U-N-I-T-Y

Bonding your team is crucial for its success.

By Brianne Carlon

Photo Credit: Carol Anderson; Michael Barnes

CBN June/July 2010

What coaches don’t always recognize is that their participation in bonding events is just as crucial as the kids participating. If coaches can take their hats off and let go, it speaks volumes to the kids.” —Tara Cain

When your cheerleaders are from different schools or regions, or are new to the program, bonding is crucial. “If teammates aren’t friends and don’t respect one another, they won’t be successful on the floor,” says Tara Cain, owner of Maryland Twisters All-Stars. “They need to trust the girl next to them.” As a gym owner and coach, it’s important to facilitate bonding directly after tryouts and continue it throughout the season, like Cain does through slumber parties and get-togethers at her house. Check out our tips for creating a tight team bond that will last, both on the competition mat and off.

All Together Now

Members of a cheerleading team need to have one another’s backs—literally. “You have to be able to trust each other, whether you’re a base or a top girl,” says Patrick Cowherd, coach and owner of Gold Star Athletics in Indianapolis, IN. Cain agrees: “If a team is divided, it’s a formula for disaster. With large teams there can sometimes be 36 different personalities. But when people know the value of others on their team, they’ll be able to bounce back faster and easier from those differences.” This is where bonding comes into play. And as the coach, it’s your job to facilitate it. “I don’t expect my team to hang out on the weekends,” Cain says, “but I do expect them to respect each member for who they are.”

Ready, Set, Bond

There are plenty of ways to bond your squad. “Any activity outside the gym will be good for bonding,” says Cain, whose team participates in everything from bowling, pizza parties and sleepovers to group dinners, movies and trips to Six Flags. Summers are the perfect time for team pool parties, barbecues, group hikes, lock-ins and camping trips. “If you can get everyone to agree to make an appearance, they usually end up staying,” Cowherd says.

Step 1 All-Stars athletes shower each other with praise to strengthen their bond.

If you were around for NCA camp in the 1990s, you might know about a great bonding technique called a “shower of praise.” Team members line up facing one another, then one athlete is showered with praise from each member of her team as she moves down the line. “We do this at the beginning of the year and then at Worlds,” says Nick Eichler, program director of Step 1 Allstars in Columbus, OH. “It turns out to be a two-hour sob fest because the athletes have learned about each other and are closer and more united.” Eichler also recently tried a newer technique that’s similar to a ropes course. Teams complete mental and physical tasks that help to develop problem-solving, innovation, shared leadership and communication skills. “It has nothing to do with cheerleading,” Eichler says. “Everyone laughs and has a great time without thinking about routines or stunts.” Cain also leads her athletes in conditioning games at the end of practice. “If you turn exercise into races or partner races, it forces them to be involved with one another,” she says.
Fundraising can be helpful too. “Each team at Maryland Twisters is responsible for raising $1,000 for our special needs teams,” Cain says. “They do car washes or jump-a-thons. That way they’re being philanthropic and bonding at the same time!” Cowherd also hosts community service events at his gym. “We recently held a bowling event and sold raffle tickets to raise money for the mentally challenged,” he says. Teams can really connect when they come together for the greater good.
Whatever you choose, do it quickly. “Start bonding as soon as possible,” says Eichler. “This will create unity early on, and the cheerleaders will feel like they’re part of something bigger than just a routine. They’ll feel more committed and more likely to come to practice.”

You’re Included

“What coaches don’t always recognize is that their participation in bonding events is just as crucial as the kids participating,” Cain says. “If coaches can take their hats off and let go, it speaks volumes to the kids.” She suggests talking to your athletes in order to find out what will motivate them. “As coaches, we may get caught in the same thought process,” she says. “Sometimes getting athletes out of their comfort zones is the best way to bond. Bowling or roller skating is always fun because they aren’t used to doing it.”
Getting involved can benefit you in other ways, too. “You may not know everything about a person, but you can get to know a girl’s moods and her body language,” Cowherd says. “Then, if she’s having a bad day, you can identify it and figure out how to help her. This will definitely come in handy at practice.”
The bottom line is that athletes need to know you care about them. Eichler sends encouraging text messages to his athletes before a big weekend. “We get them pumped up and excited. The kids will even write back,” he says. “It’s fun to have those excited conversations on a Friday night.”
Parental bonding is also important. Eichler says parents too, receive texts like, “Are you ready to fill the stands and make some noise?” Most parents love to get involved and become a team of their own. “They take pride in setting up plans or making goody bags for the kids. They cook for events together, too,” Cowherd says. “It makes it easier for the kids to come together if they see their parents doing it.”
Everyone—athletes, parents and coaches—are coming together for one single score, so bonding is imperative. “Because they know that they can count on each member of the team, they know they have someone to answer to other than themselves,” Eichler says. “They leave everything out on the floor and finish with a sense of pride. The reward from their peers is remarkable.”

Two Bonding Games to Try

Pam Headridge, former coach of Oak Harbor HS, president of the Washington State Cheer Coaches Association, and one of the industry’s most celebrated coaches, shares a few of her bonding games. Try these early in the season or to break the tension after a tough practice.

Cheerleader Tic-Tac-Toe: You need nine chairs set up in three rows. Divide the squad into X’s and O’s. Like regular tic-tac-toe, the X’s and O’s alternates turns, asking questions about the rules of football, basketball or any other sport. Each cheerleader must raise her hand to answer. If she’s right, then she sits in one of the chairs. The first team to get three in a row, diagonally, vertically or horizontally, wins.

Toxic River: Everyone is on one side. Measure a space about five feet wide and call it a toxic river. You want the whole squad to cross in as few trips as possible. They aren’t allowed to cross the toxic river without a special pair of boots, and there’s only one pair of boots. Each person can use the boots only once. The boots cannot be tossed over the river. Each person has to personally give the boots to the next person, and if they touch the toxic waste without the boots, the team must start over. Hint: Carrying people over is the key.