Playoff Schedule

All games will be played at 7 PM. Whether or not games are played, who the opponents are and most locations are to be determined (TBD) by the results of each previous game played. The two games in bold are the first games to be played.

• THURS FEB. 11 BV Girls v. Charter Oak-Ute @ Charter Oak
• TUES FEB. 16 BV Girls v. TBD @ Charter Oak
• THURS FEB. 18 BV Boys v. Charter Oak-Ute @ Dunlap
• FRI FEB. 19 BV Girls v.TBD @ Harlan
• MON FEB. 22 Girls Regional Finals @ Atlantic
• TUES FEB. 23 BV Boys v. TBD @ TBD
• THURS FEB. 25 BV Boys v. TBD @ TBD

Think we play COU enough this year? Almost done. Tired yet?

This is always a hard time of year. Part of you wants to be done so bad you can almost taste it -but another part of you dreams of how amazing it would be to cheer in the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines if our school went all the way to the State Championship! Just hang tough, you've been doing great so far. Even if our teams are eliminated in the first or second rounds, I hope you have memories now to last you a life time.

By the end of this month I will be talking to you all about tryouts for football season, Cheer Camp this summer, running concessions for track meets (which Cheer and Drill share), and (sniff) having to return your uniforms.

You guys have turned out to be a fantastic bunch and you do a fantastic job. I'd love to have you all back for football season, next year's basketball season, or both. I really appreciate how hard you've worked and how far you've all come. You should be proud.

This week's Western Valley Conference play

Monday (Feb 1) we will be hosting Conference Games vs COU.
Game 2 - V Girls @ 6:00 PM
Game 3 - V Boys

Tue 2/2/2010 Western Valley Conference B Varsity 6:00 PM

Thu 2/4/2010 Charter Oak - Ute High School G JV/Varsity Dunlap 6:00 PM (show up for at least the varsity game, Mr. Straight feels strongly that we cheer at all home games- having said that, I won't be at this game because my wife and I are taking our Daughter Grace to Iowa City for medical tests.)

Fri 2/5/2010 Western Valley Conference B JV/Varsity 6:00 PM

Sat 2/6/2010 Western Valley Conference B Varsity 6:00

But then, there'sno game until Feb 12!

A VERY hectic week ahead

Cammey sent me a text and Tiffany asked here on facebook, so here's what you need to know-

You might've thought that we'd have a pile of make-up games, but this is the start of Western Valley Conference Tournaments. Girls this week and boys next week. Why our conference insists on having it's own tourneys when we'll still have District playoff tournaments at the end of the season, I have no idea, but they do.

Mon     1/25/2010     Charier Oak - Ute High School     B JV/Varsity     Dunlap     6:00 PM- (the girls have conference game in Manning this same night, Mr. Straight believes we should be at all home games) Sorry if you don't like it- but we will cheer at both the JV and Varsity games, so please be there b 5:30 or at least 5:45


Tue     1/26/2010     Western Valley Conference     G Varsity           6:00 PM @ Dunlap (home???- this is if I understood the westernvalleyconf.com posting correctly)

If I'm not mistaken, these next two are contingent on our winning- that means they may or may not have them, so please be ready:

Thu     1/28/2010     Western Valley Conference     G JV/Varsity           6:00 PM @ Westside (see me for bus time)

Fri 1/29 the JV/Var Boys have a game in Correctionville, BUT, since it's one gender only but it's NOT a home game- I am going to let you off the hook for it because if the girls win, this will be a monster week and the same will be true if the boys win in their tourneys next week. You deserve at least one day off.

Sat     1/30/2010     Western Valley Conference     G Varsity           6:00 PM

Mon     2/1/2010     Western Valley Conference     B JV/Varsity           6:00 PM and guess what? Boys will have Conference turneys Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, blah blah blah, assuming they win and keep laying.

vs. Logan

Pyramid of Success 15; Competitive Greatness

“'When the going gets tough, the tough get going.' Be at your best when your best is needed. (competitive greatness is a) Real love of a hard battle." ~John Wooden

• Get your game on.
• Put your game face on.
• Keep your head in the game.
• And of course what cheerleader doesn't know "Bring it on?"

All of these cliches mean the same thing; keep your edge.

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

All of these mottos mean that the athlete relishes the opportunity to bring all their skill, talent, experience and character to bare on whatever problem or challenge they face.

Coach Wooden says "a hard struggle is to be welcomed, never feared. In fact, when you define success this way, the only thing to fear is your unwillingness to make the full 100% effort to prepare and perform at the highest level of your ability."

Over 17 years of bus rides, I've over heard a lot of conversations between basketball coaches. They talk a lot about who's giving 100%, 90%, 60%, and 110% both in practices and in games.

Competitive greatness isn't about winning competitions (especially in cheer, where yeah, there are such a thing as cheerleading competitions, but the whole purpose is really to help the football or basketball players reach their competitive greatness). Competitive greatness isn't about defeating an opponent or a rival. You can be competitive in an insecure, jealous, selfish, ambitious way like that, but true competitive greatness isn't about vanquishing enemies- it's about overcoming obstacles, solving problems, meeting challenges, and accomplishing personal goals.

The love of a hard battle isn't about destroying enemies or getting attention or power- it's about sojourning on even when you're faced with the most difficult trails. It's about not being lazy, apathetic, or lethargic but industrious, intentional, confident, determined and to bring us full-circle- it means being enthusiastic.

The point, that sharp top (competitive EDGE), the summit of the pyramid isn't possible without the force of the bricks below it, perhaps most importantly the corner stones of industriousness and enthusiasm- but not as high, not as powerful, and not nearly as meaningful or as successful without friendship, loyalty, cooperation, and team-spirit.

You can jump over a hurdle, avoid it by going around, or plow right through it. Sometimes competitive greatness means having to get a little dirty, it means having to work up a sweat. It means not giving up, even if you do lose. It means moving on and trying again after you have failed.

Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

That's why I always want you to keep trying to rev up the crowd no matter how unresponsive they are for your time out and quarter break cheers. And that's a lesson that will take you far in life. Another old saying says that if you aim for the moon, even if you miss, you'll end up in the stars.

Pyramid of Success 14; Confidence

" Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent."

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
~Eleanor Roosevelt


"Courage is being scared to death- but saddling up anyway."
~John Wayne



"You must have confidence," writes Coach John Wooden, "You must believe in yourself if you expect others to believe in you. However, you can't have poise and confidence unless you've prepared correctly. (remember that failing to prepare is preparing to fail.) Every block is built on the others. When all are in place, poise and confidence result. You don't force them to happen. They happen naturally from proper preparation. "

Webster's Dictionary explains that it is "a state of mind or a manner marked by easy coolness and freedom from uncertainty, diffidence, or embarrassment... faith in oneself and one's powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance confidence that comes from long experience>...an ease or coolness under stress that reflects perfect self-control and command of one's powers... a manifest self-possession in trying or challenging situations."

Some kids bring confidence to cheerleading. Generally cheerleading gives kids confidence.
Flying, basing and spotting in stunts. Leading chants; shouting, jumping and kicking in front of hundreds of people. Leading pep-rallies... practice, practice, practice... being LOUD and PROUD!

Heck, just having to perform in front of the whole student body or half the town gives you a certain amount of confidence- once you get over whatever stage fright you had, there won't be many times you'll be afraid to be inn front of people anymore!

I wish we still had 10-20 people trying out for cheer- not because the competition means you get a higher caliber of cheerleader- you guys are great- but because having to go through the tryout practice is a real teat or confidence. Over the last 17 years I've known a couple of girls who gave phenomenal tryouts, you'd think they were college cheerleaders, unfortunately they became lazy and sloppy in practice and at games. These girls were "over confident." True confidence is built on the other 13 bricks and includes not just poise, but work, conditioning, alertness, loyalty, Enthusiasm, cooperation, etc.

Then there were a few girls who I absolutely knew had outstanding skills, knowledge, and work-ethic- but unfortunately for them, they completely freaked out when it was time for tryouts. A couple of times girls wound up in tears. It was too bad because I knew that they were brimming with potential. At least once they decided they couldn't stand being in front of crowds, at least once there wasn't anything I could do- there were too many other candidates that performed better, and I know a couple of times it worked out in the end. Even the girls who don't make the squad have said that just having to go through the tryout process helped build their confidence.

And as Coach Wooden explained, working on industriusness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, enthusiasm, self-control, alertness, initiative, intentness, conditioning, skill, team-spirit, and poise- these are going to give you REAL confidence.

My hope is that through cheerleading, you will build all 15 of these bricks into your character and your thinking. If you do, they may not make you a billionaire or the first woman President, but I guarantee that they will bring you success- that is, the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you did your best. And THAT could make cheer one of the most important things you do in high school. Even if this is the last season you cheer and you don't come out again (and I hope you all will, whether it's during football or basketball or both), but even if you don't- it will be worth it if you gain at least some confidence from it. That will probably happen even if you think this Pyramid business of Coach Wooden is a bunch of bunk.

I've known tons of girls who agree that it made a difference in their lives. Some who were timid, shy and unassuming before cheer and confident and comfortable both with themselves and with others after. But remember, if your confidence is not merely building up an immunity to stage-fright, but if it's backed up by the other 13 bricks in the Pyramid of Success- you'll be ready for just about anything life throws at you.

Monday Night v. SoCal

Pyramid of Success 13; Poise

"The key to winning is poise under stress."
~Paul Brown

You've heard of old saying like, "she makes it look so easy," the reason some people make things LOOK easy, is not because they are easy, but because those people have poise.

POISE:
1 : a stably balanced state : EQUILIBRIUM poise between widely divergent impulses --
2 a : easy self-possessed assurance of manner : gracious tact in coping or handling; also : the pleasantly tranquil interaction between persons of poise poise of the meeting
b : a particular way of carrying oneself : BEARING, CARRIAGE
synonym see TACT

Fashion magazines will tell you that runway models need to be poised, so you might think that poise is all an act, but really it's about being comfortable, unflappable even. It's about being stable.

Coach Wooden says that his definition of poise is simply being yourself. Not acting. Not pretending to be something you're not, you are who you are and you're comfortable with that. You'll function at your own level of competence. Granted, as a cheerleader you may sometimes have to pretend to be happy and you have to work at being positive- but if you have enthusiasm (love/spirit) then you'll be able to smile and act excited and still be genuine even when life is hard or you're having a bad day.

Poise means that your goal is not to satisfy anyone else's expectations but your own. You give your total effort to becoming the best you are capable of being.

Here's a famous poem about poise:

"If..."
By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

(or may I rephrase, you'll be a woman my cheerleader!
or how about, you'll be a leader, not just a cheerleader)

Pyramid of Success 12; TEAM Spirit

"Individual commitment to a group effort-
that is what makes a team work,
a company work,
a society work,
a civilization work."
~Vince Lombardi, legendary NFL coach

"If anything goes bad, I did it.
If anything goes semi-good, then WE did it.
If anything goes really good, then YOU did it."
~Paul "Bear" Bryant, NCAA Football coach

"Team Spirit means you are willing to sacrifice personal considerations for the welfare of all.
That defines a team player."
~John Wooden


It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about the squad, the program, the team & fans we're cheering for, the school, the town, the community. You and I are a part of something bigger than either of us alone. We are BULLDOGS.

You've heard the old cliche', "there's no 'I' in TEAM."
It's not about me. It can never be about you.
It's all about US.

Be a team player and you'll become a leader.

What's it gonna be? 7 individuals who all want their own way? Two or three factions that each coalesce behind different individuals who each want to be in charge? Or ONE unit, one group, one team, one family, one squad with the same purpose- to get the crowds going and make games more fun- for EVERYBODY?

As you've read before, about other bricks in the Pyramid of Success, it might take sacrifice, selflessness, maturity, patience, compromise- but those are all things that genuine and successful leaders do. Be a leader by being a TEAM player.

Pyramid of Success 11; Skills

"A winner is somebody who recognizes his God-given talents,
works his tail off to develop them into skills,
and uses them to accomplish his goals."
~Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

Skill is the knowledge of and the ability to PROPERLY and quickly execute the fundamentals. It means being prepared and covering every single detail. For a cheerleader it means being accurate and sharp. It means being able to keep tempo and stay in sync. It means controlling the different aspects of your voice (pitch, inflection, volume & expression) etc. etc.

Webster's defines it this way-

2 a : the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance b : dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks
3 : a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability skills>
synonym see ART


And what does it take to develop skills? Work. Practice, practice, practice...

"Skill to do comes of doing"
~ Emerson

"We are what we repeatedly do"
~ Aristotle


#1 read & use your notebook
#2 plan on camp this summer

Pyramid of Success 10; Conditioning

"Some believed my players were simply in better physical condition than the competition. They may have been, but they also had tremendous mental and emotional conditioning. You must identify your conditioning requirements and then attain them. Without proper conditioning in all areas, you will fall short of your potential. It is impossible to attain and maintain desirable physical condition without first achieving mental and moral condition."
~ John Wooden


Rest, diet, exercise must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Sure, that's important. It's important to run, do crunches and push-ups, run eight-count drills, and give 100% every practice and 110% every game.

But it's also important to be balanced and well-rounded and self-disciplined. I think Coach Wooden would agree, that means conditioning your whole person, mind, body and spirit.

You must PRACTICE self-control, alertness, risk-taking, goal-setting, cooperating, being loyal, being a friend, working and being enthusiastic. It takes work and it takes practice.

If you haven't set any New Year's resolutions yet, I challenge you to resolve to exercise your mind, body and spirit.

1) Read something at least three times a week- no? okay, how about sudoku or crossword puzzle 3x a week?

2) Walk/Run/or Exercise at least 20 minutes at least three times a week

and
3) pray/meditate/worship/or serve at least three times a week

Check out an interactive version of the pyramid at Coach Wooden's official website: http://www.coachwooden.com

Pyramid of Success 9; GOALS, "Intentedness"

Itentedness means keeping your eye on the prize and raising the bar. It means staying motivated by staying focused. We should always set realistic goals, concentrate on achieving them and resisting all temptations to give up and stay determined and persistent.

I told Varsity once we got the step-up into a half-extension "prep," and the cradle-catch that NEXT we need to work on getting it up with an elevator and get it all the way up into a full-extension. NOW that we have our chants and sidelines down, we should develop some floor-cheers and we should borrow, make-up, and re-choreograph new chants.

Now that JrHi cheer has most of the chants down, we deed to add conditioning time and begin learning the fundamentals of stunting.

Can we do these things? Like "Bob the Builder" would say, "Yes we CAN!"

Author & Coach Brian Brio says that there are 2 kinds of questions that hurt and 2 kinds that help:

When you catch your self asking these, STOP-
Hopelessness-inducing questions- "WILL this work?
Hopelessness-assured questions- "Will this EVER work?"

Try asking THESE instead-
Possibility-inducing questions- "HOW will we make this work?"
and Exciting Possibility-inducing questions- "How will I contribute so that we MAKE this work for the squad and our school?"


I really want to recommend 'Beyond Success' and the updated 'Beyond Success; 15 secrets of a winning life' both by Brian D. Brio.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Success-Secrets-Winning-Life/dp/0964745321

He's a former high school swim coach and motivational speaker & writer. He uses Coach Wooden's 15 pyramid blocks better than I have and it's a pretty easy/quick read, even for teenagers. Think of it as along the lines of Chicken Soup for the Soul only with the success pyramid.

I have a copy on my shelf as a DEAR time choice if you'd ever like to borrow it.

What kinds of goals do you have for the New Year? Better grades? A fitness program? No more boys? Getting along better with your parents or siblings?

What kind of goals should we have as a squad? Get along better? Best hospitality to visiting squads? More stunting? LOUDER? More squad members starting chants (initiative)?

You may have heard this one before, but I'll share it again anyway- just in time for New Year's resolutions (mine is to make sure I walk at least 3X a week). Here it is, make sure your goals are SAM; Specific, Achievable, and Measurable.

If I were to just say "to be skinnny" than might not be achievable or measurable. If I say "to loose 100 pounds, that may be measurable, but not so achievable. If I say "I want to walk at least 20 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week in order to lose at least 10 pounds so that I lower my triglycerides, improving both my blood pressure and blood sugar." Now THAT's Specific (maybe too specific) Achievable, and Measurable.

One year in LA, I had a cheerleader named Xela. Her goal was to improve her jumps. So she not only practiced at home on her own time, but she bought a set of ankle weights to wear when she did. Withing just a week she was jumping higher, sharper and more frequently than ever before.

Besides making your goals SAM, you shouldn't make too many, AND perhaps most importantly, you need to keep reminding yourself of your goal. Keeping it in mind helps you keep your eye on the prize, to stay focused. That's one of the reasons for things like mottos and mission statements, and mnemonic devices like "loud and?... PROUD!"

Here's two great examples to try to memorize:

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."
~John Wooden

"Positive, Committed Leaders stirring-up spirit, building excellence & character"

“For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment." ~John Wooden

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." ~Albert Einstein