All-Star Bribes For New Skills

[omgitssydthekid]

CP's gym does a sticker goal chart. Her old gym used to ring a bell when someone gained a new skill. When the bell rang all activities stopped so that the athlete could show off their new skill to everyone in the gym. Some kids couldn't wait to ring the bell and have all the attention on them. Others were a little more shy and did not want to ring the bell at all. You didn't have to ring the bell if you didn't want to. When the bell did ring everyone in the gym would get so excited and look around for who got their new skill. Once the athlete did their new skill everyone cheered and clapped then practices and activities resumed. It was nice to see the support all the athletes, coaches and parents gave to the cheerleader that gained their new skill. I actually like the bell idea almost better than the sticker chart. But I can see why some kids would find it intimidating.

I really like the bell idea! I think I saw in the twinkles documentary that WC does that! I think that's a really neat idea.


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[vannahlexis]

We had a board w all the possible skills from like a somersault to a full or a half to a full up or something with stickers. I remember trying so hard to fill it up!
We also had a white board where we'd write everyone's name and under it the skill they were working on/wanted to get before the end of the season.
At tumbling we did a thing at the end of practice called the "ring of fire" where we'd get in a circle and tumbling coach would go around and spot everyone once and if you felt confident enough to throw whatever it is you were working on the first time, you would do it in the middle of the circle. That's where I threw (and busted lol) my first back handspring

Not sure I would call these bribes but they were definitely fun little motivations!!


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[Lisa Seye]

With mine, I would tell her she could get Starbucks when she would land a skill she was capable of, but it never works lol. She is gonna try it only when she feels ready, Starbucks or not! However, when she finally lands it, she's after me for that Starbucks lol.

 

[SL&AM]

Bleh, bleh, bleh...that is the extent of my feelings.

Not sure how this is Gossip @getsum

 

[Cheerleading Is My Life]

CP's gym does a sticker goal chart. Her old gym used to ring a bell when someone gained a new skill. When the bell rang all activities stopped so that the athlete could show off their new skill to everyone in the gym. Some kids couldn't wait to ring the bell and have all the attention on them. Others were a little more shy and did not want to ring the bell at all. You didn't have to ring the bell if you didn't want to. When the bell did ring everyone in the gym would get so excited and look around for who got their new skill. Once the athlete did their new skill everyone cheered and clapped then practices and activities resumed. It was nice to see the support all the athletes, coaches and parents gave to the cheerleader that gained their new skill. I actually like the bell idea almost better than the sticker chart. But I can see why some kids would find it intimidating.

My gym does this as well. Love seeing kids so excited to land skills

 

[CFX]

I don't know about any bribes between our parents and their cps, but we've had parents threaten to take their cps out of the program if they don't get a skill. It can be frustrating if kids just aren't getting the skills in the time frame that many parents want, but other things could be going on. They may not have the strength, the flexibility or they may be suffering a mental block. I'm sure the added stress of possibly being pulled from their cheer program makes only makes it more difficult and takes all the fun out it.

 

[Lisa Seye]

We had a board w all the possible skills from like a somersault to a full or a half to a full up or something with stickers. I remember trying so hard to fill it up!
We also had a white board where we'd write everyone's name and under it the skill they were working on/wanted to get before the end of the season.
At tumbling we did a thing at the end of practice called the "ring of fire" where we'd get in a circle and tumbling coach would go around and spot everyone once and if you felt confident enough to throw whatever it is you were working on the first time, you would do it in the middle of the circle. That's where I threw (and busted lol) my first back handspring

Not sure I would call these bribes but they were definitely fun little motivations!!


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Our old gym let the kids sign the walls. All around the gym on the walls were the names of various skills and under it in permanent marker were signatures of all the kids who got the skills. The kids loved "signing the wall" and if they lost a skill they could see that there was a time when they did do it. so they knew they could get that skill back. The signature was tangible proof of their accomplishments.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

I don't know about any bribes between our parents and their cps, but we've had parents threaten to take their cps out of the program if they don't get a skill. It can be frustrating if kids just aren't getting the skills in the time frame that many parents want, but other things could be going on. They may not have the strength, the flexibility or they may be suffering a mental block. I'm sure the added stress of possibly being pulled from their cheer program makes only makes it more difficult and takes all the fun out it.

Not aimed at you, but this drives me insane. If you pull your child out of cheer because they did not make level X team (like YOU wanted them to) you are teaching them that their best effort is not good enough. The child feels shame that they are not good enough for even their parents.

The child does not choose their team. The coaches choose their team. The team is built (ideally) to be competitive in their division. Would you rather have Sally nugget in the back the whole routine and base a shoulder sit in pyramid on level 4 or get to "shine" a bit more on level 3?

Yes, kids and parents will be disappointed with their placements. But pulling your child because her best effort wasn't good enough for YOU is unfair if she is happy and enjoying cheerleading.


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[hawkeye87]

I don't know about any bribes between our parents and their cps, but we've had parents threaten to take their cps out of the program if they don't get a skill. It can be frustrating if kids just aren't getting the skills in the time frame that many parents want, but other things could be going on. They may not have the strength, the flexibility or they may be suffering a mental block. I'm sure the added stress of possibly being pulled from their cheer program makes only makes it more difficult and takes all the fun out it.

I can't imagine taking my kid out of a sport because they didn't get a skill. Way to make something not fun anymore. Parents need to get some perspective. Being the center of everything doesn't really translate into the rest of their lives. Stop comparing your kid to others and let them be who they are. (ok maybe compare if your kid is 36 living in your basement with no job or no hopes of a job or who isn't trying to get a job )

I never thought I would be that mom until I did threaten to remove my son from his pre-sport skills class because he was running around like a fool, not listening to a single word me or the teacher was saying and distracting all of the other kids in the class. Ya I am that mom with the sometimes uncontrollable little boy that you think only exists in sitcoms.

 

[CFX]

I can't imagine taking my kid out of a sport because they didn't get a skill. Way to make something not fun anymore. Parents need to get some perspective. Being the center of everything doesn't really translate into the rest of their lives. Stop comparing your kid to others and let them be who they are. (ok maybe compare if your kid is 36 living in your basement with no job or no hopes of a job or who isn't trying to get a job )

I never thought I would be that mom until I did threaten to remove my son from his pre-sport skills class because he was running around like a fool, not listening to a single word me or the teacher was saying and distracting all of the other kids in the class. Ya I am that mom with the sometimes uncontrollable little boy that you think only exists in sitcoms.

I think the example you gave is totally acceptable though, especially if other kids were becoming distracted. It happens.

The particular case I was describing was a couple years ago while an athlete was trying to get her back handspring - our tumbling coach, who is fantastic at dealing with mental blocks, discovered that the issue was the fear of going backwards and no confidence. Turns out she was far more comfortable with forward tumbling skills, so our tumbling coach had her beginning to work on front punches so that she could gain some confidence and feel like she was making progress on something, especially since everyone else was making progress. Voila, she began to make progress on both the back handspring (minor, but still, PROGRESS) and the higher-level skills. Parent still ended up pulling her for not getting that particular skill. Sad day all around.

EDIT: Not to say that seeing seeing no progress isn't frustrating as weekly tumbling privates + classes get expensive and may not be worth it, but pulling a child out of an activity they love altogether? If one cheer program doesn't work due to tumbling issues, there are other programs out there that may be better accommodating. As a coach, I just want to see your cp be involved in something they love, even if it means that our program is not right for them!

 

[Sparkscheerma]

Our old gym let the kids sign the walls. All around the gym on the walls were the names of various skills and under it in permanent marker were signatures of all the kids who got the skills. The kids loved "signing the wall" and if they lost a skill they could see that there was a time when they did do it. so they knew they could get that skill back. The signature was tangible proof of their accomplishments.

This is a cute idea.

 

[CloMom]

When CP was 3, I bribed her with a Hello Kitty toaster if she would just, at least, go stand on the soccer field.
Now, she's 13. Her reward IS the skill and seeing that hard work...works.

 

[busycrazycheermom]

the promise to raid Wawa after each practice.. (I need to buy some stocks in that company...)

Sadly... Wawa is privately held. My husband works for the company so we own shares via the employee purchase program and they've done well ... So I thank you for your contribution! And we always hit Wawa on the way home from practice too... Strawberry banana smoothies solve all problems!!

 

[Pebbles49]

Sadly... Wawa is privately held. My husband works for the company so we own shares via the employee purchase program and they've done well ... So I thank you for your contribution! And we always hit Wawa on the way home from practice too... Strawberry banana smoothies solve all problems!!

Wow, you are so lucky! I think for my daughter and I, we used any excuse to go to Wawa...To think about it, maybe it is a good thing it is privately owned,; it seems too many companies once getting IPOs, their quality and customer service goes down...JMO

 

[BrittanyCampbell96]

I'll admit to bribing IOC6 teams. Nothing major, but if they managed to get through a practice without a coach telling them to stop talking, mini chocolate bars for all. You hit your elite for the first time? Gel pens for your group.

You'd be shocked what kind of determination 20 year olds have to get a mini Oh Henry.

I'm an 18 year old in open team in Australia.. You'd be shocked at what 18-20 years olds here do for ice blocks at the end of summer practices