3 Ways to Maximize Practice Time: The Tips Every Coach Should Know

The New Year brings a great sense of relief as we get a “fresh slate’ to start over, refresh, and revamp. Although most of us are probably in the middle of our competition season, now is still a great time to rethink and reorganize. As we focus on advancing our stunts and routines for nationals, or (unfortunately) are frantically rearranging our entire routine because someone got hurt last night at practice, we know that every ounce of practice time is c-r-u-c-i-a-l! It’s frustrating, I get it. I get that nothing goes quite as planned, and I know that nothing is worse than spending hours repeatedly practicing that same skill and stunt sequence that just won’t hit. But, I also know there are a few key tweaks that you can incorporate that will help you advance your routine, improve your stunts, and do more‚ in less time! As a fitness expert for cheerleaders, I want to share my top 3 tips to help you kick off the New Year right and get the most out of every practice. CHEERFIT TIP #1: GET YOUR TEAM FIT 75% of the time a stunt doesn’t hit, a tumbling pass doesn’t go, or the routine falls apart and it’s not because your team isn’t trying‚ it is because they aren’t fit. The muscles required to stunt, tumble, and go full out are much different in cheerleading than in most other sports, and our exercise plans must be adjusted accordingly. Cheerleaders need to focus on: , Stability training to progress stunting , Cardio to build endurance , Strength training to advance tumbling , Core training to improve technique and body control But don’t sweat it: if fitness isn’t your expertise, schedule a free consultation with our cheer fitness experts to discuss the best workouts for your team! www.cheerfittraining.com/freeconsultation. CHEERFIT TIP #2: HAVE A PLAN Yes, the New Year is here and it is the perfect time to reorganize and plan for the year ahead. Be realistic with your goals and have a plan to make it happen. Unfortunately, fitness often gets overlooked because most teams “have too much to do’ before even thinking about adding working out into an already jam-packed practice. But, here is a secret: working out maximizes practice! Plan your workouts, just like any other appointment. Add each workout into your phone calendar or planner, and commit to it. Whether you schedule workout circuits into practice or give your team a workout calendar to do on their own, remember that working out builds strength, strength builds confidence, and confidence is what makes that routine hit‚ the first time around! I’ve even put together a free cheerFIT workout calendar to help you get started. Print out the calendar below and for the free cheerFIT workout logs and exercise videos, check out: www.cheerfittraining.com/freeworkout CHEERFIT TIP #3: BUILD CAMARADERIE A team that sweats together, wins together! Have fun with working out and enjoy our cheerFIT workout challenges. Incorporate the #cheerfitchallenge as a fun team activity! Check out our monthly workout challenges: www.cheerfittraining.com/challenge And there you have it! Follow these fit tips and let’s make 2016 the best year yet! Your Cheer Fitness Coach, Danielle