Now as you, my readers, know, this blog is all about the mental game of cheerleading but, as we females know, and as silly as it may seem, a bad hair day can become a negative distraction and hence, may affect your performance!

So here’s the scoop about these products. Many of you use curling irons or straightening irons that use a lot of heat.  Ouch!  This can be bad for your hair but Salon Grafix has a solution.  Their Heat Protect Spray is designed to protect your lovely locks from hair appliances that reach temperatures up to 450 degrees! What’s more, the spray will hold your do even in 90% humidity.  The cost is only $7.99 and it’s available in all CVS and Rite-Aid stores across the US. (Caveat: I have not personally tried this product.)

A common problem cheerleaders have is maintaining a nice, fresh feel to the hair after a hot, sweaty practice session.  Well, the Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo is just the ticket.  Plus it comes in a convenient 1-ounce travel size so you can carry it with you everywhere.  I tried this product and thought it did a good job of freshening up my hair after a sweaty workout.

When I’ve been at cheer competitions, I see curls everywhere and know that many of you find it challenging to maintain those curls without them drooping or turning into frizz.  The answer can be found at your local drug store for $6.29 and it’s called the Salon Grafix Curl Boosting Spray

Because I have curly hair, I am always looking for a product to control and tame the frizz.  This product performs beautifully.  It controls the frizz and gives a nice hold to the waves plus – it smells heavenly – nice and fresh.  One note of warning: the directions say to spray evenly on damp hair but when I did that, the foamy spray shot out all over the bathroom!  What works much better is to spritz some in your hand and then work it in your hair.  I also discovered that if I don’t want to wash my hair the next day, all I have to do is spritz a bit of water on my hair and then scrunch with my hands to revitalize the effect of the product.

Good stuff!

Kat Jones, founder of College Cheer Guide, is organizing the first ever Collegiate Cheer Recruit Clinic on August 27th in Dallas. This special one-day event is only open to the first 300 cheerleaders who register so – hurry! 

By attending this even you will be able to:

• Meet & Greet with Collegiate Cheerleading Coaches
• Show off your Tumbling & Stunting Skills
• Learn about Collegiate Cheerleading & College!
• Learn the mental skills that will help you ace your tryouts!
•  Have a chance to GET RECRUITED by Collegiate Cheerleading Coaches!

So far,  reps from more than 33 schools will be in attendance with more being added every day!  Where else would you get this opportunity to meet this many college cheer coaches in one place?!  And all of the coaches will take your photo and contact information with them!  This definitely gives you a competitive edge you wouldn’t have otherwise.

I will be there and as the keynote speaker, I am offering all registrants a special deal on my mental game training programs.  Yes, I am offering deep discounts on my programs but you MUST register by August 15th in order to qualify.  Here is a link to the special offer: http://www.collegecheerguide.com/MainPages/Clinic-Dr-Pamela-Enders.html

If you come to Dallas for this special event, please say hello –  I’d love to meet you!

I would like you all to meet a cheerleader who really defines what mental toughness is all about.  Her name is Lexus Kline and she cheers for the Wheeling All Stars in Follansbee, West Virginia. Her birthday is coming up soon; she will turn 11 on July 7^th. 

If you read my blog you know that I write a lot about persistence, courage, commitment, and dedication.  Well, Lexus has it all! Here is her story:

 Lexus has struggled with many medical problems since birth. She spent her first days at Columbus Children’s Hospital because she would just stop breathing. The first year of her life, her parents had to carry an alarmed monitor to alert them if her breathing stopped. 

In addition to this, Lexus has had multiple surgeries for a submucous cleft palate. One surgery resulted in a horrible allergic reaction which put Lexus on a breathing machine for 3 days. Her terrified parents were worried she wouldn’t make it. 

Lexus is tiny (She is 4’2” and weighs 51 lbs) because she has an insulin growth factor deficiency which requires her to give herself 2 shots a day of Increlex. Her tiny size sometimes makes her the target for taunts and teasing, with some kids calling her anorexic. (Bully-free zone anyone?) 

When Lexus reads, the letters jump around making it difficult to stay focused (and she also has ADHD).  It turns out that she has dyslexia and other learning challenges.  Still, Lexus maintains A’s and B’s in school which is a testimony to her intelligence and her drive and motivation!  Her parents said that she would have to give up cheerleading if her grades dipped and that is what motivates her – her love of cheerleading! 

Lexus is a flyer with he Wheeling All Stars and she is a good one. Cheerleading is her passion and you can see how devoted she is to the sport. (Oh – she also is on the swim team and began her first year on the softball team with hopes of being a pitcher!) 

I think Lexus is an inspiration for all of us.  Just look at the obstacles she has had to overcome!  Look at her drive and motivation! Look at her commitment to excellence!  Look at her courage! 

So the next time you start whining about how tired you are or how you don’t feel like studying, remember the little girl with the big heart – Lexus! 

Let’s all honor Lexus on her 11^th birthday (July 7^th) by making a commitment to strive for excellence and never, never give up.

Well, there’s good news!  A recent study has shown that if you use your imagination, you may lose weight! Or at least reduce your cravings… 

The study involved two groups.  One group was asked to imagine eating 30 M & M chocolate candies and putting three quarters into a slot.

The other group was told to eat only 3 M & Ms and put 30 quarters into a slot.

Then the researchers provided a large bowl of M & Ms to each group and told them they could eat as much as they want.

Interestingly, the group who had imagined munching on 30 M & Ms ate less (50%) of the real candies than the group who visualized eating only 3!  (They determined consumption by weighing the bowls after the subjects ate their fill.)

If you think the study was a fluke you’ll be happy to know that it was repeated 4 other times and each time the results were the same.

So what does this mean for you? Well, if you just think about food your appetite will probably increase (like mine is right now as I think about supper!) but if you visualize yourself eating the food, your craving will decrease!

So don’t just think of food, imagine yourself eating it! In other words, munch away in your imagination and you may lose weight!

This study is consistent with what I’ve been writing about on this blog for years now which is that the brain can’t detect the difference between experiencing something in reality versus in imagination. 

By the way, his study has led to what is known as “The Imagination Diet.”

 The Study can be found in: Morewedge, C. K., Huh, Y. E., & Vosgerau, J. (2010). Thought for food: Imagined consumption reduces actual consumption. Science, 303, 1530-1533.

In reflecting on this past competition season, I recall someone asking me what words of wisdom or what inspirational talk could a cheerleading coach offer to his or her team right before  they go on stage.

 This is a good question.  I have seen a variety of methods: a coach revving up the team to a fever pitch; a coach yelling at his team (obviously, not recommended); a coach warning the squad not to do certain things (also not recommended!); a coach encouraging a group hug; a coach leading the team in prayer. 

So, what works?  Well, in some ways, any of the above methods except yelling and warning can work. 

Yelling or berating or threatening a team is shaming and dispiriting.  That such behavior exists in coaches is alarming and no one (the athletes, parents or other coaches) should put up with it. 

To warn a team to “don’t do this…or whatever you do, remember not to do that…” only encourages the team to remember what they should NOT do instead of what they SHOULD do! The brain hears “don’t do” warnings as instructions so this should be avoided. 

Since each coach is different and each team has its own personality and social culture, it is impossible to create a one-size-fits-all inspirational speech.  I would warn against revving up a team to a big excited frenzy since this may adversely affect focus and precision of technique.  Besides, some athletes perform best when they feel quiet and calm; others do like to get revved up.  So, find out what works best for each cheerleader and then find a routine or ritual that can accommodate everyone. 

Of course everyone hopes to place first but doing so is dependent on so many factors out of your control such as the skill level of the other teams, the time of day you perform and so forth.  What is under your control is attitude so think of what to say that will help your team feel good about each other and the hard work they have put into their routine.  Tell them you are proud of them; tell them that if they perform with love and heart and with a desire to do their best, they will be winners in your eyes.  In other words, help them feel like winners as they march out onto the stage.  If they feel like winners, they will perform like champs.

It will be a jam-packed weekend with lots of class options for the coaches.  I will be teaching 3 different classes: How to Bring out the Leader in your Cheerleader; How to Enhance Motivation and Improve Performance; and How to Identify and Change Negative Thinking.

All of these classes are based on best practices from sport psychology and all are evidence-based.  This means that there is scientific proof that these techniques really work – if – if they are actually put into practice! For example, did you know that just by setting clear goals, you will enhance motivation for your athletes?  That may be something you “feel” is right but knowing that there is evidence to support your “feeling” makes it even better! Goals help to mobilize an athlete and aids in prolonging persistence. 

The way you set goals is also important; it should be a joint effort with you and your cheerleader coming up with the goals. One of my favorite sayings is, “That which you help to create, you will support.” 

A goal is a worthless without a plan.  I may say I want to lose 5 lbs but unless I have a clear plan as to how I will achieve that goal, I’ll probably end up gaining 5 lbs first! 

There are outcome goals (placing first in a competition), performance goals (successfully executing a skill) and process goals (focus on the specific steps that go into execution of a skill). An over-emphasis on outcome may boost motivation in the short-term but because outcome (in a competition at least) is not under your control, it can lead to disappointment and a dip in motivation. 

The best way to go is to put more effort into performance and process goals. 

If you do want to improve your chances of placing first in a competition, check out my training program – The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions!

I was warmly greeted by the conference organizer, Lin Lindsay and her assistant /friend, Cricket Butler. They, along with out-going President Tina Hester, in-coming President Carrie Lasseter and website maven, Cammie Dalley took  fellow conference speaker, Robb Webb and me out to dinner on Thursday night.  We went to the Last Resort which I would highly recommend.

On Friday I presented two workshops: Using Sport Psychology to Improve Performance and Bringing out the Leader in Your Cheerleaders.  On Saturday, two more workshops: Mental Toughness – The Key Ingredient for Athletic Success and Unlock the Block: How to Resolve MentalBlocks in Tumbling. I’m pleased to say that the attendees were enthusiastic, engaged, and involved in the whole process.  I had a ball and I was told they did, too!

Georgia-based Nfinity Shoes unveiled their brand new product called the Game Day shoe which is specially designed for spirit or sideline cheerleaders.  David Marler, National Sales Director at Nfinity, hosted a party to celebrate the inauguration of the new shoe and invited the University of Georgia drum line (see photo) to perform and some U of GA cheerleaders to cheer.  Munchies and beverages were also provided, all of which took place outside on a blissfully warm day.

 University of Georgia Drum Line

One of the disadvantages of being a speaker is that I cannot attend many of the other workshops.  I did manage to sit in on two of Robb Webb’s workshops.  One was Creative Transitional Stunts and the other was How to Synchronize Tumbling.  (Robb owns Robb Webb’s Schol of Stunt and Tumble and can be reached at magicalstunts@yahoo.com..)

 The conference was a big success (at least it seemed that to me!). It drew a big crowd of dedicated, enthusiastic coaches and I was honored to be part of this event!

 Tina Hester, Brooke McArthur and Lin Lindsay

I walked away, knowing it was a bunch of hooey but I was concerned that so many people were paying $30 for a worthless piece of plastic.  The manufacturers of these wristbands rely on the placebo effect which is based on a person’s belief or expectation that something (a pill, a technique or a device) will be effective. 

Power Balance is currently being sued for making false claims. At this time 15 lawsuits have been filed against Power Balance in California, Florida, Alabama, and New Jersey. 

 The company claims that “specific energies are isolated and light encoded into an aluminum-silicon based medium.” And, “The Mylar material at the core of Power Balance has been treated with energy waves at specific frequencies. The resulting Mylar is believed to resonate and work with your body’s natural energy flow.” 

A snake oil salesman couldn’t have said it better! There is no scientific evidence to support this. 

Australia has stricter advertising regulations than the US and after investigating the bracelet’s claims, concluded that they were baseless. The chairman of the country’s Competition and Consumer Commission announced last year that “Power Balance has admitted that there is no credible scientific basis for the claims and therefore no reasonable grounds for making representations about the benefits of the product.” 

Power Balance had to publish the following statement in Australia: 

“In our advertising we stated that Power Balance wristbands improved your strength, balance and flexibility. We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims and therefore we engaged in misleading conduct.”    The company offered a full refund to anyone who felt they had been misled. 

Here’s the truth: There is no quick fix to improving performance.  If you are serious about excelling at cheerleading, be prepared to work hard at your mental and physical game.  Discipline, attention, and intention all contribute to excellence.  Not a piece of plastic.

No one wants to see a cheerleader get hurt and yet in the busyness of the season it can be easy to forget some simple guidelines. Of course all coaches should be trained in risk management and basic first aid.  Additionally, all gyms should have an emergency response plan. Again, the AACCA website offers a wealth of valuable information.

In addition to falls and collisions, sudden cardiac deaths, although rare, can happen in young people.  This is always shocking when it happens since the athlete appears to be in tip top condition. But there can be hidden heart conditions which is why one mother, Mary Beth Schewitz, who lost her son, Max, at age 20 from an apparent heart irregularity, founded the Max Schewitz Foundation which supports education, prevention, and research of sudden cardiac death in young people.

Schewitz is an advocate of electrocardiogram (ECG) screening in young athletes. In the Chicago area, over 50,000 high school students have been given free ECGs and one to two percent of the tests are outside normal ranges and require further medical evaluation.

ECGs are not perfect. They will not detect every heart defect and they can yield false positives (about 2%) but it sure would be good to know if a child falls within that small group of kids who do have heart defects!

Lest you think ECGs are expensive, Ms. Schewitz says that a stand-alone ECG costs less than a teeth cleaning or veterinary visit.  That seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind.