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As we approach the final stretch of the All Star season, athletes naturally begin looking ahead to next year. This is the perfect time to start building your skills—strong, reliable skills require time and consistent effort. Evaluations often center on individual abilities like tumbling, jumps, and dance/performance. Don’t be the athlete cramming in daily last-minute private lessons the week of tryouts—now is the time to join a tumbling or jumps class and put in the work to level up.
I recommend setting aside time outside of practice hours to talk with your coaches about your goals and seek honest feedback. Approach these conversations with humility and an open mind. No one is perfect, and being humble enough to proactively seek out your weaknesses gives you an advantage above those who won’t. You can’t improve what you don’t acknowledge, and creating a checklist of growth opportunities gives you clear, actionable steps to progress. Asking for honest feedback demonstrates a high level of both maturity and coachability, which earns the respect of your coaches.
This is the time to set your sights on your goals. Start by establishing a big, long-term objective that will take persistence and purpose to achieve. Break it into smaller, manageable milestones that will lead to your ultimate goal. Honest self-assessment of where you are now and where you want to be makes building a realistic plan much easier.
Here is an example of how to do this:
Write down your BIG goal. Let’s say your goal is to be on a level 3 team next season.
Where are you currently at? For this example, let’s say that you are currently a level 2 athlete, but you have all your level 2 skills strong and are incorporated into all parts of the routine except for jumps. You have also done some work to get your back tuck.
So now, work backwards. How long do you have to prepare? Evaluations are in 3 months away from the time I am writing this post. So let’s make a plan.
MONTHLY: Perhaps your monthly plan is to add both a tumbling class and a jumps class to improve your skills for evaluations.
WEEKLY: What can you do weekly? Two to three times per week you can work outside of the gym at home on improving your conditioning for jumps and tumbling.
Let's say you’re going to allot 15 minutes 2-3 times per week on flexibility, 15 minutes 2-3 times per week on jump specific strength & conditioning and another 15 minutes 2-3 times per week on tumbling skill specific strength & conditioning. If you are unsure on how to do this, asking your coach for some resources is a great start. SOMETHING is always better than NOTHING and even if it only makes you 1% better… those slow gains will build up over time.
DAILY: What can you do daily to prepare your body to be at it’s peak (both for evaluations AND for your end of season events). Try adding some healthy habits. A good place to start: Optimal performance requires self care.
Drinking half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
Eliminating JUNK like fast food, candy, energy drinks and soda.
Incorporating more protein into your daily nutrition.
Putting your phone down at night and consistently getting 8 hours of sleep a night.
If you are utilized every aspect of your routine—stunts, pyramid, basket tosses, jumps, standing and running tumbling, and dance/choreography— and you consistently and confidently perform those skills in your routine, you might be ready to level up. If not, it’s okay to spend another year mastering your current level. Strong foundations take time, and mastering your current skills will make future progress smoother. Ask your coaches and evaluate yourself on all areas of your routine to maximize participation. Coaches are already watching for next season, and the more well-rounded you are, the better your chances of being the “whole package” athlete every team needs.
Don’t overlook the non-skill aspects coaches take into account for team placement. Attendance, punctuality, and preparedness matter. Are you on time, in proper attire with your cheer shoes on, hair pulled up, jewelry removed, and ready to go when practice starts? Or are you the athlete still getting ready or asking to use the restroom right when your practice begins? Do you complete holiday workouts or skip team requirements over breaks? Are you mindful of hydration and nutrition, or do you frequently show up low on energy and complaining that you haven’t nourished yourself that day? How do you represent our program at events- do you conduct yourself with class and dignity while representing our program? Mental toughness is just as important—do you let setbacks discourage you, or do you push through challenges with determination? Do you put the team’s needs above your individual preferences, or are you the athlete who becomes upset when necessary routine improvements change your position/role within the routine? How you handle these aspects reflects your dedication and integrity, both of which are crucial qualities for team success.
Coaches take all of this into consideration when evaluating athletes for future teams. Be mindful of how your actions, both in and out of practice, shape your reputation as an athlete and teammate.
We’re committed to raising accountable, hardworking athletes who grow into resilient, dependable adults. We set high standards to help you develop the discipline and perseverance needed to succeed not just in cheer, but in life. Our hope is that someday these athletes grow up to be leaders who follow through with their commitments and put their full effort into all pursuits.
Here are a few essential habits that will help you stand out in a positive way:
Listen when coaches are talking. Chatting during instruction shows a lack of respect and causes you to miss valuable corrections. When your coach is giving instruction- be respectful and attentive. If you need to discuss something routine-related with a teammate, wait until your coach finishes speaking and then ask for a moment to collaborate. Coaches love athletes who are critical thinkers and have the initiative to try and problem solve with their teammates.
Be ready when practice starts. Arrive early enough to be fully prepared—proper attire, hair up, shoes on, jewelry off, and bathroom break done. Hydrate and fuel your body beforehand so you’re energized and ready to work.
Give 100% effort. Even on tough days, give your best and push for an extra 1%. Leave personal struggles at the door and bring a positive, team-first attitude. Be a thermostat— SETTING the energy/tone for the team, not a thermometer that shifts with the energy around you.
Take ownership of your growth. Not everyone excels in every aspect of cheer- that’s NORMAL. Honest self-evaluation arms you with powerful knowledge—identifying areas for improvement gives you the ability become the most well rounded and strongest version of yourself, and improving areas of vulnerability will lead to elevated confidence and fulfillment.
Struggle with finishing a routine strong? You may. Need to work on your stamina. Try adding extra conditioning to increase strength and build endurance. This will lead to increased competency and confidence and also assists in faster skill progression and injury prevention!
Tumbling inconsistent? Focus on perfecting current skills before chasing the next big trick. Athletes often overlook the basics in pursuit of more “exciting” skills, but often a deficit in execution of the fundamentals are what is hindering those new skills. Taking time to work towards perfection in skills like handstands, round offs and back handsprings are going to lead to the “bigger” skills much quicker than those who skip past this step. Don’t forget: coaches take into consideration what you’ve done all season. Just because you can demonstrate a higher level skill once at tryouts doesn’t take away from the fact that you struggled to consistently compete a skill with excellent technique all season long.
Stunt strength lacking? Adding some strength training exercises can give you the power to be a stronger contributor in stunts. This goes for flyers too- many flyers work flexibility but forget that they need the strength to be able to stand fast in stunts and pull their body positions strong. Reviewing practice videos can also help you look for technique and timing errors and lead to quicker improvements.
Jumps need work? Joining a jumps class may be a tool that can make you more valuable on your future dream team. You will learn jumps specific exercises that you can add a few times a week into your home routine to take those jumps to the next level.
Dance not your strong suit? Practice in front of a mirror to refine motion placement and sharpness. Being able to visually see your dance or choreography execution can help you correct errors in motion placement and help you improve the muscle memory to attack this part of the routine with more precision.
Build mental resilience. Excellence isn’t about perfection but about persistent effort. When things get tough, stay focused, attack challenges head-on, and refuse to let frustration derail you. Cultivate a mindset that turns obstacles into opportunities for growth. Keep your body language positive and CHOOSE to not let yourself get overwhelmed with challenges. Anything is achievable if you take it ONE STEP AT A TIME.
Be a great teammate. Bring the mat talk! Lift others up with encouragement and and speak belief over them. Cheer for those struggling with a skill, and if someone is last to finish conditioning, join them for their final reps so they don’t have to finish alone. Avoid gossip, back handed comments under your breath and catty behavior—nothing kills team chemistry faster than negative chatter. It tears down team unity, creates division and distrust. A great teammate and someone who radiates positive energy is more valuable to a team than even the most skilled athlete. Work to be THAT teammate- the one who brightens the room when they walk in and who has such an infectious, positive energy that you can't help but be more optimistic when they are around.
The strength of a team lies in balancing individual strengths and weaknesses. The beauty of All Star is finding the balance of where you can contribute strength, and where your teammates need to use their strengths to make up for your weaknesses (and vice versa). It’s a beautiful and harmonious puzzle that only works with all the differing pieces in proper place.
I hope this gives you valuable insight as we finish out the current season and begin planning for the next. While it’s exciting to think about future possibilities, stay grounded in the present. There’s still time to achieve this season’s goals, and your commitment to finishing strong will set the tone for future success. Stay invested in the team you are on and stay “ALL IN.” Let’s close out the season with focus, determination, and unwavering teamwork.
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