As we start looking toward end-of-season events, it’s important that coaches are creating an environment where athletes want to return. I’ve been guilty of finding myself in hyper-competitive mode this time of year. In fact, 10 years ago, if you got me in a warm up room at a big event, you’d see the most competitive mode of me coming out. 

Today, I’ve grown as a coach and an owner. Heck, I’ve grown as a parent and I get to see the other side of that coin. The way coaches behave in a warm up room isn’t always the most logical and isn’t always going to create the best outcome for athletes. 

Last weekend I heard a coach tell a tiny that if she fell in the cartwheel again, she wouldn’t be on the team anymore. 

I’m pretty sure she saw my mouth drop open when I heard that. ((Control your face Danielle!)) So, whether you’ve been coaching teams for a year or 20 years, whether you’re an owner who coaches or an owner who employs the coaches – here are three things I recommend you never do in warm ups. 

  1. Don’t talk “business” only while you’re in warm ups. It’s important to get their mind off the stressful moments ahead and make some memories. If you get to warm ups early, make a reel. Bring a funny stuffed animal to toss around. Play a game or bring a little speaker and take song requests. We’ve even made tunnels in the hallway for other teams to dance through to our favorite songs. Those were some of the most memorable moments we’ve had with teams.
  2. Never let your athletes feel like just another kid on the floor standing in the back. I’m a firm believer that they shouldn’t be learning anything new in warm ups. At the same time, I am often reminding a certain base to dip on 7, telling a backspot to not forget to move over half a panel for dance, or telling a flyer to keep those ankles together. But most of the time those reminders are just to remind the athletes I’ll be watching them so they can feel special during those moments in the routine. It’s common for me to miss a whole tumbling pass because I’m watching the choreography in the back. In some of our competitions, the kids in the back will stare right at me and smile while they’re doing it. It helps them to know their part is just as important. To be honest, I’ve been so focused on those areas that I have missed our own team’s deductions. It’s not uncommon for me to have to watch a video replay of the routine right after because I was so focused on one area.
  3. Don’t overwork your kids on the warm up mats. We’ve had some pretty gracious IEPs over the years that gave us 10 minutes (one was even 12 minutes) per mat. In my early years, I was thrilled for the extra practice time. We’d use every minute of that, and then wonder why our kids hit in warm ups and didn’t hit when they competed. But that’s fair. After 30 straight minutes of pushing them in every area of their routine…they were tired! Warm ups are designed to get your body ready and your mind set. Don’t use it as a practice. 

There are MORE things you shouldn’t do also. I tried to leave those to common sense, but mainly – don’t say anything to your athletes you wouldn’t say if their moms were standing right there. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want others to hear you say. Don’t say anything that a preschool or elementary school teacher couldn’t say. Be kind to kids. They respect you. They love you, and they look up to you. Be amazing coaches who have kids begging for you to coach them year after year.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you three things you should absolutely do with your teams while at a competition, so don’t miss it!

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