Prioritizing Mental Health in Cheer and Dance:
August 14, 2024
Prioritizing Mental Health in Cheer and Dance: A Guide for Coaches
By: Tara Langston
As cheer and dance coaches, you play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of young athletes. Beyond perfecting routines and honing physical skills, one of your most crucial responsibilities is to prioritize and support the mental health of your team. In the high-energy world of cheer and dance, where precision, performance, and perseverance are paramount, it’s essential to recognize the significant impact mental well-being has on overall success.
The Importance of Mental Health in Athletics
1. Enhanced Performance:
Athletes with a strong mental health foundation are more likely to perform at their best. Mental clarity, focus, and emotional stability can significantly influence performance levels, helping athletes stay calm under pressure and resilient in the face of challenges.
2. Preventing Burnout: Cheer and dance require intense physical and mental commitment. Without proper mental health support, athletes can quickly experience burnout, leading to decreased performance, loss of passion, and even withdrawal from the sport.
3. Building Resilience: Mental health support equips athletes with tools to handle stress, setbacks, and the inevitable highs and lows of competition. This resilience not only benefits their athletic career but also prepares them for life’s challenges outside of sports.
4. Fostering Team Unity:
A focus on mental well-being encourages open communication and trust among team members. This creates a supportive environment where athletes feel valued, heard, and connected, enhancing overall team cohesion and morale.
How Coaches Can Support Their Athletes' Mental Health
1. Open Communication:
Establish a culture of openness where athletes feel comfortable discussing their feelings and concerns. Regularly check in with your team, both individually and as a group, to provide a safe space for sharing.
2. Education and Awareness:
Educate yourself and your athletes about the signs of mental health struggles and the importance of mental well-being. Provide resources that promote mental health awareness.
3. Encourage Balance:
Promote a balanced approach to training that includes adequate rest and recovery. Encourage athletes to pursue interests outside of cheer and dance to help them maintain a well-rounded lifestyle.
4. Set Realistic Goals:
Work with your athletes to set achievable goals and celebrate progress, no matter how small. This helps to build confidence and reduce the pressure of always striving for perfection.
5. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques:
Incorporate mindfulness practices, such as meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing exercises, into your training regimen. These techniques can help athletes manage stress and improve focus.
6. Lead by Example:
Model healthy behaviors and attitudes towards mental health. Your approach to handling stress, setbacks, and challenges will set the tone for your team.
As a cheer or dance coach, your influence extends far beyond the dance floor or the sidelines. By prioritizing mental health, you are not only nurturing better athletes but also contributing to the development of well-rounded, resilient individuals. Remember, a mentally healthy athlete is a happier, more focused, and more successful athlete. Let’s work together to create a supportive environment where mental health is as important as physical health, and where every athlete can thrive before, during, and after competitions.
Tara Langston is the passionate founder of Alumni Skincare and a licensed professional counselor in Texas. Dedicated to advocating for a holistic approach to athlete care, Tara seamlessly blends her expertise in mental health and skincare to support overall well-being. Her commitment to self-care and mental wellness drives her mission to empower athletes, emphasizing the importance of mental health alongside physical training. Through her innovative skincare line and counseling practice, Tara champions the integration of self-care routines and mental well-being strategies, ensuring athletes achieve balance and sustainable success in their lives.
Owning a gym can feel like a never-ending grind. But it doesn’t have to. The key to freedom isn’t working harder—it’s working smarter . And that starts with systems. Let’s talk about the top systems you need to get out of the weeds and into the visionary role your gym deserves. 1. Scheduling: Automate Your Calendar Use tools like Calendly, Google Calendar, or class management software to eliminate the back-and-forth. Set recurring team meetings Automate trial class sign-ups Create time blocks for admin vs. creative work Bonus: Protect your "off time" like it’s sacred. Because it is. 2. Onboarding: New Hires Done Right Create a step-by-step onboarding system that includes: Orientation checklist Video trainings Culture manual Weekly check-ins Why it matters: The faster your team is up to speed, the faster you can delegate. 3. Delegation: Build a Leadership Ladder Stop trying to do it all. Identify tasks you can train, trust, and transfer. Admin? Delegate. Social media? Delegate. Warm-ups? Delegate. Your job is vision, not micromanagement. 4. Communication: Say It Once Use a central platform (Slack, Band, Trello) to communicate consistently. Create channels or boards for: Team updates Weekly goals Parent communication templates Stop repeating yourself. Start systemizing. 5. Billing + Admin: Automate the Back End Use platforms like Jackrabbit, iClassPro, or Studio Director to: Auto-bill tuition Track attendance Send reminders Less time chasing payments = more time leading. Bonus: Weekly CEO Time Block 1-2 hours a week for high-level strategy. No interruptions. No "quick questions." Use it to: Review metrics Brainstorm growth strategies Plan your next move Final Word: Freedom Comes From Systems The goal isn’t to do less work—it’s to do your best work . The kind of work that grows your gym, inspires your team, and energizes you. Start small. Pick one system to build this week. Because when your business runs on systems, you don’t have to run on empty.
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Introducing The Prime Alliance Some of the industry's most respected leaders joined together with a shared belief—That both industry competitors and customers alike benefit from cooperation and collaboration. These individuals representing The CheerExpo, Choice Events, All Out Brands, All Day Cheerleading, and American Spirit Cheerc have dedicated their careers to creating exceptional experiences for young athletes—together they are The Prime Alliance. Creating an Extraordinary New Experience When these visionaries first gathered, the energy was electric. The possibilities seemed endless. As they shared stories from their collective decades of experience, a powerful truth emerged, their combined knowledge, relationships, and passion could allow them to give back something truly extraordinary to an industry that had given them so much. Their abilities, existing relationships and highly regarded reputations in the industry allow them to secure a new venue in a proclaimed destination. The Prime Alliance creates a foundation that allows them to reimagine what an industry event can be. Drawing on their firsthand understanding of innovation, these leaders are committed to building something genuinely new, not simply derivative of the past. This commitment requires patience as they carefully craft every detail, even as curiosity naturally builds throughout the industry. The founding members unanimously agree: strategic planning forms the cornerstone of every successful venture. While anticipation builds across an industry eager for reinvention, these leaders remain laser-focused on building something truly transformational. Their unwavering commitment? Prioritize thoughtful preparation without compromising ambition. The planning process is well underway, with every founding member dedicated to delivering an experience that exceeds expectations. Mark Your Calendars The Prime Alliance is thrilled to announce its inaugural event—a gathering that will redefine industry standards and create new opportunities for those ready to embrace something bold. May 8-10, 2026 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks, and be sure to follow @joinmotus for the official event name reveal on May 14th, 2025. The Visionaries Behind The Prime Alliance CX Brands Cole Stott, Kevin Brubaker, Casey Jones, Stacy Rowe Choice Events Robin Coe, Dennis Worley All Out Brands Emilee Fenn, James Kersey All Day Cheerleading Andrew Day, Carlos Foster American Spirit Cheer Paul and Tammy Skinner Are you going to be part of history or watch it?
Avoiding Burnout: How Cheer Gym Owners Can Balance Coaching, Leadership, and Business Management
5 Metrics That Elevate Cheer Gym Profitability When running a cheer gym, it goes beyond just coaching but also requires solid business acumen. To sustain your business, you must track the appropriate metrics. These five indicators will allow you to monitor progress, improve operations, and make sound decisions. Keeping Athletes Coming Back: Member Retention Rate – It is often less costly to retain athletes than to continually recruit new ones. Determine the number of athletes who return every season and identify the reasons leading to some of them leaving the program. Use various retention strategies like Rewarding staff with high retention rates. You can also ask parents to complete a survey and give them something in return. This is a great way to get feedback on your program. Turning Interest into Commitment: Lead-to-Member Conversion Rate – In the case where the lead to athlete inquiries ratio is above zero, how many of them actually convert? If this lately adopted method has an unsatisfactorily high conversion rate, through sales and responses, make sure that you close on new members at a higher rate. Consider streamlining the onboarding process with special trial classes, grab bag gifts, and automation of welcome messages. Maximizing Financial Stability : Revenue Per Athlete – When evaluating the pricing and value of services, this becomes especially useful. Consider whether there are any additional services that could increase revenue like merch, classes, and specialty clinics. Maximize the dollars that each member is spending. Operational Costs vs. Revenue: Maintaining a Healthy Financial Balance – Know where your money is going. If expenses are high, look for areas to streamline. Conduct regular financial audits, negotiate better vendor deals, and optimize staffing efficiency to maintain a profitable gym. Social Media Engagement Rate: Measuring Your Brand’s Impact – A strong online presence leads to more visibility and trust. Track likes, shares, and comments. A high engagement rate often correlates with strong brand loyalty and potential leads. If engagement is low, experiment with different content types and posting times. The Takeaway Numbers don’t lie. Tracking these metrics helps you make smarter, data-driven decisions for long-term success.
Time Management How many times a day or week do you say…I don’t have enough time for that? We all have the same 24 hours, 1440 minutes, and 86400 seconds in a day. So why is it that some people are able to accomplish so much more than others? YOU GUESSED IT – TIME MANAGEMENT! Okay so now we know what the difference maker is, let’s discuss some time management. This is a good time to get out some pen and paper or click on the note’s app on your phone. Let several things that you need to get done over the next few days or weeks. I’ll give you a minute. Okay, you’ve made your list. Now you are going to make everything on the list with an I for IMPORTANT or an NI for NOT IMPORTANT. What does this mean because everything is important and it all has to get done, right? Keep reading. IMPORTANT to-dos or responsibilities are ones that contribute to the achievement of your goals. NON-IMPORTANT to-dos or responsibilities are ones that DO NOT contribute to the achievement of your goals. Alright, now you want to consider your list and decide if the items on it are URGENT or NOT URGENT. You can have very important items are your list, but perhaps they are not urgent or non-important items on your list, but they are very urgent. Urgent responsibilities require immediate attention. These are often linked to the accomplishment of someone else’s goal. Ignoring urgent issues will have negative consequences. For example, you have a parent that is unhappy with their instructor and is in your office demanding a meeting right now. You must take the meeting because it is good customer service and you don’t want an unhappy customer, but this meeting is time spent not working to achieve your goals of starting a new program at your facility. It is an urgent meeting, it is necessary, but it isn’t moving the needle so to speak. After you have assessed your list you want to consider the following things – Items with important deadlines and high urgency need immediate attention; this cannot be helped. Unfortunately, these tend to be crises, pressing problems, projects that are deadline-driven, emergencies, or things that require last-minute preparations. Items with high importance but do not have urgent deadlines. These are items are usually planning, preparing, and training. The more you can add items like this to your agenda and plan far in advance, the more you are working toward your goals. The items from #1 will slow you down from #2, so you want to do everything you can to get out in front of those items and see the smoke before there’s fire, you know the old saying. Items that are both not important with high urgency are distractions. Assign these to someone else if you can. These tasks do not contribute to your goals and they take energy away from tasks that will have a positive impact on your business. Items that are not important and are not urgent basically yield no value to your objectives. They are time wasters for you and should be eliminated when possible. Here are some additional things that you can do to help you along the way in your time management journey. Question if an activity brings your closer to your goals. Consider the four statements above and categorize you to-dos. Prioritize tasks that bring you closer to your goals versus tasks that do not. Plan ahead as much and as far as possible. The more you can live in this space the less distractions you will have. Always sort your to-do list. This will help you identify what needs your attention, what can wait and what you can delegate to someone else. Good luck and happy planning!
