AboutPamela Enders Expertise I can answer all questions related to the mental game of cheerleading including how to manage or eliminate mental blocks; how to mentally prepare for tryouts and competitions; how to understand and manage conflict on on squads; anything related to the psychology of cheerleading and coaching.
Experience I am a sports psychology coach and have been a psychologist for 30 years. I am on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. I have a blog called www.confidentcheerleadingblog.com. I have created a training program called The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions and I am working on several other programs and a book. I will be a featured presenter at the CheerCon Conference in May, 2009.
Education/Credentials I have a Ph.D. in psychology and have been a psychologist for 30 years.
Question I have been cheerleading for 7 years and I have always struggled with tumbling. I can do a round off backhandspring on a spring floor but now I have to be able to do it on a normal mat for my other team. Today at practice, I was fine doing it with a spot and with her even being like two feet away not even touching me but just incase I did do something crazy during my tumbling and she could save me. But I just couldn't get my self do it on that mat by myself. Everytime I would tell my self go, throw it but I would just do the roundoff. It got really aggervating and frustrating. I really would just like be able to be confident with tumbling and just be able to whip it out whenever like a lot of girls on my team. please help!
Emily
Answer Dear Emily,
I’m glad you wrote to me! You may or may not know this but lots of cheerleaders struggle with tumbling – especially anything that requires you to go backwards. Going backwards is not a natural thing to do so there is some fear that seems to be built in and that needs to be overcome.
I can appreciate how frustrating this is for you especially because you know you can do it!
Based on what you said, it sounds like the problem is with the way you are thinking about the situation. You see, we are always creating stories in our heads about what has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen. The stories we create however, may not be based on fact! The problem is we react to our stories AS IF they were true!
For example, right now you are able to do a round off BHS on the spring floor or when there is a spotter but you “can’t” do so otherwise. The mechanics are the same, right? I mean the way a person executes a move is the same physically with or without a spotter, right? So, the problem is what you are telling yourself – or, your story.
Only you know what your story is but I suspect it goes something like this:
“I can only tumble well when I’m on a spring floor.” Or – “I cannot tumble well on my own.” Or – “I will fall if I try tumbling on my own.” Does this sound familiar?
You are spooking yourself into believing that you cannot tumble well without a spotter or on the mat. Realistically, if you can do it with a spotter, you can do it alone. In other words, you have the capability of tumbling well alone; 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 ever tumble alone? 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 tumble well without a spotter but I can do it with a spotter so it is just a matter of time and some hard work before I’ll be able to do it alone.” 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 back handspring with your coach or spotter.
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 BHS with your spotter.
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.”
13. Once you have your power label, visualize and feel the whole successful routine again only this time say your cue word to yourself.
14. Repeat over and over. Each time you do this, you will be creating brain and muscle memory.
15. If at any time your anxiety level increases too much, go back to your safe place and repeat the above steps
16. When you can “see” yourself doing a BHS with your coach spotting you, without too much anxiety, move the scene to doing it alone.
17. Just like before, if too much anxiety pops up, go back to working with a spotter (in your mind’s eye) or go back to your favorite place to calm down.
18. Repeat this process, each time gradually visualizing yourself executing the BHS alone, step by step, pairing the exhale and relaxation with “seeing” yourself doing it.
19. Be sure to use your cue word or positive trigger with each step you take.
20. Repeat as necessary. Keep repeating this process until the anxiety associated with visualizing doing the BHS alone is manageable.
21. The anxiety may not disappear completely, the goal is MANAGEABLE ANXIETY.
This visualization accomplishes several things. It helps you ease into the idea of doing a BHS alone 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!
You might want to share this with your coach so he or she can see what you are trying to accomplish.
