Expert: Pamela Enders - 7/2/2009

Question
I have been working on late twisting fulls in the pit for a while and I can do them in the pit well but when my coach brings me to the real floor I tend to get scared and I seem to lose all of my technique.

Answer
Hi Angela,

I'm in the middle of getting ready to go out of town for a few days vacation so I don't have time to answer your question as thoroughly as I'd like right now.  I will write to you as soon as I get back on Sunday or Monday, ok?

In the meantime, check out my blog at http://www.confidentcheerleadingblog.com where you will find lots of articles, info and tips on the mental game of cheerleading.  I also have some info on mental blocks on the blog.

I'll write as soon as I can.

Take care...

Pamela

Dear Angela,

Ok…I’m back from my little vacation so can now respond to your question.

You seem to be aware that you are spooking yourself into believing that you cannot do a twisting full on the real floor.  Realistically, if you and do it in the pit, you can do it on the floor.  In other words, you have the capability of doing a late twisting full in the pit and on the floor.  You just need to believe it!

When we are scared, it affects our ability to think and perform.  My favorite saying is, “the body does what the brain thinks.”  So if your brain is thinking, “I can’t do this,” guess what – you can’t!

A first step then might be for you to challenge your distorted thinking.  (In psychology we refer to thinking that is based on fear as “distorted” since it represents a distortion in your thought process, it does not reflect reality.)

Take a few moments and reflect on what your scary or negative thoughts are and write them down.  Go ahead – do this now!

Ok, now ask yourself if these thoughts are good for you or harmful.  They are probably harmful to you, right?  They certainly aren’t helping you!

Now consider how you might challenge these thoughts.  Ask yourself, what is the evidence to support my beliefs?  Is it really really true that you cannot do a late twisting full on the floor?  How do you know this is true?  Remind yourself that your mind is playing tricks on you.

It is more accurate for you to say, “So far I haven’t been able to do a late twisting full on the floor but I can do it in the pit so it is just a matter of time and some hard work before I’ll be able to do it on the floor.”  In other words, work to change the conversation you are having with yourself.

Now the next thing is to relax a bit.  I suspect you are tense, right?  (Fear, of course, makes us tense,)  The quickest way to relax is by focusing on your breath, specifically, your out-breath.  So….find a quiet place and close your eyes and exhale as slowly as you can.  Repeat this 3 – 5 times.  It’s important that you do this slowly and expel as much air as possible through your mouth.  Then inhale through your nose.  You will discover that you are able to take in a nice deep breath.  


Here is another way to retrain your brain. It’s a special kind of visualization that can be helpful.

1.   Find a nice quiet place and while sitting up, close your eyes.
2.   Exhale as slowly as you can 3 – 4 times.
3.   Say to yourself, “With each out-breath, I am relaxing more and more.”
4.   Once relaxed, see yourself, with your mind’s eye, in a safe place, a place you feel ultra comfortable, secure and happy.
5.   Really enjoy being in your special safe place as you continue to focus on your out-breath.
6.   Now, shift your focus and “see” yourself in your cheerleading practice spot, beginning to do a late twisting full in the pit.
7.   If you feel more than a little anxiety, stop visualizing this move and return to your safe place.
8.   Stay in your safe place until you feel calm and secure.
9.   Now, once again, see yourself in your practice spot beginning to execute a late twisting full in the pit
10.   If your anxiety level is manageable, stay with this scene, focusing on your exhale to keep calm and focused.
11.   See yourself executing the move with grace and ease and “feel” yourself enjoying it; enjoy your success.
12.   Now assign a power label or cue word for this successful execution. It can be anything.  For example, you could simply call it “success” or “good move.”
9.   Once you have your power label, visualize and feel the whole successful routine again only this time say your cue word to yourself.
10. Repeat over and over.  Each time you do this, you will be creating brain and muscle memory.  
11 If at any time your anxiety level increases too much, go back to your safe place and repeat the above steps
12. When you can “see” yourself doing a late twisting full in the pit, without too much anxiety, move the scene to the floor.
12.  Just like before, if too much anxiety pops up, go back to the pit (in your mind’s eye) or go back to your favorite place to calm down.
13. Repeat this process, each time gradually visualizing yourself executing the late twisting full on the floor, step by step, pairing the exhale and relaxation with “seeing” yourself doing it.
14. Be sure to use your cue word or positive trigger with each step you take.
15. Repeat as necessary. Keep repeating this process until the anxiety associated with visualizing the late twisting full on the floor is manageable.
16The anxiety may not disappear completely, the goal is MANAGEABLE ANXIETY.

This visualization accomplishes several things.  It helps you ease into the idea of tumbling on the floor  while minimizing your anxiety and it also engraves the successful execution of the move in your brain.  You will be training your brain to feel and think in the way you want.  You will also be learning how to control your thoughts and feelings rather than have them control you!

Now, one last thing; when you next begin to do any tumbling move, take a moment to focus, exhale slowly, say your power label to yourself and see yourself executing the move successfully. Then go ahead!

I know this has been a long response but I wanted to be thorough.  Change takes time and effort but the effort is worth it!

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Pamela