College Keeping Cheerleaders Motivated After Nationals...

[Bruce Villetti]

To all of the college coaches and cheerleaders out there...

For schools who do not have the most successful spring sports, how do you keep your cheerleaders motivated to continue to be the best cheerleader they can be after they have already competed?

UCA nationals is in January, NCA is in April, so this is mainly for UCA college teams. It seems that a lot of cheerleaders on teams that compete at UCA kind of "check out" after nationals, even though they have many responsibilities after competition. Just looking for a little help continuing to keep cheerleaders motivated in the spring semester for schools that don't have strong spring sports.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Required team workouts, open gyms, exhibition at local competitions...

 

[Kentucky Girl]

Keep in mind, the UCA/UDA College Nationals take place in January right in the midst of the basketball season. On the other hand, the NCA/NDA College Nationals take place in April (after basketball season is over). Thus, there is less pressure when it comes to competing at NCA/NDA.

 

[ztaprincess]

Keep in mind, the UCA/UDA College Nationals take place in January right in the midst of the basketball season. On the other hand, the NCA/NDA College Nationals take place in April (after basketball season is over). Thus, there is less pressure when it comes to competing at NCA/NDA.

Basketball season isn't over several of those NCA squads because it is right at the end of the NCAA tournment so they are preparing for nationals all while traveling all over the US to cheer on their teams. I believe it was in 2009 when Louisville Small Coed left directly from St. Louis to Daytona to compete. While cheering the women's tourney they were holding practices at a local all star gym.

 

[Kentucky Girl]

Basketball season isn't over several of those NCA squads because it is right at the end of the NCAA tournment so they are preparing for nationals all while traveling all over the US to cheer on their teams. I believe it was in 2009 when Louisville Small Coed left directly from St. Louis to Daytona to compete. While cheering the women's tourney they were holding practices at a local all star gym.

Thank for clarifying that, ztaprincess.

 

[MissBee]

Keep in mind, the UCA/UDA College Nationals take place in January right in the midst of the basketball season. On the other hand, the NCA/NDA College Nationals take place in April (after basketball season is over). Thus, there is less pressure when it comes to competing at NCA/NDA.

Pressure is the same no matter which college nationals your team goes to. You could also argue that UCA is during most college's winter break and NCA is in the last third of the semester-so less pressure then. Also UCA is during the regular basketball season, which teams don't travel to away games. NCA is during the Tournament (so if your team advances, not only are you cheering-but the games typically require considerable travel).

 

[Mightymouse34]

Keep in mind, the UCA/UDA College Nationals take place in January right in the midst of the basketball season. On the other hand, the NCA/NDA College Nationals take place in April (after basketball season is over). Thus, there is less pressure when it comes to competing at NCA/NDA.

Um being an NCA cheerleader and having competed twice I have to strongly disagree. With basketball season in full swing with Men's and Women's conference tournaments and trying to get ready for competition time, stress is at an ultimate high. Our Men's and Women's team made it to the finals in our conference tournament, which led to me missing a whole week of school. And the following week I had to make up all that work on top of getting ready for missing another whole week of school due to college nationals. All while performing at showoffs and exhibitions on the weekends. So to say the least I was beyond stressed out and the pressure was very high.

 

[ScottyB]

Um being an NCA cheerleader and having competed twice I have to strongly disagree. With basketball season in full swing with Men's and Women's conference tournaments and trying to get ready for competition time, stress is at an ultimate high. Our Men's and Women's team made it to the finals in our conference tournament, which led to me missing a whole week of school. And the following week I had to make up all that work on top of getting ready for missing another whole week of school due to college nationals. All while performing at showoffs and exhibitions on the weekends. So to say the least I was beyond stressed out and the pressure was very high.

Outside of Louisville and UNC, how many NCA/NDA teams usually go far into the tournament? Most teams in the NCAA tourney are done by the last weekend in March (Final Four being first weekend of April). Additionally, many of the UCA squads are in the middle of Mens and Womens basketball with rollover from Football if their team goes to a bowl game. Pressure wise theyre similar but different, any argument related to UCA college vs NCA college is silly and no one will ever win it...

But for the athletes, keeping them proactive and motivated is the key to carrying their spirits over to the next season. Putting the pressure of tryouts on them, gets them into the gym months in advance and pushes many to work new skills they hadn't during the year. When cheering basketball games we always made our kids push their skills to the max for basketball games (which is simple but hard now cuz of the rules-- transitions, moving pyramids, whips and kick layouts for tumbling)

 

[ztaprincess]

Both NCA and UCA are extremely stressful, one isn't more stressful then the other to those athletes. People are just trying to build a case for NCA since the poster basically said that NCA has no stress. :cow:

 

[ScottyB]

:cow: the cow is perfect

 

[Mightymouse34]

Outside of Louisville and UNC, how many NCA/NDA teams usually go far into the tournament? Most teams in the NCAA tourney are done by the last weekend in March (Final Four being first weekend of April). Additionally, many of the UCA squads are in the middle of Mens and Womens basketball with rollover from Football if their team goes to a bowl game. Pressure wise theyre similar but different, any argument related to UCA college vs NCA college is silly and no one will ever win it...

But for the athletes, keeping them proactive and motivated is the key to carrying their spirits over to the next season. Putting the pressure of tryouts on them, gets them into the gym months in advance and pushes many to work new skills they hadn't during the year. When cheering basketball games we always made our kids push their skills to the max for basketball games (which is simple but hard now cuz of the rules-- transitions, moving pyramids, whips and kick layouts for tumbling)

there was no argument made about UCA vs NCA. I was simply correcting Kentucky Girl for her once again mis-informed statement

 

[0riginal]

During high school cheer, my coach always said tryouts were year round. I think that some great college cheerleaders think if they're on the team, they're on the team - but there are many girls working hard to replace them. I think being reminded of that would be a GREAT motivator if I was a college cheerleader. Maybe a little harsh, but everyone should have to prove themselves!

 

[Bruce Villetti]

Both NCA and UCA are extremely stressful, one isn't more stressful then the other to those athletes. People are just trying to build a case for NCA since the poster basically said that NCA has no stress. :cow:

I wasn't implying anything about UCA or NCA. I was trying to get at the fact that there is an entire semester aft UCA nationals, and less than a month after NCA nationals (and basketball season has ended by NCA). In my past, keeping cheerleaders motivated for the spring sports is harder, because the excitement of football season and competition has already passed, and our basketball games aren't very popular.

Just looking for fresh ideas to boost motivation to cheer wholeheartedly for an entire semester after football and nationals.

 

[ztaprincess]

I wasn't implying anything about UCA or NCA. I was trying to get at the fact that there is an entire semester aft UCA nationals, and less than a month after NCA nationals (and basketball season has ended by NCA). In my past, keeping cheerleaders motivated for the spring sports is harder, because the excitement of football season and competition has already passed, and our basketball games aren't very popular.

Just looking for fresh ideas to boost motivation to cheer wholeheartedly for an entire semester after football and nationals.

It wasn't aimed at you, I understood exactly where you were coming from.