The best way to have a great competition experience is to feel like you’ve performed at your absolute best. But performing at your very best doesn’t just involve wearing the best cheer uniform, getting all the stunts right and having slick choreography; you need to look and feel confident!

No matter how experienced of a cheerleader you are – whether you’re just starting out or been at it for years – you can’t help but get those butterflies in your stomach before taking to the floor. It’s perfectly natural but can take over your mind and body. You can’t necessarily change this about you, however you can act and look like you’re confident by following some of these tips:

Tip #1 – Banish Nerves

Before you take to the floor, it’s important to relax. Humming a slow song or visualising a calm scene in your mind can help your mind slow down. If your stomach is feeling funny, eating a banana will get rid of any nausea without making you feel full. Do a few stretches to relieve tension – roll your shoulders, take deep breaths, and stretch your arms, backs and legs.

If you have the time, find a quiet place to meditate – relax and concentrate on deep breathing. Avoid caffeine and any energy drinks as they’ll make you extra jittery.

Laughter is a great distraction from worrying. Chat with your friends, tell a couple of jokes

Tip #2 – Build Team Confidence

In order for everyone to perform at their best, the whole team has to be confident and united. Team building activities is a great way to do some extra bonding with your squad. You could even do a team sleepover to get everyone excited and remind everyone that competitions are supposed to be fun.

Create various goals at the beginning of the competition season. As the season progresses, celebrate when you approach or surpass a goal! If you focus on winning at competitions, you’ll set yourself up for failure if you don’t always win first place. A good aim is to get a better score than you did in previous competitions.

After a competition, take some time as a group to share one thing each teammate did well during the performance. It will help maintain a positive attitude as we are proud of ALL of you, we are proud of ALL of you.

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