Cheerleading Community Blog

Wow so it’s been a long 8 months here at CheerOutLoud. Jason and I finally got together in person as I stayed with him while I was in town competing at the AVP Brooklyn event on August 23. I also realized that I was battling an ear infection and respiratory infection at the same time. Pretty harsh. I ended up in bed for a few days when I got back to San Diego. Our sessions in his office were great and we went through the website and made revisions to a lot of features, interacted with our development team and connected with some members for feedback. We love feedback and we want your feedback on what you want for features, what tools do you need to make cheerleading better for you? What companies do you want to see on the site? What brands do you just love?

In case you didn’t know we’re all over the web by now and we wanted to share with you what sites you can find us on as we all know that managing multiple profiles is tough, but to make it easy here is where we are:

YourMinis: http://www.yourminis.com/people/yourminis/cheeroutloud
SuperViva: http://www.superviva.com/ideas/23680-make-CheerOutLoud-a-successful-business.html
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/cheeroutloudteam
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=779785022
TeenInk: http://teenink.com/talk/member.php?s=fe0fc430d95e15ef45720176d41cecaa&action=getinfo&userid=9966
Australian Cheerleading Online: http://www.acacheer.com/dragonfly/index.php?name=Your_Account&profile=cheeroutloud
Spain Cheerleading Directory: http://www.worldwidirectory.com/Europe/Spain/Recreation/Sports/Cheerleading/
Technorati: http://technorati.com/blogs/blog.cheeroutloud.com

So with all of the hardwork and long nights that have gone into CheerOutLoud.com to make it the best experience for cheerleaders arounf the world, we’re now looking to our current 550 BETA members to give us some feedback on what they want to see next!

thanks for all of your support!

Jason & BJ
Co-Founders

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H- Heart

A- Attitude

B- Believe

I- Intensity

T- Talent

S- Skills

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“There is no achievement without goals.”
Mckain, Robert J.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to say “it was meant-to-be” whenever a dream or goal comes true? And how much easier it is to give up and walk away from a dream simply because it was difficult?

Some goals require a tremendous amount of effort, however, difficulty is not necessarily a sign that our hopes and plans are a lost cause. Quite the opposite actually, difficulties and challenges along the way can be more important than the initial goal.

I find that when I want something, the fastest way for me to get it is to write it down. When I create a list of what I want, citing each item in as much detail as possible, my aspirations take on new substance. What was once a mere wish becomes real and achievable when put into words. As you pour the contents of your heart and soul into your list, your well-defined ambitions become a part of you, and like magic, new opportunities related to your goals will appear in your path. The words and ideas that we think can shape our lives and drive us toward success and happiness or failure and distress.

How you think and feel can have a profound effect on your ability to recognize opportunity, how well you perform, and the outcome of the goals that you’ve set for yourself. Positive thinking dramatically increases your chances of success.

If you keep your list in a convenient spot and review it daily, you will remind yourself that you are truly committed while keeping your goals fresh in your mind. Once you are committed to embracing positive thinking, you’ll start believing that everything that you want is within your grasp.

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As a player, a coach, and a spokesman, Mike Ditka has firmly established himself among the legends. I was fortunate enough to be one of about 100 people to hear him speak this morning. Prior to Mike Ditka was a guest speaker, a retired football player from the NY Giants, Brad Benson. Benson transformed his winning skills on the gridiron to become one of the area’s leading marketers and most successful business people! It was a privilege to hear them both speak.

Brad Benson’s most influential statement was this… “If you can revert to basics when others are in a crunch, you’ve got the edge.”

This was a simple reminder to me that fundamentals are the key. I remember my days competing, the long days spent at high schools around the area, sitting and waiting and pretending not to be nervous for benefit of my team. By the time I actually stepped out onto the mat, I had gone over the routine in my head so many times that there was no way I would forget where I was supposed to go or what words to say when. The all the sudden the music would come on and everything I had just prepared for was gone… I had nothing to rely on but my instinct. Focusing on the fundamentals and practicing as if it were competition, every time, had trained my mind and body to perform without even thinking.

After a 20 minute break, it was time for Mike Ditka to take the podium. Brad Benson was asked to introduce him. Brad had never personally met Mike and actual played for one of the other (arguably) best coaches in the NFL so what he said was interesting. He said that having just sat next to him for a few minutes, he got the distinct feeling that he [Mike Ditka] was the sort of person that could change your perspective on anything, in an instant; and that is the kind of coach he would have loved to play for.

Mike Ditka only spoke for about 40 minutes but the little he said was packed with valuable information. He said if you want to be mediocre, no one will stop you. If you want to be a winner, be successful, there’s a price to pay: you’ve got to stay longer, practice harder, and do everything right, all the time. You must have a commitment to excellence.

He said, “It’s all about the ACE.” ACE is an acronym for Attitude, Character, Enthusiasm.

Attitude is something that you choose. You are a product of what you think.
Character is who you are. Not your reputation (what people perceive of you) but what you do when you’re alone. Whether you do what you know is right.
Enthusiasm is the fuel that drives everything. If you don’t like what you are doing, don’t do it. If you do like what you are doing, do it as well as you can.

He left me with one final thing… he was talking about his Super Bowl experience as a player when he said that the day he fully understood how to be the best was when he realized how to play as a teammate and not an individual. He said that by playing more for the team than for himself, he was able to inspire others to be their best and they went on to win the Super Bowl that year.

Something extra… I’d like to start a conversation between all of us to get some feedback about your experiences… what are some things you really dislike about the sport? What are some things you’d like to see more of? I’m talking… at competition, in regards to your coaches, how your uniform could fit better, etc.

Either post a comment to this post, or email me directly at info@cheeroutloud.com

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