All-Star Mini 1

[Ice.Queen]

We made a "mini board" & were introducing it to the girls tomorrow. So so excited :) Thanks everyone for the ideas!

I coached mini one for a couple years and I loved all the sweetness that came from the girls, but getting them to listen was a challenge. For me the thing I found worked best when I wanted to give them an instruction was to bring them in and have them stand close in front of you so that they know where their attention needs to be. Then when you have them there give them short simple effective instructions. You have a small window of active listening and then their brains are gone :P
Also pointing out when someone is doing something positively goes along way. If your waiting for the team to stand clean, I like to point out the one girl doing it right by saying "thank you Lexi for being ready" or if someone is performing really well, "Ayla that’s a beautiful smile" the girls around them start to realize that these are the things you’re looking for and then they start doing them too.
Oh I just remembered my girls loved to "show and shine". We would give them time to work on a section like their stunt and then they perform it for the rest of their team. It gave them the opportunity to see what it looked like when it was done well and to see the things that you are trying to improve.

 

[Angelica]

We have that one girl on the teamsters scared and wants her mom the whole practice. We are so nervous she will run off the floor come august 29th -.-

 

[hopskipandjump]

We have that one girl on the teamsters scared and wants her mom the whole practice. We are so nervous she will run off the floor come august 29th -.-

we are doing an exhibition before a "real" competition at a very low price just for one child because of the same issue. Lots of companies would charge little to nothing to do this for your team.

 

[Angelica]

we are doing an exhibition before a "real" competition at a very low price just for one child because of the same issue. Lots of companies would charge little to nothing to do this for your team.

Oh we are too oct 29th

 

[INeverStopCheering]

This will be my third year as a Tiny coach and my second year as a Mini. I personally am not a fan of the reward system. Why should kids get a prize simply for doing what they're supposed to do. Since we have two Tiny teams, our Minis understand they're big girls. If they talk or "random tumble" (our biggest problem) they condition just like a big kid team. Our motivation is a star system. For every section of the routine they hit full out perfect they get a star we tape to the wall. When they get 5 stars we go out for ice cream after practice. It will take them quite a few practices to do this. Be critical, don't let just ok get a star

 

[Stealth6Flyer]

our kids are required to wear the same practice outfit and bow as a team, but at the end of every practice we give a best listener award and they get to wear a special bow the next practice, our mini team is coed so the boys get a bag of candy the next practice instead. they love it.

 

[icheer8796]

It's my youth 1 that drives me crazy! A floor full of inexperienced little "coaches" that can't wait to correct each other (even when they can't execute their own skills!). Aaargh!

That's exactly what I was going to say. Youth 1 is the devil. ;) They ALL think they're the boss.