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Cheerleading Competitions Can Rev You Up Too Much

By: Pamela Enders, Ph.D.

In all the excitement about cheerleading competitions, some cheer coaches and cheerleaders talk about “adrenaline” as if it’s some magic elixir!

People say things like, “Once the adrenaline kicks in, I’ll be fine.” Well, there is such a thing as too much adrenaline. We’re really talking about the physiological activation of your body and like other things, it’s good to find just the right level of activation for you.

In psychology, we refer to this as the Zone of Optimal Functioning or ZOOF. This means that an athlete must find the right level of activation or arousal for the activity he or she is engaged in. Too much and performance suffers. Too little and performance suffers. Different people have different needs in this regard. Some like to get revved up and indeed perform better when they are revved up. Others need to calm down a bit.

Also, different tasks require different levels of activation. For example, tumbling across a mat requires more activation than being a base during a stunt routine. The tumbler needs a big spurt of energy and the base needs to be calm and focused. Of course the base and the tumbler might be the same person and if this is the case, he or she has to modulate the activation levels during one routine!

One cheerleader I met realized she performs better when she is clicking on all cylinders. So her pre-performance routine includes running in place to get her juices flowing. Another cheerleader performs better when she is calm and centered so her pre-performance routine involves a brief meditation.

I refer to this as the Goldilocks theory of optimal performance functioning. For those of you who remember the childhood story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks discovered the Bears’ empty cabin and went inside.

She saw 3 chairs and sat in each. One was too big, one was too small and
one was just right. The same thing happened with the beds (too hard, too
soft and just right), the porridge (too hot, too cold and just right), and so forth.

So – just like Goldilocks, the bottom line is: you need to determine what the right level of physical arousal or activation is for you that allow you to perform at an optimal level.

Like everything else, the first step is awareness – identifying how you feel and under what circumstances you perform best. The second step is adjustment – if you discover you are too revved up, slow down a bit by exhaling slowly several times. This will slow your heart rate, your respiration rate, and also reduce excess muscle tension.

If you determine that you need more energy, you can jump in place and shake your hands rapidly. This can be a quick way to rev up – to just the right level for you!

Pamela Enders, Ph.D. Copyright 2009
http://www.confidentcheerleading.com http://www.confidentcheerleadingblog.com

You may republish this article ONLY if you give full credit to the author,
Pamela Enders, and include links to the above mentioned sites. Thank you!

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Cheerleading Competitions Can Rev You Up Too Much By: Pamela Enders, Ph.D. In all the excitement about cheerleading competitions, some cheer coaches and cheerleaders talk about “adrenaline” as if it’s some magic elixir! People say things like, “Once the adrenaline kicks in, I’ll be fine.” Well, there is such a thing as too much adrenaline. We’re really talking about the physiological activation of your body and like other things, it’s good to find just the right level of activation for you. In psychology, we refer to this as the Zone of Optimal Functioning or ZOOF. This means that an athlete must find the right level of activation or arousal for the activity he or she is engaged in. Too much and performance suffers. Too little and performance suffers. Different people have different needs in this regard. Some like to get revved up and indeed perform better when they are revved up. Others need to calm down a bit. Also, different tasks require different levels of activation. For example, tumbling across a mat requires more activation than being a base during a stunt routine. The tumbler needs a big spurt of energy and the base needs to be calm and focused. Of course the base and the tumbler might be the same person and if this is the case, he or she has to modulate the activation levels during one routine! One cheerleader I met realized she performs better when she is clicking on all cylinders. So her pre-performance routine includes running in place to get her juices flowing. Another cheerleader performs better when she is calm and centered so her pre-performance routine involves a brief meditation. I refer to this as the Goldilocks theory of optimal performance functioning. For those of you who remember the childhood story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks discovered the Bears’ empty cabin and went inside. She saw 3 chairs and sat in each. One was too big, one was too small and one was just right. The same thing happened with the beds (too hard, too soft and just right), the porridge (too hot, too cold and just right), and so forth. So – just like Goldilocks, the bottom line is: you need to determine what the right level of physical arousal or activation is for you that allow you to perform at an optimal level. Like everything else, the first step is awareness – identifying how you feel and under what circumstances you perform best. The second step is adjustment – if you discover you are too revved up, slow down a bit by exhaling slowly several times. This will slow your heart rate, your respiration rate, and also reduce excess muscle tension. If you determine that you need more energy, you can jump in place and shake your hands rapidly. This can be a quick way to rev up – to just the right level for you! Pamela Enders, Ph.D. Copyright 2009 http://www.confidentcheerleading.com http://www.confidentcheerleadingblog.com You may republish this article ONLY if you give full credit to the author, Pamela Enders, and include links to the above mentioned sites. Thank you!
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