Coaching Advice Inspired By My Darkest Moments

Dear dance coaches, Sometimes we all need a little pick-me-up and reassurance that we’re on the right track. We all have those dark days where it feels like we've failed. Like we aren't meant to do this after all. Over my years of coaching,…
journaling

How To Start Journaling With Your Dance Team

I often talk about the lessons I’ve learned after years of coaching. The things I would do differently, ideas I had late in the game, coaching practices I wish I had used more often. Today I want to talk about one of those lessons, in the…
mid-season goals

How to Inspire Your Mid-Season Goal Setting

While most people are setting New Year’s Resolutions, we are all deep into our season and it may feel like a strange time to do some goal setting. But I say, it’s a perfect time. Whether you set goals at the beginning of the season or not,…
resilience training

How to Inspire a Resilient Athlete: Practical Coaching Tips for Resilience Training

Want this content in a podcast?!? Check out Episode 2 of the Passion for Dance Podcast It's competition season and there's a million things going on... but are you thinking about resilience training? During this season many teams have multiple…
judge

3 Quick Things To Do When A Judge Gives You Difficult Feedback

The day of a competition is filled it excitement, anticipation, and probably some stress too. But for many coaches, the stress doesn’t end at the award ceremony. Regardless of the outcome, many of us pour over the judges feedback sheets with…
score sheets

How to Discuss Competition Score Sheets

Your first competition of the season just ended, and you head over to the judges’ table to pick up a packet of your score sheets. Do you like to immediately read them? Do you collect them but then stuff them away in your bag for later? If…
positive reinforcement

The Special Power of Positive Reinforcement

Whenever I discuss the negative side to punishment, and why you should always avoid physical punishment I get questions about what to do instead. The focus is usually on the side of consequences. Coaches want to know, how do I get them to stop…

Tough Love: Why it's so hard to be hard on them but you need to do it

A few years ago, we were just days away from our tryouts, which includes tryouts for captains, and I was dreading it. Not because of the actual tryout process, but because I had one particular girl trying out for captain and I knew she needed…

4 Reasons Not To Punish With Pushups

Did you ever have to run laps when you were late to practice? For many of us, we grew up with coaches and dance directors who used physical punishment for bad behavior and mistakes. It’s relatively common to have a team do wall-sits when…
assistant coach

The Most Important Conversation You Need To Have With Your Assistant Coach

Are you lucky enough to have an assistant coach? Maybe you are an assistant coach who is eager to help the team.  Or maybe you’re like me, for a long time I was a head coach doing everything alone and wishing for some help!  I…