Beating a Performance Plateau with New and Improved!

Do you know why products are constantly puting new labels on them with words like: “NEW!” or “NEW and IMPROVED!” Comfort. We become comfortable with the things we have or use and we may be happy with using XYZ dish washing liquid for the rest of our lives, but the advertisers want to make sure you can’t live without it! Our society is driven on making people uncomfortable with whatever they have so that they feel they must have the latest version or the newest outfit.

This also applies to a solo or drill team performance. Comfort can set in part-way in the season and, while we may not notice it, the performance can become a little “lackluster.” This is called a plateau. Think of a hilltop, you can’t go any higher- or so you may think.

So, how can we prevent this?

Schedule a break or three during the season– but stay together. You must keep team camaraderie and cohesion going strong and having team members going off in different directions will work against that. Cut a practice short and do something fun as a team: have a BBQ and play games, do something that doesn’t include drill, but do it as a team. Are you a soloist? Spend time on another hobby or with family instead of a full practice.

Change something in the routine– This is the New and Improved! part of the solution. A slight change (new drill sets, increase/decrease tempo, different direction to face, a slight pause here, etc.) to a certain part or parts can make a world of difference.

Renewed focus– When a drill team performs, the team members are displaying simultaneous responsibilities* and, depending on the performers’ experience, those responsibilities could be many. And that gets tiring both physically and mentally. Renewed forcus is when you say to the team (or yourself, after watching video of your practices), that their hand position at this point or their feet at that point need to be this or that way, better posture. Something else to consider.

*Those responsibilities include, but are not limited to: posture, arms swing and angle, step height, foot direction and angle, alignment forward and to each side, drill set memorization, staying in step; hand, arm, foot and equipment work, etc., etc.