Mishawaka, IN
MEMBERS
Darlene Fanning's
23 years of experience
has produced three highly
acclaimed Cheer programs!
Offering Stunt Classes
to help you reach
new heights
the #1
Tumbling Coaches
in Indiana
hosting specialty
clinics by the
BIGGEST names in
the cheer industry
Offering 6 teams
Levels 1 thru 4 -
a team for every level
of athlete
That's
the way
we do it!
*** NEWS ***
The 2012 year is busy with competitions and winning trophies! After competing with over 550 other teams from throughout the country at Jamfest Super Nationals in Indy earlier this month, Freeze and Thunder both took home commendable 5th place trophies! We rounded out January with The Edge competition in Ft Wayne over the weekend and wowed the crowd with our First Place Thunder Routine and AWESOME 2nd place Freeze Routine! Also our ICE Tiny Tornadoes performed for the first time away and awed the crowd at their young age! And our Junior Cyclone team exhibitioned and threw a flawless routine for their first time out as well. And lets not forget our shining ICE Crystal team that added some new members and also stunned the crowd with their perfect routine!
Great Job ICE MISHAWAKA!
We are so proud of all the athletes!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ICE THUNDER SR 3 CO ED TEAM TAKING FIRST PLACE AT THEIR FIRST COMPETITION THIS SEASON!!! ICE Mishawaka traveled to Sandusky, OH for the GLCC Very Scary Competition and began the season scaring away the competition! Thunder took first and the ICE Freeze Level 4 Sr Co Ed team came in 3rd place!
Mishawaka is proud to present our two newest teams that are still taking members! We now have a Limited Travel Team that will only travel 2-3 times throughout the season, and a Tiny team for ages 3-5! E mail Lisa if you are interested in either of these new opportunities! LisaF_ice-gym.com
ICE ® HAS GOT TALENT! Or that's what an agent from NBC's show called "America's Got Talent" thinks may be the case. So much so, that ICE ® was asked to audition, by invitation only, in Chicago on Saturday, September 10th, for next season's show! ICE ® is the only cheer team in the US offered this opportunity. We are thrilled that AGT sees in ICE ® what we already know, that ICE ® is a truly talented and awesome cheer program!
Our owner, Darlene Fanning, participated in the Worlds Advisory Board Meeting in Dallas.
Congrats to ICE ® for being chosen for the First Friday cover! Click HERE to view the virtual magazine.
Click HERE to email for information on our program or to schedule a private tryout.
Site Updated 1/31/12 :
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Registration
Monthly Classes Offered-Price based on 1 class per week.
30 minute classes $23.00
45 minute classes $35.00
55 minute classes $45.50
Flight School $60.00(only 4 flyers per class)
Take 2 classes per week and save 10%!
Annual Registration Fee: $30 for new athletes
Please make checks payable to ICE with athlete's name &
class information in memo
Max. # of athletes per class is 8 Min. # of athletes per class is 4
(Class WILL be cancelled if less than 4)
Parent Name:
Email Address:
Athlete & Team Name:
Phone Number:
Class Day, Time, & Level:
Phone registration is available at (630) 692-1ICE from
5:00-9:00PM Monday thru Thursday.
February Tumbling Classes Begin Monday January 29 and end Saturday February 25th!
There will be NO FLIGHT SCHOOL FEBRUARY 16!!!!
Monday
4:00 4:45 Level 1 Jeremie
5:00 5:55 Level 2 Lisa andJeremie
7:00-7:55 Level 2 Kelly
7:00 8:00 Level 2 Jay
Tuesday
4:00 4:55 Level 2 Andrew
5:00 5:55 Level 3/4 Andrew
5:00-6:00 Freeze only Jeremie
Wednesday
5:00 5:45 Tiny Tumblers Kelly
6:00-6:45 Level 1 Kelly
Thursday
4:00 4:55 Level 2 Jeremie
5:00 6:00 Flight School Ronny, Kelly, Jay
5:00-6:00 Crystal and Thunder only Jeremie
Friday
10:00-10:30 Mommy & Me Jeremie
11:00-11:45 Tiny Tumblers Jeremie
Saturday
10:00-10:45 Tiny Tumblers Kelly
10:00-10:55 Level 1 Kelly
10:30-11:30 Level 3/4 Andrew
Sunday
3:00 5:00 Open Tumbling Jay
Click for Clinics!
Tumbling Levels and Requirements.pdf
Oct 11.pdf
(Annual Registration Fee NOT Required)
YOUR REGISTRATION IS NOT CONSIDERED COMPLETE UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED. PLEASE CALL WITH FULL PAYMENT. PAYMENT CAN NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT WAIVER FORM ON FILE FIRST!
574-258-0204
E MAIL LISAF_ICE-GYM.COM TO VERIFY REGISTRATION
Keep updated on our web site for upcoming Clinics, camps, and events!!
April 2012-
Don't forget about april skill building! This is an opportunity for cheerleaders of all ages between 7-18 to come up to four nights a week, monday through thursday (beginning after spring break) 6-8pm to work on all of your cheer skills. perfect or learn tumbling, jumps, stunting, and motion tecnique! Also a great way to get to know the staff and other cheerleaders. whether you are getting ready to try out here at ice, or at your school, you wont want to miss this opportunity to get your skills!
May 2012-
our annual competitive all star cheer try outs will be held at the beginning of may. these try outs will be held for cheerleaders both male and female for ages 6-18. for those that want to be part of the ice year round family this is for you. we have teams for all levels.
limited travel team try outs and tiny tornadoe try outs will be held in august.
june 2012-
summer at ice is never the same without ice bootcamp! be sure to see what exciting new theme will come to the ice gym as we learn new cheers, fun dances, and new skills during boot camp!
Josh Stone is our main ICE choreographer and comes to visit and assist in coaching when he is home from Miami Florida.
Darlene Fanning Click HERE to send an email.
Owner and Head Level 5 Coach
Darlene is the Owner of ICE® All Stars and ICE® Athletic Center. Darlene only coaches the Senior Elite Worlds Teams and the International Open Coed team. She oversees every team at both Mishawaka and Fort Wayne, IN, along with the Aurora, IL location and aids her coaching staff throughout the year in running their respective teams. In addition to All Star Cheerleading Darlene keeps up the Fitness side of ICE® at the Mishawaka facility.
ICE tems consistently place in the top at local and national competitions and our premier senior teams consistently place in the illustrious Top Ten at the USASF Cheerleading World Championships. ICE has made appearance on/in Cheerleading Magazine, ESPN, Good Morning America, Fox Sports, and numberous newspapers, radio and television stations.
Lisa Filbert is the Cheer and Tumbling Director in Mishawaka. She has over 17 years experience of coaching competitive cheerleading and spotting tumbling. She is USASF levels 1-5 certified. Lisa enjoys watching the kids grow up in the gym and learn new skills and mature into amazing kids!
Kelly Brown is a 4 time ICE Worlds Team competitior and brings her experience to ICE in coaching tumbling classes and the all star teams as well.
Jay Dieringer is also a retired ICE All Star cheerleader as well as a Purdue University co ed competitor. He is our tumbling coach at ICE and coaches all levels.
Justin Miller comes to us from Illinois and is one of our amazing tumbling coaches and also coaches our Sr 4 Co ed All Star team as well as assisting with all of our all star, school, and limited traveling teams.
Andrew Weiss is a full time student at Holy Cross college. He is also the cheerleading coach for St. Joseph High School in South Bend. He helps coach the all star squads and tumbling classes at ICE during his free time.
ICE offers teams for those in Preschool thru High School Levels 1 thru 4 in Mishawaka and a Level 5 in Ft. Wayne.
ICE Mishawaka started a Limited Travel team and a very CUTE Tiny Cheer Team!
For more information on the any of the ICE cheer teams, please call 574-258-0204 and ask for Lisa or
email her directly at LisaF_ice-gym.com!
ICE Freeze and Thunder are paving the road to Atlanta Georgia by competing several times throughout January and February! We will be headed to Atlanta February 14 to compete at one of the largest competitions in history at Cheersport Nationals 2012! The teams have been working VERY hard and planning this trip all season! Good Luck Thunder and Freeze, you are all amazing! Let's show Atlanta how much we LOVE CHEER!
Directions: We are located on
Fir Road between McKinley and Day,
right next to Al Bar Ranch
Phone: (574) 258-0204
We are located at:
1526 Deer Run Dr.
Mishawaka, IN 46545
In 2011, ICE opened a third facility in Aurora, IL.
Help! I'm a Cheer Parent!
Cheer Vocabulary
Breaking Free
Ice Therapy
ICE is dedicating this section of its website to articles and training tips we believe are the foundation of cheerleading. What you see on our site is just the "tip of the iceberg." ICE is so much more than can be expressed here. We're happy to share our training philisophies along with those from who we admire throughout the cheer industry.
Click on one of the articles above and check back often as this section continues to grow so it may help you continue to grow in spirit and knowledge of our wonderful sport, cheerleading!
Help! I’m A Cheer Parent!
By Debbie Love
Cheerleader Parent Handbook
Have you ever thought to yourself “Help! I’'m a Cheer Parent!”? I am sure every parent of a child in cheerleading has thought these words. To find the best solutions, we probably should run as quickly as possible to a psychologist. In any sport, athletes deal with many psychological issues. All we want as parents, is for our child to be the best in the gym. That is a very natural desire, and it is okay for us to feel this way. It is only when we try to take over our child’s sport for ourselves that we are in the wrong. I know because I have been there.
Let me give you an example. I have six children, all of whom have cheered and competed in gymnastics. When one of my children, Christi, was six, she had a mental block on her round-off back handspring. It was the day before our family vacation. Well, I just went crazy. I thought, “Oh my gosh, she’'s never going to tumble again!” And so I did what every parent does or wants to do for her child—, I helped her. I made her do ten standing back handsprings and ten round-off back handsprings every day, on any surface, the entire vacation. She cried, but I still stuck to my plan. I told myself that I was making sure I helped her, just like a good mother should. I had it all wrong. Christi needed to relax, and build confidence. Repetitions (at a higher level of stress) wasn’t helping at all. She was only six years old. She eventually got her back handspring back, but I will never forgive myself for being so psychotic at the time.
Children always realize they are in competition with other athletes. We do not have to constantly remind them of this and compare them to the other children they are competing against. I feel that many of us live vicariously through our children. I know I have. I did not have the opportunities that my children have and I want them to compare favorably to everyone else. I am sure others feel the same way. But, that is a foolish thing for a parent to do. Remember, we are supposed to love and accept our children with no strings attached. This means that they do not have to be as good in the gym as we think they should be in order to gain our love and acceptance.
We all want our children to be in the front so that everyone can see them. I can remember getting so angry because one of my children was behind someone else and I could not see her. Parents, this sport is not about us. It is about teaching children the nine core values of athletics. No one is in front all of the time or is the best at everything. Even if someone was, cheer does not revolve around your child, —be a team player. Your desire should be to want to see improvements in every athlete and, therefore, a better performance by your team.
I can remember a time that my youngest, who was ten at the time, cried because she wanted to base instead of fly. Another time, ,however, she told her coach to take her down so that another little girl could fly. It was really sweet and I was so proud of her because it showed that she cared more about others than about herself (a good character quality for a team athlete to possess).
I believe that the best thing we can do for our children is to let them lead in what they want and to own their own skills. If they do not love what they are doing, their experience will not be valuable to them as humans. I love every minute of my job, and the athlete’s job is his or her sport. My parents were not very involved in my cheerleading. It was me who wanted it, not my parents. I would practice it any time I had the opportunity because it was my love, my passion, and it still is to this day.
What About Coaches?
Perhaps you need to get to know the coaches. They will be more than willing to give you a report on your child. Tumbling coaches have it the roughest. Accusations they often have to deal with include: “He likes that little girl better,” “I don'’t get to do my skill enough,” “They don’'t get enough turns,” “Why aren’'t they spotting them more,” and “
They won’t let me move on,” to name a few examples. First of all, let me tell you a story. One of my little girls was on a level 5 gymnastics team when she was seven years old. I watched her practice one day and she did only four cartwheels in an hour. I was furious. However, what I did not know was that her coaches were putting her through other strengthening exercises to build up her ability to perform the skill. I learned that what you see is not always what you get.
Some days in tumbling, we do not even do the skill they are working on. For instance, a back handspring requires strength in plyometrics, core, shoulders, hamstrings, and glutes, and the athlete also must know how to engage her head, core, and power bases. I have seen many people spend thousands of dollars on a back handspring when all they needed to do was strengthen their body appropriately and the skill would have been easy. Athletes must follow progressions from A to Z to learn well and completely. Plus, it will keep them injury-free and psychologically relaxed. Conditioning is extremely important, so do not neglect it.
If you feel something is wrong, do not talk about it to other children or parents. Go straight to the coach and in a non-threatening way, talk to the coach about your issue. Never blame other people. That only makes you look very small and picky. Always remember that a difficult situation is usually one in which we do not have a clear picture or are not familiar with what is going on. Finding out what is happening from all parties involved provides an easier approach to the problem.
If your child develops a mental block, please do not go crazy. There is help. Please see my “Breaking Free” document on how to deal with mental blocks. There are other aids online as well. Dr. Alison Arnold and Dr. Pamela Enders are two great sources of help. The worst thing you can do is add more stress to your child’s overload. The best thing to do is to see if you can identify the trigger—whether it is stress from within, stress from coaches, or stress from outside. Relax. It will get better the calmer you are.
You May Be Thinking, What Is My Role?
You have several roles to play. First and foremost, to support and love your child with no strings attached.
After that, you should ask your child’'s coach what conditioning exercises your child needs and why, so that you have a clear picture of the physiological strengths and deficiencies of your child’s body. Be aware that nutrition is important. 50% of Americans are on diets, with 35% being chronic dieters and 10% having an eating disorder. As a personal example, one of my daughters is and always will have an eating disorder. She developed her disorder when someone told her that she was big. This caused her to go on a low-carb diet, which sent her into a vicious bulimic anorexic cycle. Watch your child and make sure they are feeling good about themselves. Do not push them to be something they are not or do not want to be. After all, it is just cheerleading. Life is more important. Then ask if they need any extra classes, like a flyer class or a jump class, to ensure that they are in the best shape for their year. It takes a cooperative effort between your child, yourself, and the coach to put your child in the best position to succeed, both individually and together with the team. Also, make sure they do not miss any important events. It is always better to try not to miss any at all. We know there will be exceptions: vacations, family emergencies, etc.
What If My Child Does Not Like It Anymore and Wants To Quit?
First of all, if your child tried out for cheerleading, she owes the coaches that year. It is never a good trait to teach our children that they can just quit at any time. They must finish the season and give it their best. Remember that it takes every piece of the puzzle to complete the masterpiece. It is the same with our teams. Each and every person is important and if one quits, the puzzle is incomplete. After the season is over, you may then allow your child to make the choice to continue or not.
What If My Child Is Just Not Good?
Children go through many stages in life as far as growth. At some points they are very awkward. Let me give you an example. My son was on a men’'s gymnastics team for a long time. He was very strong in the lower half of his body, but the upper half had not yet caught up with the lower half. He was fifteen and was very sensitive to criticism. His coach did not recognize this physiological fact and made my son feel that he was not very good. There were several skills he could not do, so he quit the team. Two years later though, when his body equaled out, he could then do all the skills without any practice. So, your child may just be growing. This is a good thing, so be understanding and supportive. Although they may become frustrated, they will probably grow out of it in time. Also, get them a conditioning sheet and exercise with them. Always tackle problems together rather than letting the problems take over.
What About Competition Etiquette?
First, make sure you have all the itineraries and necessary items and get your child to the competition on time. It is very embarrassing to a child to be late and it is not very responsible on the parent’s part. Secondly, do not talk to officials yourself about scoring on your team. Leave all of that to the coaches. Remember to support the whole team and all the teams within your gym.
What Else Can I Do?
At the end of the routine or competition, please do not talk about your child’'s failures. Talk about their improvements, successes, and what they learned from this performance. Children know when they have made mistakes. They do not need us to point them out. The idea is for each performance to get better than the one before.
Lastly, have fun with your children. You only have them a short time. Enjoy them and do not sweat the small stuff. My children are amazing and fun and are the joy of my life, even though I have made many mistakes. Do not major on minor issues. Major on those things that will build good character in your child.
Learn Your Vocabulary
All Star Tumbling Levels (different from tumbling class levels)
Level 1: Round-off lever from a lunge and turn sideways bringing your feet together so you can jump backwards out of it.
Level 2: Back handspring, jumping backwards to your hands and bringing your feet back down.
Level 3: Back Tuck, jmping backwards in a tucked body flip to land on your feet
Level 4: Layout, jumping backwards in a straight body flip to land on the feet.
Level 5: Full, jumping backwards in a straight body, turning around once and landing on the feet.
Baskets
Straight Ride: Four people, called bases, throw an athlete straight up into the air and catch her in a cradle position.
Toe Touch: Four bases throw an athlete into the air, and the athlete then executes a toe touch before being caught.
Full Twist: Four bases throw an athlete into the air and she turns once completely around before being caught.
Kick Full: Four bases throw an athlete into the air. As she rides up she kicks her leg and then twists around once before being caught.
Stunts
Prep/Half: Three/four bases put an athlete up to shoulder level standing up. They may do libs, arabesques, scorpions, and heel stretches at this level.
Liberty: One knee is lifted up even with the hip.
Arabesque: One leg is extended straight backwards.
Scorpion: The foot of one leg is grabbed and pulled up behind the back trying to extend the leg straight.
Heel Stretch: One of the legs is pulled straight up in front of the shoulder.
Extension: Three/four bases put an athlete up on their extended arms. All positions can be seen at this level.
Jumps
Toe Touch: The athlete jumps up and reaches out for her toes with her hips rolled backwards.
Pike Jump: The athlete jumps up and brings both legs up together at the same time.
Hurdler: The athlete jumps up and brings one leg straight up as if sitting in the air and forward as far as it will go. The other leg is extended with a bent leg. It looks like a checkmark.
There are twisting skills
You need to count how many times the athlete spins to see what the skill is. There are half ups, 3/4-ups, full ups, 1/4-ups, and double ups.
Pyramid is a combination of stunts, flips, and transitions (moving from one skill to another).
“Breaking Free”
by Debbie Love
The mental block is one of the most frustrating situations for both the athlete and the coach. Blocks are created by many factors. Sometimes a child who is young and has learned very quickly with no fear will realize, “Hey, I can get hurt.” When this happens, they will block. My youngest child learned up to a double full by the time she was six. When she was nine, she hurt her knee and it made her fearful until she realized that by conditioning specific areas, she was building up her body. Once she realized this, the fear of injury became less.
Sometimes fear is caused by lack of progression. In cheerleading it is imperative that we master every step of every skill before moving on to the next skill. Doing so will create consistency in our performance. If the skill is inconsistent, the athlete does not feel the skill the same each time, allowing fear to set in.
At other times, the athlete will fall, become nervous, and block. Other causes of blocks include being forced to do one more repetition when fatigued and just being a very easily distracted athlete who needs to learn focusing techniques.
Many times there is simply too much outside stress in the athlete'’s life. This can include school stress, such as too much pressure to perform well academically. It can include stress from a family conflict, such as a divorce, illness, or from the death of a family member. It can include stress as simple as coming back from a vacation, or a parent or coach pushing a skill too hard. Sometimes it is as simple as this is the only area over which the athlete retains any control in life and they exercise that control whether consciously or unconsciously.
The worst approach to the mental block is the, “"There’'s nothing wrong with you, you’'re just stubborn”" attitude. The coach says just do it and threatens the athlete with whatever can be held over his/her head. This in itself creates more stress and less production from the athlete’s body. Usually tears result, which helps no one. An athlete with a true mental block cannot force his/her body to perform the skill, so negative comments or humiliation are not effective. The key to unlocking this mental imprisonment is positive repetition with good technique, mind focus training, and positive reinforcement.
One way of handling the mental block in a group setting such as a cheerleading squad is to allow the athlete to do his/her tumbling separate from the group. This prevents intimidation by peers. If you have the luxury of having a person spot the athlete through the practice without the athlete feeling humiliated then the group may work well. It depends both on the team's approach to its peers struggles and on the coach’s ability to maintain a positive attitude with that athlete. I have seen squads who were so positive with their teammate that group tumbling was a positive experience, but I have also seen it devastate an athlete. I believe one on one is much better with a younger child especially 6-8 years old. Mental blocks seem to become contagious with this age, whether driven by sympathy, empathy or just new awareness of fear.
An important aspect of coaching that will prevent some mental blocks and aid in their recovery is the ability of the coach to find and respect the learning style of each of his/her athletes. This means as coaches we need to be able to teach our skills in at least 7 different ways: linguistic, mathematical, spatial, kinesthetic, rhythmic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. The following is a short explanation of each learning style: linguistic (one who learns through saying, hearing, and seeing words); mathematical (one who learns through categorizing, classifying and working with patterns, one who is analytical); spatial (one who learns by seeing the whole picture, loves visual pictures); kinesthetic (one who learns by feel or touch, these are always on the move); rhythmic (one who learns by use of music, counting or clapping); interpersonal (one who learns by working with others, loves group learning, social butterflies); and intrapersonal (one who enjoys learning alone - one on one). Our goal as coaches should be to teach each athlete the way they can develop best and reach their maximum potential as athletes and as people. We are creating masterpieces one piece at a time, and we must make sure we are careful in our production not to create a flaw in the equipment. It takes ten positive comments to undo the effect of one negative comment. If athletes feel good about their abilities, they will exude confidence but if we tear down their self-esteem with negative, inappropriate comments, then we have athletes who feel they are unable to succeed. This opens them to the formation and/or continuation of a mind block.
Using the following steps to release the athlete from their block also gives them some very important tools to deal with any distraction or obstacle they will face as an adult; therefore, we are helping to develop life skills and good character traits for our athletes, which should be our primary focus in sports. We all have vulnerable areas in our life that could benefit from this system of training. When we can look at ourselves and say it is OK to be less than perfect or to have a flaw we will be a lot farther in our maturation process as a person, coach or athlete. Motivating athletes is an awesome responsibility and we must take it seriously. We must have a plan in our teaching and realize that the child is like a lump of clay. We create an athlete and a person from that lump and in many cases you as a coach are the only positive influence in that athlete’s life. Remember every obstacle can be overcome by proper training.
Learning to increase the efficiency of our minds to see and think about the skill we are performing allows our muscles to yield to the requests we ask of them. When we have a written and visual picture of what our body needs to do, talk positively and breed confidence in ourselves, this will strengthen our nervous system's connection with the muscles in our body. The truth of the matter is if our body is strong and flexible in every area we have built a body that can always spring back This leaves the mind to do what it does best -move the body in a more powerful way. So conditioning the body from the inside out and training the mind to relax and focus are the most important prerequisites for unlocking this imprisonment we call a “block.”
The steps are as follows:
I call this system “Breaking Free.”
1) Admit that it is acceptable to have a mental block and commit yourself to a system for unlocking this imprisonment of your mind.
2) Remove all negative input and learn to understand the difference between tense and relaxed tone in your body. You may need to develop a ritual to do before your skills. Practice a relaxation technique by tightening and releasing each body part.
3) Commit to a conditioning program at least three times a week. It must be a complete fitness program for all areas of the body: Cardio/Plyometric, Balance/Stability, Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core.
4) Script each skill or series of skills using short action verbs to tell your body what to do. This trains your mind to focus on the skills, not on your fears.
5) You need to do 10-20 repetitions of every skill you are blocking on three times a week. Stopping is not allowed. Complete each series whether connected or not. Otherwise, you will train yourself to stop. Make sure technique is good on each skill. You may spot, or if the athlete will do the skill somewhere by herself with good technique, that is fine also.
6) Visualize 10-20 times a night the skills you are blocking on before falling asleep using the words from your scripting. Do this each night.
7) Journaling - You should get a notebook and record your goals (1 or 2 weeks at a time) and a plan on how to reach these goals. In addition to your goals, you should keep a record of your conditioning and daily thoughts. Depending on how severe the block is you could even set a daily goal. Make all goals reasonable, such as: Perform a skill 3 times without stopping.
8) Put a box somewhere that you pass frequently. Put paper and pen beside the box. Every time you pass the box you should write something positive about your tumbling and about yourself. This has even improved school work in several cases.
9) The coach, parent and athlete need to agree on a focus word like “stop” so that when the athlete hears the word he/she knows to bring his/her mind back into focus. This can be used at school, home, practice, or competition. You can also have some focal thoughts to pull your mind back into focus like “Relax,” “I am able to do this,” “No big deal, let’s go.” When you are able to control your emotions, your mind is able to direct.
These are examples of application of this system I have experienced.
I have worked with many athletes the last 39 years. In every case where I used this system and the athlete committed to it, it has worked. There are many quitters out there who won’t commit to anything, but those that do will find success.
I coached one girl who used this system. She would do nothing but a round off for 3 years. We worked for approximately 8 months almost daily. She now deals with her fears on a daily basis, but tumbles extremely well, including double full, Arabians, etc.
I coached one girl who wanted to make high school cheerleader. She had to perform a back handspring and a round off back handspring in order to make the team. It took her approximately 6 weeks to make complete recovery from her block. Her mother said her school work even improved.
I have used this system with my own children when we get back from vacations by bringing them into the gym before practice resumes and allowing them to work through their anxiety over tumbling skills.
This system can be a valuable tool in dealing with anxieties an athlete feels in many areas of his/ her life. I encourage you to use it freely and consistently in every area of cheerleading.
In conclusion good luck, have fun and break free.
Sincerely,
Debbie Love
by Laurel J. Freeman
Ice, anyone? Ice isn't just for cold drinks. In the past eight to 10 years, many studies have shown the benefits of ice as therapy. Here are the answers to some common ice-related questions.
What does ice do?
Ice is one of the simplest, safest, and most effective self care techniques for injury, pain, or discomfort in muscles and joints. Ice will decrease muscle spasms, pain, and inflammation to bone and soft tissue. You can use ice initially at the site of discomfort, pain, or injury. You can also apply ice in later stages for rehabilitation of injuries or chronic (long-term) problems.
During an initial injury, tissue damage can cause uncontrolled swelling. This swelling can increase the damage of the initial injury and delay the healing time. If you use ice immediately, you will reduce the amount of swelling. Ice decreases all of these: swelling, tissue damage, blood clot formation, inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. At the same time, the ice enhances the flow of nutrients into the area, aids in the removal of metabolites (waste products), increases strength, and promotes healing. This "ice effect" is not related to circumference of the injured area.
Four Stages in Ice Therapy
There are four official stages to ice. The first stage is cold, the second is burning/pricking, the third stage is aching, which can sometimes hurt worse than the pain. The fourth and most important stage is numbness. As soon as this stage is achieved, remove the ice. Time duration depends upon body weight. Twenty to thirty minutes should be the maximum time per area. If it is necessary to reapply ice, let the skin go to normal temperature or go back to the third stage of aching.
How does ice therapy work?
Ice initially constricts local blood vessels and decreases tissue temperature. This constriction decreases blood flow and cell metabolism, which can limit hemorrhage and cell death in an acute traumatic injury. After approximately 20 minutes of ice, blood vessels in the injured area then dilate (open) slowly, increasing the tissue temperature, an effect which is termed "reactive vasodilation." A study reported in the Journal of Orthopedic Sports Physical Therapy, (Jul/Aug, 1994), found that, despite the reactive vasodilation, there was a significant sustained reduction in local blood volume after ice was applied.
What does this mean for me?
It can mean a lot, if you are injured or in discomfort! Ice therapy can help the area heal faster, and there will be a decrease in pain and swelling and an increase in lymphatic drainage.
Why ice after a workout?
In the past 28 years, there have been many studies of ice as a therapy tool for injuries. Many of these studies have had conflicting conclusions, but improvements in technology are giving researchers new data. There is no doubt in the minds of many researchers and doctors that ice is the most widely used and efficient form of cryotherapy in medicine today. A 1994 study sited in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (Jul/Aug) showed ice affects not only the arterial and soft tissue blood flow, but also the metabolism of the bone, in a positive way. This is significant in the healing process of an injury to a joint.
When should I use ice?
For the greatest benefits, use ice after exercise and not before. In the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation (Feb/1994), a study on the ankle was conducted to see if ice should be used on an injury before exercise. The finding showed decreased temperature reduces the joint mechanoreceptor sensitivity and thereby alters joint position sense, exposing the joint to possible injury. In conclusion, cooling a body part prior to athletic performance is contraindicated, which is academic-speak for "probably a bad idea."
It was once believed the use of ice was only beneficial in the first 24 hours after an injury. Recent scientific studies have shown the benefits of ice over the long term. During the initial stage of an acute injury (within 24-48 hours), or during the chronic stage (after 48 hours) ice can be very beneficial in promoting wellness.
Can I ice as a precaution?
You can use ice immediately following any workout, discomfort, or injury. If the swelling or pain does not decrease within a reasonable time (24 to 48 hours), consult a physician.
Is ice safe?
Ice therapy is very safe when used within the treatment time recommended. Don't use ice if you have the following conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's Syndrome, cold allergic conditions, paralysis, or areas of impaired sensation. Do not use ice directly over superficial nerve areas. In a study printed in the Archives of Physical Medical Rehabilitation (Jan/1994), the use of ice was tested on spinal cord-injured and able-bodied men. The results were that ice and cooling down the body temperature may evoke a vascular response to cold stimulus that may be mediated in part by the spinal cord and by supra-spinal centers causing a change in blood pressure.
How should ice be used in conjunction with exercise?
Ice can be combined with movement. Once the fourth stage of icing has been achieved, numbness, gentle range of motion and isometric exercises can begin. These movements should be painless, stressing circular, spiral, and diagonal movements. Once the numbness has worn off, re-ice and exercise again. This can be done two or three times a day. Ice can cause changes in the collagen fibers of the muscle. Strenuous exercise is a bad idea during an ice treatment, as this can result in further damage to the injury.
How does Ice combine with other therapies?
In March of 1995, an interesting study was conducted on the use of ice and ultrasound. Ultrasound is an instrument used in assisting the healing process to damaged tissue. The study found if ultrasound was followed by a five-minute application of ice, the muscle significantly increased in size. When ice was applied first followed by ultrasound, there was little or no change in the muscle fibers. One of the important conclusions of this study is after exercising, take a shower first, before applying ice, to receive the maximum benefits.
What is R.I.C.E.?
When there is an injury or discomfort, a good rule to follow for first aid is the mnemonic RICE:
R - Rest the injury.I - Ice the injury.C - Compress the injury.E - Elevate the injury above your heart.
Three Icing Techniques
- Ice is the easiest tool to use in rehabilitation. It is inexpensive and very effective. The most widely used is the ice pack. To make an ice pack, put ice (crushed is great) in a plastic bag, push out all the air and fasten the bag. If another bag is available, place the fastened one inside to help prevent leaking. Put a paper towel on the site of the injury or discomfort, and then place the ice pack over the paper towel. This will prevent freezer burn to the skin. If a regular towel is used, the ice pack will not get the skin cold enough to have the physiological effects occur. If the injury is in the neck, back, or shoulder, an ice pack can be put under a T-shirt or blouse. A person can then keep this on while working. Ice packs are also convenient when resting. Ice packs can be used on legs or arms. There are many types of ice packs on the market. If purchasing one, make sure it will get sufficiently cold to achieve the four stages of icing.
- The second most used method is ice massage or ice cups. Place water into a styrofoam/paper cup and freeze it. Place a towel under the area with discomfort or pain to catch drips. Holding onto the cup, tear the edge around the cup, exposing the ice. Use a gentle, continuous, circular motion and rub the ice directly over the skin at the site of injury or discomfort. This is good for areas on the extremities such as knees, legs, ankles, arms, wrists, hands, and so on. Ice cups penetrate deep into the muscle fibers. Because this is an active motion, it can sometimes be more effective than an ice pack. The desired effect is to go through the four stages of ice, as stated above, before moving to another area, approximately 5-10 minutes. There are some reusable plastic ice cups on the market, for the environmentally minded; however, paper or styrofoam cups work fine.
- The third method is the ice bath. Find a bucket or container large enough to immerse the area in need. Place a towel under the bucket and add ice. Try to isolate the body part that needs to be iced. Immerse your foot for 5 to 10 minutes (20 minutes maximum). Do not immerse your whole body in ice - doing so can cause shock and/or possibly a heart attack.
