“One more time!” it is the dreaded phrase every team hears their coach say over and over again, even when they don’t really mean one more time at all! But what happens when you are at the point in your season when you have made all your routine adjustments, you have performed it several times for a crowd, and all that’s left to do is run it repeatedly to make sure skills are consistently hitting for your competition season. Many teams seem to hit a mental and physical wall at this point in the year and need ways to keep working their routine without it becoming too boring. When a cheerleading team feels they are just “going through the motions” due to repetitions of a routine they need a way to keep things fun and exciting.
Here are a few ways I like to keep my team focused and having fun mid competition season!
Make a game out of it! Have each stunt group run through the routine separately.
- Round 1- which group has the best facials/performance
- Round 2- which group hit all their stunts/tumbling
- The winning group gets a goodie bag at the end of practice.
Go 10 for 10
Pick a skill or whatever may need some focused work- Partner stunts, dance, pyramid, tumbling, jumps, etc. and have the team work together to get every group or individual to hit the skill 10 out of 10 tries. This gives the group something to focus their energy on directly rather than running the routine repeatedly. It also will amaze you to see how the team pulls together to push one another to nail their skills while becoming very consistent!
Play Some Games:
One of our favorite things to do mid competition season is playing games between full outs. It breaks up the routine of practice and gives everyone something fun to look forward to outside of their normal work. We even like to replace conditioning some days with games like ‘Ships and Sailors’ because they have a crazy amount of fun yet get a good warm up in!
Take a Day Off for Some Team Bonding
What’s better than surprising your hard working team with a fun day off instead of practicing. Take the team bowling, to see a movie, or plan a fun wing night! When a team is having fun together it shows through their performances on the mat!
Stuck in a rut trying to make practices and the rest of this season just a little more exciting? We’ve got you covered. Check out the team training programs and get ready to receive new workouts, fit tips and motivation each week! Finish out the season strong, we’re here to help.
Hope you find these tips and tricks helpful and have a happy, healthy, and fun competition season!
XoXo.
Your Ambassador,
–Natalie
Meet Your Ambassador:
Natalie was a 7 season varsity cheerleader in high school as well as a competitive dancer since the age of 3. She then went on to become an NFL Cheerleader for the Buffalo Bills where she was awarded Rookie of the Year honors and was named a Co Captain in her second season. After retiring from the Jill’s, she moved back to her home town to become the head cheerleading coach for Maine Endwell High School and fitness enthusiast. In three years as coach of her team, they have won back to back STAC Championships as well as winning the Co-Ed State title this winter.