How U.K. Teams Train Their Mental Game!

How U.K. Teams Train Their Mental Game!

Learn how cheerleading teams from the U.K. are training to be mentally ready to compete!

Jul 3, 2017 by Emily Schmidt
How U.K. Teams Train Their Mental Game!
Physical training is only half of the preparation that goes into every cheerleading season. Mental training is equally as important to create the perfect balance for success on the mat! Teams in England have discovered this secret, and the results are showing!


Deborah Fields is the creator of Your Mind Matters, an exclusively designed program for cheerleaders. Fields is a cheer mom with a background in performance arts and psychology. With her knowledge, she's created a program specifically geared toward what cheerleaders need to be mentally ready to take the floor.

Zodiac Allstars was the first program to train with Fields. She runs a psychology class for the athletes at Zodiac twice a month. If they feel stressed or pressured, she takes what they are worried about and helps them release those worries by retraining their brains.

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One of Fields' favorite lessons that she teaches athletes after they have a bad fall or are struggling to get past whatever is holding them back is the bricks and feathers analogy.

Bricks vs. Feathers
What weighs more: a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers? They both weigh the same. It's easy to imagine a ton of bricks but nearly impossible to picture a ton of feathers. It's hard to pick up a feather because it flies away. If you assume that the brick is a negative object, your brain will think that way. It's easier to walk out of the gym or off the mat holding that brick rather than holding the feather. You must retrain your brain to choose the feather so that the negative thoughts can easily be released.

In addition to teaching athletes how to retrain their brains, Fields also shows them various breathing techniques that help create a calm atmosphere and positive thoughts. Her program has led Zodiac Allstars to success and is quickly spreading across the U.K. Visit here to learn more about Your Mind Matters!