Posts

Coach Interview: Kelley Tafazzoli, University of Tennessee

Tell us your dance story and how you became the coach at Tennessee. I am not a Tennessee native, I’m originally from PA. I’m a Yankee but now I live in the south so I bring a little of that brashness with me. I grew up a studio kid,…

To the Coach Who Won't Settle Until They Reach Perfection

Dear Perfectionist Coaches, I know there are so many emotions during all of the little moments throughout the competition season, and we have a  standard of perfection. Helping everyone get their hair and makeup done, walking to the warm-up…
TJ Maple

Coach Interview: T.J. Maple of Stephen F. Austin University

Tell us about your background and how this coaching career came to be for you.  I didn’t have the opportunity to be on a dance team in high school. Growing up in the 90s it wasn’t acceptable. This all really came about through natural…

How to Perform Under Pressure and Radically Reduce the Chance of a Mistake

Unlike other sports, dance coaches don’t get to coach ‘during the game’. Instead, we have to watch from the side and hope that our team can perform under pressure. We have to simply stand back and hope they don’t make a mistake during…

What to Say When You Don't Know How to Help

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Sometimes it’s really hard to know what to say. As coaches, we feel like we should always show up and have everything figured out in front of our team. We are supposed to know how to help. But there's a fine line where you don't want…
Erin Harold Alvarado

Coach Interview: Erin Harold Alvarado, Texas Tech

Erin Harold Alvarado is in her ninth year as the Pom Squad coach at Texas Tech University. In 2017, she led the Texas Tech Pom Squad to the squad’s first national championship in school history in Division 1A Jazz at NDA. Her team has won…
mental toughness

4 Mental Toughness Myths Holding You Back From Your Peak Performance

If you’ve ever set goals for your team at the beginning of the season, or encouraged your team to take the floor with confidence, or used visualization before competition then you understand the importance of mental toughness training.  …
new coach

Top 10 Tips for New Dance Team Coaches

The first year as a new coach is challenging, thrilling, emotional, and wonderful all at the same time. I remember my first year coaching my own team and it felt like magic! I spent hours working on team calendars and constitutions, planning…
personal growth

Coach: Your Simple Ingredients for Personal Growth

Are you focused on your personal growth, Coach? Sure, most of us focus on our team’s goals and what we want for the program. But what about YOU as a coach? Over the last few years I’ve talked about a lot of different ways you can invest…
meaning

How to Focus on the True Meaning of Your Dance Team In 2020

When was the last time you sat down and truly thought about why you do what you do as a dance coach? I know, we may jokingly question it all the time. During those late nights rhinestoning costumes, after a nasty parent email, or when you have…