5 Things Successful Teammates Do Every Day

It’s one thing to a successful cheerleader; it’s another to be a successful teammate. When you’re on a team, you can’t only focus on individual success; you also must work hard together with your teammates in order to perform well. Additionally, the way that teammates interact with one another can have a huge, and lasting, effect on the overall camaraderie of the team. By being a successful teammate, you can help your cheer squad be successful! Here are five things successful teammates do every day: Put the Team First Successful teammates look out for their entire team. Sometimes you may not like what’s best for the team, but you do it anyway. For example, you may want a solo or lead spot, but you know in your heart that someone else would make a better choice. A successful teammate lets the other teammate take the spotlight and doesn’t hold it against the person. Stand Up For One Another Successful teammates have each others’ backs. They defend one another. If you see a teammate being bullied, don’t keep quiet about it. Stand up for your teammate or, if you feel that will only worsen the situation, talk to a parent, coach, captain, or someone you feel comfortable speaking with and report what’s going on. If a male teammate is being picked on for being a cheerleader, explain to the bullies how many males are cheerleaders in their world and how important they are to have on teams. Successful teammates treat one another like siblings – they support each other through good times and bad. Stay Positive It’s easy for a cheerleader to be spirited at a game or competition when the energy is up and the music is playing. It’s another thing to be positive during a difficult practice session or poor performance. A successful teammate maintains a positive attitude even when times are tough. By maintaining a positive attitude, you can encourage other teammates to do the same. If your squad is going through a rough patch (or is just having an “off” day at practice), don’t get discouraged. A successful teammate raises everyone’s spirits. Try getting the squad to perform a favorite cheer, blast some fun music, or ask for a five-minute break for the squad to talk about any feelings of discouragement. Take Responsibility So your team had a bad practice session, performance, or competition. Even if it’s not specifically your fault, successful teammates never place the blame on someone else; instead, they take responsibility as a team. When you’re on a team, everyone is responsible for every person’s mistake. If there is one person in particular who is falling behind, rather than place blame, help him or her out! Be a Good Role Model You don’t have to be the team captain to be a great leader and inspiring role model. Successful teammates don’t just listen and follow the coach and captain; they also lead by example! This doesn’t mean taking matters into their own hands and acting like the new captain. Instead, it means being a good role model and setting an example for everyone else on the team. When it’s time to start warming up, instead of chatting with friends, immediately get started. Just because you’re not the team captain doesn’t mean you can’t be an influential leader to your squad. What are other daily habits of successful teammates?