Attitude Over Talent

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Cheerleading is about learning life lessons, and here is one of the most valuable ones we’ve learned: a good attitude is always going to matter more than talent. Sure, a talented athlete will be put front and center for many of their skills, but they can cause many issues for the team as a whole if they have the wrong attitude. Today, we’re sharing a bit more about how attitude makes a huge difference to a team — especially when it comes to choosing attitude over talent.

Adapting to Change

You don’t need us to tell you that routines change all the time. However, the difference between successful changes and those that fall flat is attitude. Being moved from one spot to another is not an indication of skill or lack thereof. It’s making a shift that is the best possible choice for the team. Good-attitude athletes will approach the change with a new perspective. It’s not “I got moved because I’m bad,” it’s “I got moved because I make the team stronger from this position.” At the end of the day, that’s what we all want!

Treating Teammates with Kindness

No matter how talented you are, a kind and positive athlete will always shine above the rest. They can be the difference between the whole team chanting “we can do it!” and everyone gossipping behind each others’ backs. Encouragement is a beautiful act of kindness, and we know all-star cheerleaders who build each other up create deep team bonds. These bonds can carry a team to victory at a competition, as well as keep morale high during practice.

Improving Constantly

When given constructive feedback, some athletes shut down or refuse to reflect on what went wrong in their stunt or pass. However, an athlete with a good attitude takes criticism with grace and asks how they can improve. By listening to their coaches, they grow as a result. In fact, many athletes with a good attitude and a learning mindset end up being the ones we would classify as “talented” a few years later. This is solely because they put in the extra work necessary to become one of the best athletes. If you want to get better at cheer, in any area, you’ll need to improve your attitude first.

Applying Themselves

There’s a blog post that went viral in the cheer community lately where a coach stated that she has favorite athletes. While coaches aren’t technically supposed to have favorites, the athletes that stand out tend to have the same qualities. They work hard; they show up on time; they respond to criticism with a smile and a desire to improve … and they encourage their teammates. If every athlete on your team were to improve their attitude, the whole team’s dynamic would shift for the better.

It’s time to give it a try.

If you’re ready to hit the mat this season and show us what you’ve got, then get in touch with WSA Cheer. Register for an event near you!