High School After Bad Performance, What Helps You Get Past It?

[Big_Sis]

( Since it's my first year coaching, I tend to ask a lot of questions like this )

Ok, so we had 2 dropped stunts and a major bobble (3 different flyers!) at our Showcase this weekend. The squad was really down and one of the flyers was crying. I want to hug them & tell them everything's ok but at the same time I know they need to work hard at practice this week to make sure it hits before we leave for nationals. How do I comfort without coddling? What would comfort YOU but also make you want to work hard to improve? I feel like a few of them are feeling defeated and their attitudes might start rubbing off on the rest yknow?

The head coach is pretty cut n dried and doesn't make nice about anything so I'd like to do a little good cop/bad cop - she can bring the hammer down and I can just be encouraging & positive. But maybe that's not what works, idk. Still new to this soooo ... would like to hear from the girls! Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[cheer51]

I don't know if this will help, but in 16 years of coaching, I don't think I've ever had a "perfect" showcase day before nationals. It's their last performance in front of people before they do the real thing, and they are so so nervous. It's down to the wire now. That's why we do the showcase…to get those jitters out. It usually propels my team to have an amazing week of practice while we are down there, because they realize the routine isn't automatic. Lots of times we've been perfect in practice for weeks before our showcase, only to have two or three drops on the day of. If you have any practices this week before you leave, tell them that you want to leave for nationals with an exclamation mark not a question mark. They need to make a statement now, and not wait to make it on the floor Saturday.

 

[Big_Sis]

I don't know if this will help, but in 16 years of coaching, I don't think I've ever had a "perfect" showcase day before nationals.

I was a dancer for years and that's what I told the flyer who was crying - that it's common knowledge among dancers & theater people that a bad dress rehearsal = great performance! I don't know why but it always seems to work out that way...

Thanks for that line about leaving on an exclamation, I like that! Definitely gonna tell the girls that in practice this week.

 

[BrettMiddleton]

I was in GLCC Showdown in Chicago last week with some really great All-Star cheer programs, and a LOT of them had off days. Every team does. The best part about cheerleading is there is always another competition, always another chance to step up and do your best. It's like any other sport, the day after a bad competition you can talk about what went wrong and try to improve it, after that all your focus is on the next event.