HOME CHALLENGE: Conditioning

HOME CHALLENGE!

Ok it has been a while for the home challenges... my fault! I got a little side tracked with some personal stuff and had to drop off for a while. I hope you have been returning to the other home challenges and working your skills! This home challenge is just some plain great conditioning. It is spring time and we have had a few really nice days. Try doing some of these drills outside and enjoy the fresh air! :)

Legs:
Toe raises 3 sets of 20
Jumping over a line (back and fourth) 1 min (3 sets)
Long lunge walks 2 sets of 10

Core:
toe touch crunches 2 sets of 20
push up hold 2 sets of 1 minute holds
reverse sit ups: hang over your bed 2 sets of 15

Arms: grab two water bottles (one for each hand)
arm circles 3 sets of 50 (each way)
Arm holds: high v, T, right diagonal, left diagonal, touchdown, repeat. 2 sets of 30 second holds
push ups: 3 sets of 15 (get rid of the water bottles... drink some water!)

Just becuase you love it:
jump rope 2 sets of 3 minutes
grapevine on your toes 3 sets of 15 in each direction
routine jumps 5 sets

Ok this is a pretty good body workout! Keep working your skills and strengthening your bodies. The skills will get easier and easier if you work your muscles in between practices. Remember these workouts are not for once a week they are to be done daily to see some results. Work it!

Cheers,
Coach Heather

PS> Fliers work your flexibility too!

Home Challenge 3: Your Dance Motions (and some conditioning)

Home Challenge 3: Your Dance Motions (and some conditioning)

OK ladies the score sheet has 10 points that go to the motions/dance section. This is just as important as the jump section. So we better be dancing divas out there on the floor too! Here is your home challenge to work on your current dance and be the dancing diva you need to be to get full credit. This home challenge will require you to really think about your dance and all the specifics. For example every arm placement, every leg kick, every pointed toe and every smile. All of it is so important to getting the dance story interpreted to your audience and judges. And most of all it is so important to getting that high score.

Your Dance challenge:

• break down the dance motion by motion. Check your levels and all components of your dance. Make sure you are satisfied with what you are doing. Could it be better?
• Do your dance very slowly and work on being sharp and tight with your motions.
  Speed up the dance and make sure you have found the right kind of facials to do during the different parts of dance. Check these facials out in the mirror. Do they look good on you? Do you look crazy? Find the right looks for you and incorporate them into the routine as if they are part of the dance.
• Now do the dance up to speed since you have perfected it. Find someone to watch your dance and give you feedback. This can be a friend, parent, sibling or whoever. They don't even need to know about dance, they just have to be impressed by your moves. Ask them if you are tight in motions, are your placements where they should be, did you make good faces during the routine and etc. If you can, have someone record your routine for you. This way you can self critique and self correct.

The conditioning and Stretching: All good routines need flexibility and strength. So we are going to work some of both in this home challenge.

• Motion holds: Yep that rights. It painful and hard but it will only make you stronger! We are going to do a motion and hold it for 30 seconds before moving n to the next motion. Do the following motion for 30 seconds each. High V (fee apart) , T (fee together) , broken T (feet apart), Diagonal with a lunge, other diagonal with other lunge, back to High V. Rest slightly between reps. Do 3 sets of motion drills.
• Splits: Everyone's favorite. Just like having good motions that are in the correct placement you must also watch the placement of each split in order to get the most out of the stretch. Each split should be held for 1 minute at a time. Already flat in your splits? Then move on to oversplits. You can do this by having your front leg slightly raised from the ground. This should only be done if you already have your splits completely flat on the ground. Do each split 2 times, holding each time for one minute.
• push ups: You have to have buff arms to get through an all star routine! When you are doing your dance I want to see your muscles from being tight and hitting the motions each time. Do 3 sets of 10 push ups.
• Let's give your legs a little rest this week and focus on the core of your body. Strong core will improve all areas of cheerleading. Let's do simple ab crunches. The best way to do abs is to do them slowly and correctly. Do not strain your neck this is not your abs and will never help you strengthen your core, it will just give you headache. Let's do 3 sets of 50 abs. You can do straight on abs, twisting to the right and then to the left.
  

RECAP:

• Breakdown the dance, do it slowly and build up speed with confidence.
• Perform your dance for someone else or for a video.
• Motion drill: hold each motion for 30 seconds each.
• Splits: Work on all 3 positions for the splits. Splits should be held for 1 minute each and then repeat. All splits are worked two times.
• Push ups: 3 sets of 10
• Abs: 3 sets of 50 abs.

Ok Ladies that is Home Challenge 3. I hope to hear that you all are doing these home challenges and taking the opportunity to bettering yourself. Everyone wants to see their little paper cheerleader move on down the poster board! The only way you will get better is by adding in some extra effort!

"The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time."

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily."

And here is a bonus one that I found. I laughed.
"A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men. I just have one thing to say to the authors of that study: Duh."

**Fliers don't forget to be stretching your skills. Bow-n-arrows, heel stretches, scorpions etc.

Cheers,
Coach Heather

College Meeting 2009

College Meeting 2009

What is it? Each year, the coaches help the Panthers research potential colleges. We’ve written countless letters of recommendation for national honors society and college applications. We want to see you succeed as adult women so we always try to help you with your journey after Midwest. We’ve typically done this on a one-on-one basis.

This year, we thought it would be fun to have a group meeting for any high schooler that is interested in cheering, dancing, sports (track, softball, etc) or getting involved in another college activity (theatre, music, band). We’ll help you understand what it takes to make it onto a college team/activity. We’ll also help you understand what it will be like while you balance school and cheering. There are so many options (all girl, co-ed, college dance). Some schools have very strict requirements (height and weight) and other schools have really crazy skill requirements (double full on hard floor, full up stretch double and etc). Other schools are focused on stunts and have hardly no requirements for tumbling and other schools are more focused on the spirit side of cheering and don’t have that many skill requirements at all.

Some schools have awesome all girl squads, some squads offer full scholarships, some schools don’t offer any financial help to cheerleaders/dancers. All of the schools are different and it can be overwhelming to figure out what to do! Several people on our staff participated in college cheer/dance/sports and we’ve had dozens of Panthers that have cheered in college. So let us help you out. We know the cheer/dance business and we can help you identify colleges that meet your interests.

Who is the meeting for? In order for the meeting to be productive, we must limit the number of participants so this meeting is only open to current high schoolers (9-12th grade).
We will host this meeting each year so if you are younger than 9th grade…don’t worry, you’ll get to attend when you’re in high school.

*Note: we know that some of you are not interested in cheering in college. That’s okay, you can come to the meeting too and we can talk about other sports/activities in college. We will be happy to help you search for colleges that meet your interests even if you’re not interested in college cheer/dance. We have a college recruitor that is able to come and share some ideas with us as well. FUN!

Where/When?
The Robinson House: 7519 Balfoure Circle Dublin, OH 43017

Saturday, Feb 28 at 6:00 p.m. Parents are encouraged to attend also.

RSVP – if you plan to attend this meeting, please send an email to the coaches mpacoaches@yahoo.com or put a posting on the Glitz or Glamour blog. You must RSVP by Feb 26. We plan to put together an individual packet for every Panther. We want the packet to be specific to each of you so we need enough time for get everything printed. If you don’t rsvp then you won’t get a packet L Along with your RSVP please include the following information.

· Do you have an idea about what you want to study in college?
· Do you want to stay in Ohio or go out of state?
· Do you already have a few colleges narrowed down? If so, tell us your top 5.
· Do you want to go to a big college or small?
· Do you want to cheer All Girl or Co-ed or either?
· Are you interested in a different college sport or activity? If so, which activities/sports?
· What type of information do you want to obtain from our meeting?

HOME CHALLENGE 2: Toe touches

HOME CHALLENGE 2: Toe touches

Did you know on your score sheet that jumps are given the same amount of points as your stunts? Same amount of points as your mount, your tumbling, your baskets, your dance...etc? Well then these are pretty important aren't they? So lets get to work on those jumps! Below are some exercises you can do on your own at home.

• First thing is your turn out from the hips. sit in a straddle on the floor. turn your knees facing at least upwards. To get a true level 5 toe touch you will need to work on turning your knees back. Put your little toe on the floor while you point your toes. Keeping your back straight up and down sit tall and push forward a bit. Hold this position. Any time you are watching TV sit in this position. You can work on your turn out and enjoy your favorite show!
• Next is Hip flexor strengthening. Yes you guessed it, leg raises! I know these are not everyones favorite but if you are having trouble with your jumps you really need to do these. Sit in a straddle on the floor. Work your correct technique from above (knees and toes turned back). Hands do not rest behind you while you slouch. Sit nice and tall and hands go in the front. Let's do sets of 10 to ensure that you are doing all of them correctly. Do ten leg raises on each leg and then do both. REPEAT. REPEAT. Yes that means you will do 30 total leg raises each way.
• Calf strength is very useful. Hello I am over 30 and I still have strong jumps. Why? Well because I have good calf muscles. And you all make fun of me for walking on my toes all the time, but hey in some areas of life that really helps. Toe raises 2 sets of 50. Remember to go slow. These are not effective if you speed through them and do them sloppy.
• Leg strength is necessary for jumping! So you guessed it, lets squat and jump. Too bad squat jumps are not a cheer jump. We would be the masters at those huh? Start in a deep squat with both legs. As you jump think about pointing your toes when your feet leave the ground. When you return to the ground go to a deep squat. Let's do 3 sets of 15.
  
• Finally work on your snap down with your legs together while working in some abs . Lay down on your back and do v- ups. These are like crunches but you are doing a toe touch laying down. Lay on your back arms extended above your head in a touchdown motion. Sit up doing the crunch motion while at the same time your legs raise off the floor to a toe touch level (rolling knees and toes to the back) and your arms go to a T motion. Gently snap back to the lay down position without actually laying all the way down on the floor, you are going to be hovering. Do 3 sets of 15.

RECAP:
Sit in straddles to work on form
Leg raises: 3 sets of 10 each way
Toe raises: 2 sets of 50
Squat jumps: 3 sets of 15
v ups: 3 sets of 15

Alright ladies this is your homework for the next week. Let's improve those jumps. Don't forget to go back and look at home challenge 1. It would be good to keep working those exercises as well. Paste and copy these home challenges into word and then you can print them out. Remember improving your self is up to you. If you don't work hard at it you might not get a skill that will make you that level 5 athlete you want to be. I do not have magic fairy dust that will just make you a great athlete you will have to put in the time, effort and hard work. You will come out stronger, better and ready to take on any challenge in life when you work hard. Get to jumping ladies!

FUN QUOTE FOR THE WEEK is from Legally Blonde. I know your gonna smile at this one! “Exercise gives you endorphins--endorphins make people happy and happy people just don't shoot their husbands... they just don't.”

**Fliers also should be stretching thier skills. Bow-n-arrows, scorpians, needles, heel stretches, etc.

Coach Heather

NO practice Tuesday Feb. 17th

Everyone great job this weekend at Americheer!

I need to cancel practices for Tuesday Feb 17th. I have a funeral to attend and will not be able to be back for practices since it is out of town and in the evening hours. We are unable to cover my hours with other staff due staff members taking night college classes. Glitz, if you would like to make up your hours you may attend xtra mile on thursday even if you did not pay for xtra mile this month. Sorry for the short notice. Thanks for your understanding.

Cheers,
Coach Heather

Great Job Ladies! Way to hit the nail your mount!

Glitter and Glitz meet at convention center at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday.

Glamour meets at 9:45.

Thanks so much for the wonderful Valentine's gifts. The coaches were all so happy to have the yummy treats and the sweet surprises. Many thanks!

Coach Em

Home Challenge: standing tucks/fulls

Let's keep working hard at practice to improve skills to be that level 4/5 team you all are talking about wanting to be on. Remember level 4/5 is not just about the layouts and fulls. We need to see level 4/5 jumps, stunts, mounts/baskets, standing tumbling, running tumbling, motions and overall sass and confidence. What are you doing on your own to work on your level 4/5 skills?

Level 5 home challenge: What is sore the most the morning after doing a lot of standing tucks? Abs and legs right? Well guess what you need to be working on at home in order to have a successful standing tuck.... abs and legs. Even if you have that standing tuck is it high enough for a standing full? OK here is the level 4/5 home challenge to improve or get that standing tuck. You need to do this every day. Don't be lazy at them, that won't help. If you truly want these skills it is time to put your money where your mouth is and work for it. Give us some feedback are you willing to do the home challenge to improve/ get that tuck?

250 ab crunches (each set of 50 different)
100 toe raises
50 deep squat jumps (working the legs- jumps from your toes- no flat footers allowed)
50 knee ups (lay on ground and set, pull knees to over head) (if you are a twister then work on the knees up and twist)

Do you want more home challenges to be posted every week? Will you do them? I am all about getting you to that level 4/5 that you want to be at but you have to be willing to put in the hard work to get there. These skills will not just appear you have to work for them to get them.

My favorite quote: You must put up with the rain in order to get the rainbow.

Are you willing to work through the rain?

Coach Heather