Can You Have It All?

Do school cheer AND all-star cheer, they said…. it will be fun, they said….

So, you decided to be one of the brave ones and do it all, school cheer AND all-star cheer. You want to keep your options open for all opportunities for college by doing both styles of cheer, go you!! Well, with all of that work and commitment comes extreme burn out, especially when all-star competition season begins. You run into conflict with practice for both teams and it’s even more difficult if your high school team competes too. School cheer and all-star cheer are two mega different beasts and you are here to slay both, but it’s not an easy task. If your coaches on the school or all-star team do not make you CHOOSE one or the other, then you are EXTRA lucky!

Here are a few ways to help prevent that burnout and stress:

Start off your cheer seasons by being mature and having a conversation with the coaches from your gym and from your school. Tell them your future goals of maybe cheering in college, etc… It might be a little scary because you’re used to your mom or dad having these talks, but I promise, if you step up and have the talk, your coaches will not only respect and work with you a little more, they will see you as a leader with goals. ALL coaches are here to help you achieve your goals, yes, even when you have to run after practice.

You are a leader, you chose to take on this responsibility and leaders get their stuff done and set the standard for others to follow in their path. On top of cheer, you have school and social activities, get a planner and write down everything! Create a daily schedule for homework, practice, etc… Make it a habit to follow your schedule to the minute so that you can achieve everything you need to that day.

When you’re driving from school cheer practice to all-star practice, you stop at your favorite fast food place every time, or maybe you just don’t really eat much until you get home. Not healthy! Work with your family to meal prep some healthy options that you can carry on the go with you. You are an athlete, a scholar, and a leader, but if you do not fuel your body, you can’t achieve your goals in the best way possible.

Breathe. Meditate. Pray. Stretch. It is crucial that when you are always on the go and extra busy, you MUST take time for yourself. Wake up and do some breathing exercises before you get your day started, or take time at the end of the day before you go to bed and take a few minutes to be thankful for the wonderful things in your life.

Always remember that hard work pays off, when you work hard on both cheer teams, you will achieve great things! Be there for your team and use every practice to better yourself and be that leader your team needs. You WILL be so thankful for all the work you put in at the end of the season and when you’re older because this is setting you up for major success for the rest of your life!