Encouraging your guard to practice
I recently read an article on Lifehacker with this quote:
“The one common thread in every success story is perseverance, and that it was achieved by seeing every attempt as a step forward—as practice. “
It got me thinking about ways to motivate our guard – even though they already practice in homeroom each day, after school Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, have football games Friday, and competitions each Saturday. Here are some things that seem to work for us:
Change their definition of the word “practice.” It’s not just running the same work over and over again – it is performing the show so as to make the nuances of the work more natural, habitual.
Set some goals. One of our guard’s goals this year is to win a Best Guard award at the state or national level. Being able to remind the group of their goals can be motivating when focus is waning. Any goals – for that practice, that week, or the whole season – can be motivating if the whole group is on board. (I should mention that our ultimate goal for the guard is to have them perform the show to the best of their abilities – not to win. We just want them to feel great when they get off the field!)
Put a little fun into practice. If your practice is going downhill, take a fun break. You’d be surprised how a game of Red Rover or letting the girls do their runway walks down the practice floor can quickly turn things around. 
Record practice runs, football games, and competitions and listen to judge’s tapes. What more could be more motivating than watching yourself out of time with the rest of the guard or getting called out on a judge’s tape? That alone will prompt many to correct lingering errors.
If all else fails, some good ol’ fashion “Let’s Make a Deal.” This week I’ve asked our guard to watch Monday’s run through and make a list of 10 spots they need to work on. In exchange, I’ll let them out 30 minutes early from their last practice of the season. I also told them I’d throw a party at my new house if they brought home a Best Color Guard trophy from States or Nationals. Who doesn’t like free food?
