mizurush asked: Hi SJ! I dont know if you know me but we cheer for the same gym. Last year I was on Frilled the year before I was on Dusky and this year im a Tiger. I go by Ella! Im usually a base but last year I pulled and probably this year il fly. Do you have any tips for staying confident in the air? I have a hard time putting together all the things im supposed to remember. Does it just become easier? And what was the hardest skill for you to get?
hi ella! if you’re going to fly, it’s gonna take some practice and getting used to being in the air so don’t expect to get it right on the first try! don’t look down! and spreading your toes out in your shoes will help you balance. don’t bend your legs when your bases throw you, or it’ll cut off your height! at first focus on squeezing your muscles, but not so much that it shakes you! if you’re doing a lib, instead of a high-V try putting both your hands on your knee that’s bent, but keep your back straight, and don’t drop your hip. that’s the position you need to be in!
if you have a hard time remembering things, practice it while you’re being taught. don’t just watch, do it! when you have a water break, have a sip of water, then practice it again before you have to go back. as soon as you get home from practice, practice again until it starts to become a habit. do it right before bed, do it when you wake up! before you know it, it’ll be in your muscle memory and you won’t even have to think about it! i’m pretty sure that the more you do this, the easier it becomes to learn things.
the hardest skill for me to get was probably my standing tuck or my full. my standing tuck was just frustrating because it took so long to get, but perseverance pays off! i’ve been doing my full for 6 years now, but i still get mental blocks from it haha. but the more i do it, the less scary it gets! i find with any skills though, if ali is watching me, i’ll do it. use your coaches as motivation. they believe in you as an athlete! don’t let them down, you’re capable of anything :) and i can promise you that all the sharks coaches just want you to do the best you can :)
