5 Things to Remember Heading Into National Season of Cheer

23 Mar 5 Things to Remember Heading Into National Season of Cheer

Cheerleading is all about moving your body. But, it’s also about using your mind. Here at Danscend, we believe that training your brain is just as important as training your bodies. When cheerleaders are rocking the right mindset, they can improve their ability to remember choreography, they can increase their confidence when trying new things, and they can cultivate not only a healthier lifestyle…but also a happier one!

So, as we move into the national season of Cheer, here are five things to remember!

1. Your worth is NOT your sport. So many athletes tie their personal self-worth to their accomplishments in the gym and in competition. As you enter a new season of cheer, we encourage you to see yourselves as whole people…who just happen to cheer. When we can recognize and celebrate our attributes, hobbies, and talents that are unrelated to cheerleading, we can create a more multifaceted identity and we can make sure that we will still be okay even when a competition, practice or single skill doesn’t seem to be going so well. 
2. If someone else wins, that doesn’t mean you lose. Cheer is competitive. But, winning isn’t everything. And there are so many different ways to win. Try brainstorming all the different ways you might win in your situation and challenge yourself to think long-term and outside of the box even if the outcome isn’t necessarily what you would have hoped. 
3. Your thoughts are not always true. Did you know that a majority of most people’s thoughts are negative? Some researchers think that this is an evolved trait, but this negativity bias can get some dancers down on themselves. Sometimes our negative thought loops can impact our confidence when we’re dancing. Try jotting down your thoughts and asking yourself – are these negative thoughts 100% always true? If not, what are the positive alternatives to these thoughts? 
4. Your body is working hard. Cheerleaders can be super hard on their bodies – physically and mentally. Anybody think negative thoughts about your body on a regular basis? If you do, you’re not alone. But, we encourage you to remember that, even if they aren’t perfect, our bodies are working super hard to obey our every command. Try taking a quick moment after practice to offer your body some gratitude for its hard work. 

Confidence is learned, not born. Ever feel not-so-confident in practice or during competition? Or even in school? Guess what? Confidence is something you can learn. We tend to think of people as either confident or not. But confidence is situational. If we can trust ourselves to endure the discomfort of learning a new skill long enough, we will eventually become more confident in competition.

Photos Courtesy of Action Moments for Inside Cheer

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