Here is a question that we receive A LOT from cheerleading coaches:
Q: Help! I am a new coach and I need some help in motivating my cheerleaders during practice and to get them to take it seriously.
A: This is a concern for EVERY Coach as you are not alone if you find yourself looking at your team half way through practice and asking them to pay attention, stop talking or to get back in formation – lol! Here are some ideas to help get your girls motivated and interested in your practice:
- Set Season and Daily Goals for your season and have your team set them with you. At the beginning of practice, remind your team of the season goals that THEY set and then set goals for that practice to help them stay focused on your outcome. Athletes generally perform better if they know what they are working toward.
- Give REWARDS!!!! At the beginning of practice, give your team a reward if they accomplish __________________ during your practice. Here are reward examples:
- Everyone will receive a piece of candy if you get through your new chant with stunts.
- Your next practice will have a fun theme.
- Play a game or do a fun team building activity.
- Give out a “Spirit Stick” or team Mascot Stuffed Animal to take home to the most outstanding cheerleader that day.
- Give Compliments throughout your practice!!! Let your athletes know you notice their hard work and generally this will motivate them to work even harder. Also, their self pride from your compliment will motivate them too.
- Delegate Tasks during practice so your athletes will take responsibility of your practice. Remember no task is too small to delegate and to have your athletes feel a part of your team. Here are some ideas:
- Choose 3 people to call the cheers and chants that day.
- Choose a few people to make sure your formations are correct.
- Choose a few people to be in charge of the poms that practice.
- Choose “Stunt Group Captains” – pick 1 person in each stunt group to count for that group.
- Put small groups together to be in charge of fun activities for each practice.
- Make Practice FUN!!! Play games as a reward or have themes for your practice. For example, get 15 to 20 minutes of curriculum done and then play a 5 minute team building game.
- Make New Friends! Make sure that every athlete on your team makes new friends, or strengthens new bonds with their teammates at every practice. If your athletes feel bonded to each other, they are more likely to practice harder so they will not let down their teammates..
For tons of team building and motivation ideas, check out all of the resources on CheerleadingCoachingCenter.com – JOIN HERE 🙂
Have Fun!
Val
