📖 FROM THE FLOOR — Volume 1
Something I wish someone had told me before college:
The transition from high school and Junior USA to collegiate cheer is real, and if this is something you truly want for yourself, you need to prepare for it.
And I don’t mean skill-wise.
I mean emotionally.
I wish someone had told me that college wasn’t going to expose my weaknesses as an athlete nearly as much as it exposed my relationship with myself.
For years, I thought being hard on myself was what made me successful. I thought confidence came after achievement. I thought the athletes who made it were the ones who never let themselves be satisfied.
So I was constantly chasing the next skill, the next accomplishment, the next reason to finally feel like I was enough.
The problem is that no achievement ever fixed that feeling.
When I got to Alabama, I realized college cheer wasn’t just a harder version of what I had done before. It was a completely different environment.
For the first time, I was truly on my own.
And when you’re on your own, the way you talk to yourself matters.
The pressure you put on yourself matters.
The belief you have in yourself matters.
Because the same voice that shows up when you’re struggling in practice is the voice that shows up when life doesn’t go your way.
College exposed that for me.
It showed me how much of my self-worth was tied to performance. How often I tore myself down in the name of discipline. How much energy I spent trying to prove I belonged instead of believing I belonged.
At the same time, I realized the athletes who earned the most trust weren’t always the most talented.
They were the most coachable.
The most consistent.
The athletes who could get corrected without taking it personally.
The athletes who made everyone around them better.
The biggest lesson college taught me wasn’t how to stunt better.
It taught me that confidence isn’t something you earn after you’re good enough.
It’s something you choose before you feel ready.
Now, don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not saying lower your standards.
I’m not saying stop working hard.
I’m not saying you should become comfortable with being average.
Work your butt off.
Chase big goals.
Push yourself.
Hold yourself accountable.
I still do.
What I’m saying is that there is a difference between demanding excellence from yourself and constantly questioning your worth.
For a long time, I thought those were the same thing.
I thought the voice in my head that was never satisfied was the reason I was successful.
But eventually I realized that you can be driven without tearing yourself down.
You can be ambitious without believing you’re behind.
You can chase greatness while still believing you’re enough on the days you fall short.
In fact, I think the athletes who last the longest and perform at the highest level learn how to do exactly that.
The sooner you start thinking like a college athlete, the easier your transition will be.
→ Your job is to make the team better, not just yourself.
→ Coachability matters just as much as skill.
→ Consistency matters more than occasional greatness.
→ How you carry yourself off the mat affects your value on it.
And maybe the biggest one:
→ Stop believing that tearing yourself down is the price of success.
You can pursue excellence without constantly questioning your worth.
I wish someone had told me that sooner.
Questions? Drop them below. I’m here to help.
— Coach John
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📖 FROM THE FLOOR — Volume 1
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