All-Star Watching Other Teams

[WisconsinIsFierce]

From when I first started cheer, my coaches always told us when we were in line waiting to go on not to watch the team performing. I guess I never thought anything much about it then, but does it mess you up to know what teams, and how good they are, you're up against? If you were to see videos of the gyms your against and think, "Dang, they're good," would that inspire you to do better or would it make you more nervous? Just curious on what others think.

 

[fierceBOWlove]

My coach did the same exact thing. I always wanted to look but then again you don't haha. In a way it made me more nervous and put more pressure on, but then again it pushes you harder.

 

[Cheer Tennessee]

As an athlete I always wanted to watch.. If the team did really good before we knew we would have to turn up the heat.. It motivated me.. But I know it also can intimidate others.. The most intimidating thing to me was waiting backstage and hearing the crowd going crazy as the other teams compete.. That always made me more nervous bc I knew we couldn't have a mistake.

 

[ptfalcons]

lol. i like this question! as a coach, I've always told my teams at competitions through warm ups that they should be focused on their team, their skills, themselves, etc. Watching other teams during that time would only distract them. So I have actually discouraged them to watch other teams if they are going through warm-ups or waiting before they go on. As a competitor, I have felt both ways. Some competitions I've wanted to watch every team that we would compete too. As I've grown older, I've adapted to trying to stay focused on what I needed to do...and watching other teams would definitely make me more nervous if they hit or fell regardless, so I usually never watch them perform, unless they are after us.

 

[Hungry]

As a coach, I've never told my girls to NOT watch. However, I do distract them backstage when we're in line so that they don't really think about it. They will ask "is that who we're against?" and I will ask them "Does it matter?" Then we sing The Confidence Song!

 

[cartwheels&cupcakes]

I've don't look personally because I'm too focused on what I'm doing. And I've been told that if someone is watching, it means they're looking if they should be scared. And the second we look, it means we're scared. So if we feel confident then we should be able to get through warm ups without looking, but hopefully everyone is looking at us

 

[Brenner]

I watch..my coaches watch..and my kids watch !

 

[hAhLe_yEaH]

We don't watch back stage the focus is on us and our performance. I coldn't care less who is performing. The focus is on you, the team, and hitting!

 

[JayySoFierce]

i feel like watching the team before won't affect my performance. you're either ready or not.

 

[wcsstilldeath]

My coach doesnt let us watch and it makes me very mad. At 17 years old, I think that I can decide for myself if I want to watch a team. If a team is really good then it makes you push harder, nervous energy can be good. If there are girls on my teams that dont want to watch they dont have too but the entire team doesnt need to miss out because of them. truth is that right before you take the floor, your going to hit it or fail, doesnt depend on who you watch.

 

[Katie]

i find it gets the little girls nervous, but the past few i went to they have a different level every other team, it was like

youth 1
junior 2
youth 1
junior 2

so it worked goood. but i do like to watch and then talk to everyone and say we need to do 11 times better. hahah

 

[Jessica]

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[ctgatormom]

I definitly watch all the teams in my daughters divison and she watches to if she can.

 

[wcdad]

Most of the time the team before you is not even in your division. your competition can be 2 or 3 ahead of you depending on the event.

 

[BSS2000]

It's just an added distraction. I know I never wanted to watch or hear how another team did, you can only worry about yourself.