Happy New Year!! Finish off all those holiday snacks and get ready for a fantastic 2016 Winter season to get underway! Take a look at how some of our units have been working or playing over the holidays – and feel free to send a couple of images of YOUR unit from your holiday parties or some of the many camps this weekend to be included! Email them to webmaster@mccga.org
Here is a great set of tips and suggestions from our MCCGA Education Director Jayson Johnson. If you’re a member of the MCCGA Education Facebook group you may have already seen these – if you’re not – join today!
As we bring 2015 to a close, let’s look at ways to make 2016 even better!
Most all of us have started our rehearsals and camps for the 2016 season. If you’re like me, they are amazingly unfinished and underdeveloped! What can we do in order to be prepared for that first show coming up at the end of January?
Basic skills and conditioning! Do not sacrifice training, conditioning and overall technique blocks in order to get more show on the floor! This is the biggest mistake most teams make. It leads to a ton of frustration in the middle and end of the season because you’re not able to maximize the points you’re wanting to be rewarded!
Planning! If you haven’t already, take the opportunity to plan out your show. When is that rifle entrance? What part is the flag feature, and so on… Make small goals for the week and each individual rehearsal. Sometimes we put so much effort into the long term goal that we don’t allow ourselves to feel a sense of accomplishment from meeting short term goals.
Look at achievement! Are you achieving the planned effect in your design? Are your performers achieving the skills you’d like to have present in your show? Revise and restructure while you can. In the words of Billy, “The cake can be decorated later, and only when the majority of kids are successful”. You are ultimately looking for more points. Don’t look at the scoring system as a tick method. Each performance is a clean slate. You start with 0. You don’t start with a perfect score!
Make time out of your schedules to watch videos. Watch educational videos from Shirlee Whitcomb and Karl Lowe. Watch WGI Zone and see what other groups have done. Watch old So You Think You Can Dance routines for inspiration! Find inspiration and motivation for yourself and your teams.
When was the last time you collaborated on your show? Not all of us have the benefit of a large staff. It’s ok to ask for opinions. If you don’t feel comfortable with a spot in your show, ask for advice. Maybe there’s another way. Maybe there’s an easier way. A healthy circuit is one that is able to maintain the competitive atmosphere while fostering a sense of camaraderie and friendship. Why do we have to be nasty to each other when we could help each other meet goals. The circuit grows much fast that way! Our kids learn much better that way!
Weather is coming! You all remember last season’s lovely ice-traviganza! What ideas do you have in place to help keep the effectiveness of your rehearsals when you may have lost a day or two? While the weather is fairly calm use your time wisely to prepare for those holes in your schedule.
Videos??? Are you taking videos of your progress to review? If so, study them and make sure the effects you’re wanting to create are truly effective. Take a look at the dynamic efforts we need in both staging and choreography. Keep focused now before it becomes crunch time at the end of next month!!
