Stressed

[Coach Sara]

Not that I disagree with 12step but our gym previously has brought Justin Su'a to our gym to provide us with workshops (parents and athletes) he is apparently some big name guy as far as a sports psychologist, mental toughness and the people he deals with. (NFL, MLB, dancing with the stars)

He also talked a lot not just about performing and practicing your best but about being mentally ready. He suggested that we do things like she mentioned above. Now they aren't doing this at practice when they could be practicing but when they are waiting for warmups to start at NCA where there is limited room. Before other comps to get them in the mindset of performing and hitting their routine. Speaking just to my daughter and a few other girls on the team they said they really imagine selling and performing their routine before they go on the floor. They said it's also relaxing and easy to get their mind where it needs to be!!

They usually just close their eyes and do the motions but all the parents love when we see what gets to go into this. This pic was right before they started the music...

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Also not sure if this works but this is the year before at NCA- idk if it will play?^^^

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Love that your gym is doing this! Mental prep is so important and should complement physical prep so it's great the teams are integrating this! Mental toughness training/ sport psychology fits in well with cheer!

 

[Official OWECheer]

Maybe it's just the painkillers I'm on but this makes me chuckle.

A former gym we were with was quite dedicated to "mental walk throughs" before a full out. Kids has to lay on the mat and visualize themselves hitting their routine, rather than actually just practicing the routine.

We were national champions....in our minds.

I don't claim to be a coach but I think muscle memory might be better established through physical repetition. As an educator I can say self-esteem and confidence are built through accomplishing something difficult, not so much imagining yourself accomplishing it.

The mental aspect is huge, though. Physical repetition is obviously crucial, but can only go so far.

 

[TheDivineCheerYaYaSecret]

CP has been mentally visualizing how she is to tumble since she started working on her running tuck. Now she will do that and video herself physically performing the activity and compare the video with her mental image. It seems to have a powerful effect.

 

[12stepCheermom]

The mental aspect is huge, though. Physical repetition is obviously crucial, but can only go so far.

Not saying it isn't but I wasn't a fan of using actual practice time to do it. Sounds like a great strategy for a kid to do on their own time. Using actual practice time to do mental walk throughs (including warm up time at a competition) was not my idea of time well spent

Of course this is the same program that used 70 minutes of a 2 hour practice the week of CHEERSPORT to "talk" to the kids about what they needed to do on the mat. They threw one full out that week. We finished dead last.

ETA: after multiple experiences like that it became a running joke with the parents for the number of imaginary jackets our kids got.

 

[CheerBank]

Not saying it isn't but I wasn't a fan of using actual practice time to do it. Sounds like a great strategy for a kid to do on their own time. Using actual practice time to do mental walk throughs (including warm up time at a competition) was not my idea of time well spent.

Definitely seems more fitted for a "before you go to bed at night" thing. Former cp's coach used to tell the kids she would do that every night and not let herself go to sleep until she visualized it perfectly all the way through from start to finish. But instead of actual practice time when at the gym? No bueno unless it's for a break.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Definitely seems more fitted for a "before you go to bed at night" thing. Former cp's coach used to tell the kids she would do that every night and not let herself go to sleep until she visualized it perfectly all the way through from start to finish. But instead of actual practice time when at the gym? No bueno unless it's for a break.

I know cp14 used to do it on her own apparently (not sure if she still does, that's her business and I learned a long time ago to stop pushing) because one day I went to wake her up for school and she got mad at me because apparently I interrupted her right in the middle of the pyramid and "now I have to start all over!!!!"

Oh. The drama.

 

[TheDivineCheerYaYaSecret]

Agree that it is an individual thing. I wouldn't really like it if the mental visualization was happening team wide during practice in terms of the whole routine. I do think that during practice CP goes through her tumbling mentally just before she goes. I'm good with that.

 

[cheernerd5678]

We used to do mental run through at practice on occasion, but it wasn't something that took up a lot of time. It would be like full out, then mental run through right away as a break before going full out again. It only takes 2:30 so if you just do it once it's really not keeping you from your practice.

 

[mamabear]

I know some teams who do it on the bus ride there or in the hallway before taking the mats. It seems like a centering technique that might be helpful; but I think my head would explode if cp's team spent a lot of practice time doing it.

 

[12stepCheermom]

We used to do mental run through at practice on occasion, but it wasn't something that took up a lot of time. It would be like full out, then mental run through right away as a break before going full out again. It only takes 2:30 so if you just do it once it's really not keeping you from your practice.

When you do more of those than actual full outs I think your balance is a bit off. Speaking from experience.

 

[12stepCheermom]

I know some teams who do it on the bus ride there or in the hallway before taking the mats. It seems like a centering technique that might be helpful; but I think my head would explode if cp's team spent a lot of practice time doing it.

It's basically the maddest an entire parent section has ever been. Several of us just walked outside. 70 minutes sitting on the mat talking and visualizing their performance in the last practice before our first CHEERSPORT. They did one full out. It was a disaster. It wasn't a surprise to any of us that we finished 7/7 but it was hard driving down there knowing that was coming. Then the coach in question (after awards) looks at my piping mad cp16 (if you've ever seen him compete he takes this &@"$ seriously) and says "well you didn't actually expect to come down here and win did you?"

I actually thought I was going to have to hold him back.

 

[driverto6]

It's basically the maddest an entire parent section has ever been. Several of us just walked outside. 70 minutes sitting on the mat talking and visualizing their performance in the last practice before our first CHEERSPORT. They did one full out. It was a disaster. It wasn't a surprise to any of us that we finished 7/7 but it was hard driving down there knowing that was coming. Then the coach in question (after awards) looks at my piping mad cp16 (if you've ever seen him compete he takes this &@"$ seriously) and says "well you didn't actually expect to come down here and win did you?"

I actually thought I was going to have to hold him back.

Bad Coach!!!!


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[12stepCheermom]

Bad Coach!!!!


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I know no one really gets my POV on this, but this is the experience that makes me side eye using practice time for anything other than practice.

 

[TheDivineCheerYaYaSecret]

I know no one really gets my POV on this, but this is the experience that makes me side eye using practice time for anything other than practice.

I completely understand. Mental visualization is an individual thing, unless there is a team out there that has the capability to communicate mentally!! In the case of what you experienced I would have been right there with you in thought. There just isn't any excuse for that. The coach would not have been my favorite person and I completely understand the frustration.

 

[12stepCheermom]

I completely understand. Mental visualization is an individual thing, unless there is a team out there that has the capability to communicate mentally!! In the case of what you experienced I would have been right there with you in thought. There just isn't any excuse for that. The coach would not have been my favorite person and I completely understand the frustration.

My kids are actually looking more forward to going back to CHEERSPORT this year than even going to NCA. They both want to redeem themselves from that experience. Cp14 finished 10/15 (j4) and was crossing to cp16s 7/7 (jc3). CP14 especially has already said that jacket is her goal this year.