Stuff
One of the easiest ways to gauge the enthusiasm and commitment level of individuals is to simply pay attention, not only on the floor but also in the lobby, on breaks and during team outings.
“Little things, such as showing up late to practice, not wearing the appropriate attire and missing classes, are red flags that indicate interest levels are starting to dwindle,” says Becky Herrera, owner of CheerForce in Simi Valley, CA. “Trust me, an excited and motivated athlete will arrive early, be dressed and most likely be at the gym every single day their parents let them.”
Molly Christianson, a coach at Dakota Spirit All-Stars in Sioux Falls, SD, recommends observing whether or not athletes are smiling during practices, interacting with others during water breaks, working hard during conditioning sessions and participating in team activities outside of the gym.
Step 2: Enforce Accountability
“As a coach, you can’t just set a goal for an athlete or a team and then leave them until the ‘due date,’” says Julie Czuchna, owner of Cheer Central Suns in Broomfield, CO. “Keep the vision in front of the athletes. Athletes need to know where they’re going and what they’re going to do to get there in order to practice with direction. When you can channel all this in the same direction as a team, this is when real progress happens.”
To create a sense of accountability among her Senior Unlimited Coed Level 5 team members, Czuchna has the athletes write down their most important goal and how they plan to personally make sure they achieve it (i.e., come to open gym or throw 10 reps of the desired skill into the pit or off the rod floor before or after practice). Next, the athletes have to read his or her goal aloud to the team, then they’re assigned “accountability partners” to help them accomplish their goals.
“We let it be known that if an athlete is not on track to meeting his or her goal, we not only hold the athlete accountable, but we also put responsibility on their partner. This kind of positive peer pressure enhances teamwork,” says Czuchna. “One of our teams even went as far as making an “extra hours” poster with each athlete’s name on it. Each member placed a star next to his or her name for every extra hour spent in the gym.”
To round out the plan, Czuchna sets a short period of time to work on a goal and a “goal date,” when athletes have the opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve achieved. “On that date, athletes who achieve their goals are sent to the Winners Circle, giving them a sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as praising them and recognizing their efforts in front of their entire team,” she says.
Step 3: Curb Burn Out
“I find that our athletes get burnt-out or lose focus around January,” says Herrera. “We push to learn a routine, but then they sometimes lose sight of their goals and either slack off on attaining new skills or stop progressing. It’s vital to change their daily take on things and reignite their passion in order to make it through those last four months.”
To keep things fresh, Herrera suggests surprising a team you fear may be on the verge of a funk with an impromptu social outing on their scheduled practice day. “When the kids see that the coaches care enough to motivate them, the results take care of themselves.”
Another way to shake things up is to invite another gym’s team to interact with yours. “We actually had a gym from about 90 miles away bring one of their teams to our gym just to give the athletes something fun to do,” says Herrera. “We coordinated it with the same age group at our gym, and everyone had a great time.”
On the individual level, Herrera tries to reposition athletes who show signs of ennui by giving them a different tumbling pass or a new spot in a formation. “Usually, athletes who feel they’re not ‘necessary’ to their team’s success will slowly disconnect their emotions from the team and may eventually quit—or at the very least not return next season.”
Step 4: Set Up Face-To-Face Feedback
All-star cheerleading is a group activity, but each team is made up of individuals who may need a little reinforcement every now and then. And since the progress of each member will strengthen the team as a whole, you may find it beneficial to carve out time to check in with members individually to talk about their progress and allow them to express their joys and frustrations.
“I like to sit down with my athletes one-on-one for a ‘mini review’ shortly before our biggest competitions to talk about what they’re doing great and which areas they can work on. I also ask them to encourage a specific person who may be struggling, whether with cheer or outside the gym,” says Christianson. “Although it’s time-consuming to meet with 25 cheerleaders for 15 to 20 minutes, the reward is great and the time is well spent. They love the personal attention that we coaches are willing to give them, especially during a time when so many coaches are pushing and pushing in order to perfect things for the upcoming competition.”
Christianson has found that by establishing a monthly schedule, her athletes are less likely to be surprised or nervous about being pulled aside after practice. “I also like to follow up with an e-mail, text or note that focuses on the strengths of the athlete, so she can read it when things are tough or not going as well. When I’ve gotten good news or really want to brag and encourage the athlete, I will copy her parents on my e-mail so they, too, can praise the child.”
Step 5: Put Things in Perspective
Becoming familiar with your cheerleaders’ goals can help you foresee how an individual may feel about necessary changes to the team or routine and put you in a position to turn a perceived negative into a positive.
“I have a cheerleader who wants to cheer for a specific university,” says Christianson. “Although she’s been a top girl for other teams in the past, this year the team needs her to base. She was very disappointed by the news. However, when I presented the new position as an opportunity for her to round out her cheer skills and tied it to her ultimate goal of cheering for this particular university, she became more willing to accept the new responsibility. This also provided us with an opportunity to discuss what it means to be on a team and what personal sacrifices she was willing to make in order to help the team be successful.”
On the flipside, Christianson has also found herself in a position where she had to help an athlete recognize that her goal may be unrealistic. When this situation happens, Christianson finds it helpful to ask questions, such as:
• What do you think it will take in order to achieve this goal?
• What sacrifices might you have to make?
• Are you willing to make those sacrifices?
• What do you hope to gain by achieving this goal?
After taking time to consider their responses, Christianson says athletes usually find that it wasn’t the goal they really wanted. “Many times the athlete is looking for acceptance or acknowledgement and thinks that only by becoming a top girl or cheering on a certain team will she gain acceptance,” she says. “In those cases, we need to find other ways to fulfill her ultimate need.”
Parent Poll
Although you may be focused primarily on your athletes during this time of year, you might also want to utilize this midpoint moment to check in with their parents. Create a feedback form with fields that prompt them to voice their opinions, share suggestions and raise questions. If they don’t speak up, then they have no reason to complain to you or members of your staff later in the season.
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