Spread the Cheer

It’s competition and/or spring show time and everyone could use a little motivation to keep them going. Here are a couple of ideas that we thought may keep your team members laughing and smiling through the rough times of preparation!

• Team Motivation Countdown – Assign a practice day to each of your team members, counting down to competition day. On their assigned day, they are responsible for motivating the team however they would like. Some creative ideas I have seen are breaking down a song and assigning each team member a word, making small keychains for every team member with a motivational quote on it, playing a team building game, buying a blank puzzle and writing a message on it and then giving each team member a piece and they have to put the puzzle together, etc. This gives everyone ownership in team motivation and the team gets excited each day to see what creative idea their teammates will come up with.
• Ring Pop Vow – This probably needs to be done on day one of practices. It can also be done during pre-camp or before school starts practices. On a large piece of butcher paper, write out their competition or show vows with the blanks for them to fill in so they take ownership in them. As a group they need to agree on what will go in the blanks and the captain or director can write the words in. Once they are done and everyone has signed it, give each of them a ring pop to open and put on their finger. Once they are all have their “bling,” they need to read it out loud together as a TEAM. And at the end they need to say their team chant or cheer. Hang their vows up in your practice area so that they don’t forget.
• Love Plates – Grab a package of paper plates from the dollar store and write each team members name on them. Lay the plates out at the beginning of practice and have everyone go and write a positive word that describes that teammate. At the end of the activity each team member will have a plate that reminds them why their teammates love them.
• Balloon Release – Each team member has some sort of fear before competition so have each girl write down their fear on a small piece of paper and attach it to a helium-filled balloon. Go outside and “release their fears.” You can also do this in your dance space and have the balloons float to the top of the room and then they’re there as a reminder to LET IT GO!! Eventually they will come down?
• Drop the Format and the Beat – Come into practice with a remix of fun “follow directions” songs or popular songs with dances that coincide with them and “drop the format and the beat” at the beginning of practice. This is a fun way to get practice started with some laughs while also getting that cardio in and join in. The team ALWAYS loves for their director to let loose.
• Theme Days – You can’t go wrong with a couple of fun theme days during competition or show season. Just a few ideas: Neon Day, Backwards Day, Twin Day, Crazy Socks Day, Pajama Day, Disney Day, Heart of a Champion Day (wear red). Remind the team that they must be able to dance full out in whatever they wear.

Spread the Cheer