Coaches, this one's for you!
Dear coaches, a new season is starting, and we believe many new challenges await you. SpiritCheer shop has prepared five tips for you to start the 2023/2024 season with the right mindset!
As a bonus, we have a handy planning calendar for you that you can use to plan your season properly. So let's get into it.
- Plan backwards
At first glance, it seems logical that one should start with small steps and gradually work their way up to big successes. But actually, when planning the season, you should do exactly the opposite. Try to daydream and imagine how great your team will be at the end of the season if everything goes great. From this vision, you should define individual steps to make the dream become a reality. From the goals for the entire season, develop sub-goals, for example, smaller checkpoints for each month. SpiritCheer has prepared a universal Planning Calendar for you for the whole training season, where you can plan training sessions, training camps and also track your bigger goals. We have also included the planned dates of Czech cheerleading competitions in the calendar.
- Every training session counts
You should never come to training thinking that you will figure out what you will be doing on the spot. Each training session should be in line with the goals you have set. On the other hand, don't be afraid of some flexibility. For example, if you plan to do heavy pyramid squats for the entire workout, but your athletes are obviously tired and not paying attention, consider whether it would be more productive to focus on things like yelling, choreography, or less challenging parts of the number.
- Be an example.
If the coach sets rules for the athletes, he should follow them thoroughly. Come to training sessions on time, be in a good mood, take off your jewelry and don't be on the phone too much during breaks. If you don't want athletes lounging around during breaks, don't sit around and be active yourself. You'll see that the athletes will respond with the same energy.
- Don't be afraid to take a step back
Every coach has experienced sudden fails, even with elements athletes had once mastered. There's no point in putting a lot of effort and energy into an element that just doesn't work. Both you and the athletes will be frustrated and demotivated by this element. Take a step back, do a simpler version of the stunt and you'll see that in a session or two you'll get it right.
- Build the inner motivation in your athletes' minds.
Show athletes cheerleading is much more than cups and medals. Whether you finish last or first in competitions, athletes should know that their main goal is to constantly improve and exceed themselves. Regularly remind your team of where they've come during the season (or even across seasons) and that nothing ever is a good enough reason to give up on hard work.
We hope that this article gave you a little bit of extra motivation to the new season. Don't forget to download the Season Planning Calendar that - as we hope - will lead you to success! Also please tag @spiritcheershop on your social media and share how do you approach season planning.
Or leave us a message in the comments below and share your feedback, we'll appreciate that!