🎙️ Performance anxiety in cheerleading (S3.23)
- janie724
- Feb 23
- 2 min read
Episode of February 17, 2026
Performance anxiety is everywhere. In gyms. Backstage. Before stepping onto the mat. Sometimes even after the routine.
Vomiting, memory lapses, rigidity, uncontrollable physical reactions: this is not weakness, it is a human reaction.
In episode S3.23 of the Kick's Cheer Podcast, we tackle this subject head-on with Ariane Hébert, clinical psychologist at La Boîte à Psy and author of several books, including one devoted to performance anxiety.
📱 Why performance anxiety is skyrocketing among athletes
The causes are numerous, but some recur constantly:
Social media pressure
The constant comparison
The fear of how others will see you
The stakes of results (bids, Worlds, hit zero)
The desire not to disappoint his team or his coach
Performance anxiety doesn't just affect the elite. It affects all ages, all levels, and all categories.
🔁 Anxiety that can be contagious
Yes, anxiety is contagious.
A stressed parent. A tense coach. An anxious teammate.
Even without words, emotions are transmitted. The human brain is programmed to detect fear in others. In a team sport like cheerleading, one person's anxiety can quickly spread to the group.
🧩 What coaches can do (and avoid)
A must-do:
Recognizing the emotion ("I see you", "I understand")
To normalize without minimizing
Preparing athletes before competition
Establish team rituals
Focus on execution and progress, not just the result.
To avoid:
Saying "stop stressing"
To trivialize the reaction
Wait until the day of the competition to act
Managing performance anxiety is something you can practice. Like a stunt.
🎯 Visualization and “fake it until you make it”
The brain does not distinguish between what is experienced and what is imagined.
Mental visualization activates the same neural networks as actual execution. This is why top athletes use it systematically.
Visualizing a successful performance fosters confidence, motivation, and progress. Believing it's possible prepares the body to achieve it.
👨👩👧 Parents: your role is crucial
In young people, performance anxiety is often linked to:
The fear of disappointing
Comparison with other children
The need for validation
Acknowledge the emotion without erasing it, then encourage the child to face adversity: that is where the balance lies.
Overprotecting is harmful. Ignoring emotion is also harmful.
🔓 Can we get rid of performance anxiety?
It's not an illness.
Yes, we can learn to manage it, reduce it, and perform with much more serenity.
Developing self-esteem, confidence, and mental strategies makes all the difference. And the good news is: it can be learned.
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