Don't go it alone: why every athlete needs her own cheerleading squad

DEALING WITH CHRONIC KNEE PAIN and post-college weight gain, Annie Wilson of San Francisco--formerly a competitive swimmer, rower and coxswain--was struggling to get back on track as an athlete. "I wasn't meeting my own goals because I didn't have anyone to push me," says Wilson, 25, a public relations account executive. "I like to have someone light a fire under me and give me a reason to get out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to go to the gym." So Wilson joined Team Love Multisports, a triathlon training program that involves six coached group workouts a week, including swims in the San Francisco Bay. Three months later and 15 pounds lighter, Wilson competed in her first triathlon--and won her age group. "There's no way I could have made it across the finish line without the team and coach," she says.

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For women athletes, the word "support" isn't just a euphemism for sports bra--it's the strength and encouragement provided by teammates, friends, family, coaches and trainers. No matter what your fitness level or goals, this kind of support can help you get to the next level. "If you assume that the primary determinants of performance are fitness, strength, technique and mental toughness and that high-level athletes are likely to share similar levels of these things, then the extra benefit of having good social support could make the difference between success and failure," says sports psychologist Tim Rees, PhD, of England's University of Exeter, who has conducted numerous support-systems studies with athletes. "Social support could be considered the most important 'extra' to embrace."

Support gives athletes more confidence, allows them to experience the "flow" state more often and makes them feel more invigorated, research suggests. Social support can also make you stronger. In a study done at Arizona State University in Tempe, experienced male and female weightlifters were able to lift, on average, five more pounds in front of an audience than at a competition without spectators or when they were by their lonesome. The results were especially impressive since the support was minimal: The audience was asked to remain silent.

Admiring crowds are tough to assemble for every workout, but you can get similar results from a buddy system. Lifting with an experienced friend or personal trainer will likely inspire you to lift heavier weights or eke out more repetitions, says kinesiology professor Daniel M. Landers, PhD, co-author of the Arizona State study: "It increases your motivation so you try harder." If your pal eggs you on--"One more rep. Push it, push it!"--it has an even greater effect. Also, since your compadre knows your potential, you might work harder so she doesn't call you a slacker. (Caveat: Having an audience is only beneficial if you're performing a well-learned skill; beginners do better without the added pressure to perform. In sports psych lingo, this is referred to as "facilitation versus debilitation.")

No audience and no workout partners? Consider joining a charity training program like Team Diabetes or Team in Training (TNT), which raises money to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. These and other programs prepare participants for marathons, triathlons and century (100-mile) bike rides. The coached group workouts can have a profound effect on your mental and physical preparation.

"Conditioning your body to run 26.2 miles is a transformation of both the body and spirit, which is especially rewarding to share with teammates--they can relate because they're going through the same thing," says Kim Richmond, a Team in Training marathon coach in the northwest Chicago suburbs. "For many women, it also makes a huge difference to be coached by someone who is really looking to make her the best she can be."

The support offered by TNT and similar programs is multi-tiered and can include being linked with a patient who has a life-threatening disease or a family who has lost a loved one. "In addition to the personal motivation to not let yourself down, there's a group camaraderie and then the commitment to the fund-raising pledge and organization," says Richmond. "Not wanting to let all those people down is a strong motivator."

DRUMMING UP SUPPORT

For some athletic women, the challenge isn't finding support but rather asking for it. "It's a big issue for me professionally and in sports," says Annie Wilson, the novice triathlete. "I don't want to bother anyone or make excuses for why I can't do something." After a few weeks of training, however, Wilson realized she could share her swimming expertise with teammates while garnering advice from stronger runners and cyclists.

"Even if you feel independent, we are all social creatures and we want to feel supported by other people," says Kevin L. Burke, PhD, director of the Georgia Southern University Sport Psychology Lab in Statesboro. "We are dependent on each other. Nobody operates within a vacuum."

However, many athletic women may project such independence and strength that the people around them assume they don't need support. ("If she can bench press 135, she's strong enough!") But everyone needs cheerleaders. To assemble your own personal pep squad, you've got to be proactive. "Don't assume that if people cared, they'd know what you need," says Val Baldwin, a certified life and relationship coach in Portland, OR, who often holds workshops at RiverPlace Athletic Club. "Your partner, co-workers, friends and family are not mind-readers."

Baldwin suggests taking a direct approach, whether it's asking your spouse to make dinner so you can train after work or having a friend accompany you to an out-of-state triathlon. Don't assume that the people close to you know why exercise or athletic competition is important to you--spell it out. And be supportive in return: If your roommate feels she has to pick up the slack around the apartment because you're always at the gym, offer to do her laundry or wait for the cable installer. Cheer on your boyfriend at his rugby games. Says Baldwin: "Make your workout plan a win-win situation for everyone."

RELATED ARTICLE: READY TO JOIN THE CLUB?

For more information on Team Diabetes, go to diabetes.org/teamdiabetes.

For information on Team in Training, go to teamintraining.org. In exchange for four to five months of coached group workouts several times per week, you'll be asked to raise contribution pledges to provide research funds. During your chosen event, supporters of the organization cheer you on en route.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STUART BRADFORD

COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group