We are deep into Daytona Season for BUCS Cheer. It has been a wild ride coaching 2 teams to go to College Nationals in Daytona, but I would not have it any other way. Outside of drilling skills and going full out, I would say two things have really been standing out with my teams…
The first thing is communication on the mat. As if doing the routine is not enough, my athletes have to find places to breathe, cheer on teammates while they are tumbling, and if a stunt falls, where to pick it back up. They are learning how to speak with kindness while they are frustrated, how to encourage others while they themselves are tired, and how to lock in after a long day of school and other life things. It has been incredible to see them connect and really be mindful that words have the power of life and death. Once good communication is established, that is when you see magic happen! That is when trust is built and skills start to be more consistent.
The second thing that has stood out to me this season is how important a routine within practice is. Practice has to be a safe space for athletes, and one way to achieve that is to establish a practice routine. I love a whiteboard, and when the kiddos come in, there it is written out what is on the agenda for the day. They know we start every practice with announcements, shout-outs, prayer, a warm-up run, and relaxing stretching. From there, we do our national’s warm up, full out, review the full out on a big screen TV, then go into focus sections. We end each practice with a shout-out circle and a prayer, and we do it all over again the next time. This helps athletes to know what to expect when they arrive and also helps them to complete a lot in only a 2-hour practice.
Daytona is just a few months away. They compete April 10th-11th and aim to be in the top ten in D1 Small Coed Intermediate AND D1 All Girl Intermediate. This will be coed’s third Daytona season and All Girl’s first Daytona appearance. I choreographed both of these routines and cannot wait to see how they evolve over the next two months!
