TWISTED NEWS

November 2014

Maryland Twisters Newsletter

Mr. Kevin’s Training Tips…

Take care of the most important tool you have as an Athlete YOUR BODY! I promised you nutrition guidance in the September newsletter, but I forgot and talked to you about getting ready for practice in October. NOW, as promised, some helpful (I hope) information on taking care of your bodies and … nutrition! Please keep in mind that your bodies and your health are the best gifts that you’ve ever received. Please take care of them! Consider the following:

In This Issue 

If your back is hurting, strengthen your core muscles. The “core muscles” are the group of muscles that support the spine. Double up on the crunches, hip lifts and arch rockers. A professional massage is a great gift idea to drop on your parents or other family members, and it doesn’t take long to pick up a gift certificate. The benefits of a massage go far beyond the “feel good” part. As some of you have heard me say, “There are massages that make you feel better, and there are massages that help you heal.” It’s your choice, but as an athlete the second one is a better choice. Stretch. “Muscles have memory,” is a popular saying and has a lot of truth... HOWEVER, this applies more to strength training than to elongation. Stretch during commercials, but make it dynamic (i.e. don’t sit in a split for more than one minute). Stretch when you get out of bed. Stretch when you are in the shower or tub (very beneficial), but hold on to something stable while you do it. Stretch about 4-5 times a day, but just for a few minutes each time. Sleep well.

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Mr. Kevin’s Training Tips - Take Care of the Most Important Tool You Have as an Athlete - Your Body! Introducing Club Zero Upcoming Events How to Get The Twister Look: A Step by Step Guide to Competition Hair and Make Up So You’re On a Travel Team - Now What? With Kim Tucker Athlete of the Month: Glen Burnie: Deja Powell Waldorf: Kendall King

Eat sensibly. There are some guidelines that I would like you to keep in mind (these are not “rules”):  Eat ⅓ of your protein and ½ of your fat before noon. Spread the rest through the day. Take less than you think you will eat, and then go back for a second plate (again taking less than you think you will eat). If you are at a restaurant, ask that half of the portion be put in a ‘take away’ box before it is even delivered to the table. Unless they have a drive-up window, they will gladly accommodate your request. Don’t eat anywhere that has a drive-up window. Don’t eat within two hours of going to sleep for the night. Veggies make a great snack, but too much dressing can negate the positive effects. Real, unprocessed fruit makes a great dessert, but cool whip on top can introduce more fat than you had intended. Do you need butter AND sour cream on that baked potato? Do you need ice cream ON that pumpkin pie? Wouldn’t water taste just as good as juice or (yikes!) soda right now? Make wise decisions for which you won’t find yourself regretting and then “starving” yourself the next day. A quick lesson on “starvation”: If you stop eating, your body will go into survival-mode. In other words, it will stop burning calories from your fat stores in order to ensure survival. Where does the energy come from, then? Your body will start to break down your muscles to gain the fats and proteins your brain needs to continue to function. In many ways, our bodies have not evolved significantly since the days of the caveman – SO eat to become leaner and do it sensibly. The best model that I have seen for nutrition is based on the “Glycemic Index.” (Go to http://www.webmd.com/diet/glycemic-index-diet among many others for more information.) I have a nutrition packet that I developed in partnership with Dr. Jerry Frentsos, who was the head nutritionist for the Naval Academy when I was coaching there. I will have that packet placed on the Twisters website. I will also post a sheet of “suggested” meals throughout the day. Every person is different, so if you want to get specific on your caloric needs, see a nutritionist who specializes in athletes (also seek gender-specific specialists, as men and women have different requirements).

Until next month … Be Healthy!!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Breeze having fun last month at their Halloween practice!

Frost Anderson, Lakeira Anderson, Hayley Barnett, Shaina Barnett, Noelle Barretto, Makenzie Basile, Abigail Borries, Kaitlyn Burns, Alyssa Cantor, Thomas Colborn, Sarah Cooper, Carly D’Aurora, Kaitlyn Edmunds, Mikayla Gilberto, Colby Glidden, KK Hawes, Kelcy Hayes, Taylor Joachimowski, Jailen Johnson, Aaliyah Jones, Grace Lattimore, Alexis Lee, Aja Lenyear, Cotie Leto, Tayla Mann, Rachel Marlin, Kamaaron Marshall, Natalie McCallister, Megan McCourt, Leah Mitchell, Lyndsey Morris, Jordin Murray, Jordan Prince, Alex Roberts, Abby Sabota, Kayli Schaible, Briana Taylor, Rain Terrell, Laila Terry, Morgan Tingler, Jose Velazquez, Willow Weidenhammer, DJ Wright

CLUB ZERO!! This season we will be focusing our attention on hitting perfect routines with zero deductions! We are officially introducing CLUB ZERO! Teams that receive zero deductions will be awarded points. Club Zero at a one day local event - 5 points Club Zero at a two day National event: one day with zero deductions - 10 points, two days with zero deductions 20 points The team with the most points at the end of the season will get a prize from Tara! Good luck! Let’s hit those routines!

Upcoming Events: November 22nd: SHOWCASE University of Maryland - Cole Field House Doors open at 11 am performances begin at 12 pm. Pre-order tickets, $20, are available at the front office until November 20th. Limited tickets will be sold at the door for $25.

November 26th - 28th: GYM CLOSED HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our family to yours! The gym will reopen November 29th for team practices classes will resume Sunday, November 30th. Please check with your instructor regarding private lessons.

December 13th: FIRST COMPETITION Watch out as our teams make their 2014-2015 debut at a local event held in Baltimore.

Teams showing their support last month at practice for breast cancer awareness!

How to get the Twister Look A step by step guide to competition hair and make up! Hair: What you will need: Hairspray, gel, wax Curling iron/sponge rollers Bobby pins Elastic hair tie Small hair rubber band Hair bow

Pouf. Section off a small part of the front of your hair - your bangs. Tease the

1.

underneath layer of this section to help give your pouf height, a teasing comb really helps. Smooth out the top section of your pouf. Pull back the section of hair, halfway to the crown of your head and put into a small pony tail securing with a tiny hair rubber band. Pinch the rubber band and push it towards your hairline until your pouf reaches the desired height. Secure your pouf into place using bobby pins.

2.

Pony. It is best to put your pony tail up in two parts so that you do not flatten your

pouf. Gather and smooth your hair into a high pony tail, leaving out the hair that is part of the pouf. Secure with a hair tie slightly forward of the crown of your head. Gather the rest of the hair that is part of your pouf and use a second hair tie to make it a part of the pony tail. The second hair tie will help keep your hair in place and will keep your hair looking performance ready. Secure any baby hairs with necessary bobby pins and hair spray. It is very important for your hair to be out of your face so you are not playing with it on the mat. Put in your hair bow prior to curling your hair, the tails of the bow should point towards your face.

3.

Curl. Curling irons produce the best curls! But sponge rollers help with the younger

athletes, especially on those early competition mornings. If you are using a curling iron make sure that you use one with a small barrel. If you are using sponge rollers it is best to put them in the night prior to competition and sleep with them in. Gather a very small amount of hair. Spray the piece of hair with hair spray prior to curling. For the best results start with your curling iron at the top of the pony tail, holding the curling iron perpendicular to the floor, spiral the curling iron in one direction to create a ringlet curl. Hold the hair in the curling iron for about 15 seconds, release the hair and spray with hair spay. Once your entire pony tail is curled apply another coat of hair spray.

Make up:

What you will need: Concealer, foundation, bronzer Blush Eye shadow Eye liner 1. Face. Use concealer to help cover up any blemishes. Use powder/foundation/ Mascara bronzer to evenly tone your face. Make sure that you also apply make up to your Lip stick neck so that your neck and face are the same color.

Foundation

Powder

Bronzer

Eyes. Start by using a nude colored eye shadow and apply from your lash line to your eyebrow. Next use your lighter colored eye shadow and apply to your entire eyelid. Using your darker eye shadow apply to the crease and lash line. Apply eye liner underneath on the shelf of your eye and to your lash line. Curl your eyelashes and apply mascara. Fake lashes look better in bigger venues - if you decide to wear lashes make sure you still apply mascara to blend the fake lashes to your real ones. Using a blending brush, smudge your eye shadow together to create the smoky eye effect. 2.

Light eye shadow

Dark eye shadow

Shelf eye liner

Lash line eye liner

Mascara

Finish. Apply a generous amount of blush. The blush you choose to use should be one to two shades darker than your everyday blush. Keep in mind that the bright lights inside the arena can easily make you look washed out if you do not apply enough blush or the right color. Finish your look with a bright red lipstick. The lipstick will also help keep you from looking washed out! Remember the judges are sitting far away and your make-up needs to be stage ready! 3.

Blush

Lipstick

The finished look!

Make up tips: 

Keep in mind that the make-up that you select should be a few shades darker than your normal everyday make-up.

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You want to select make up that compliments and matches your skin tone.

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We do require our younger athletes wear the proper amount of make up. If you are unsure of what is expected please contact your coach for further instruction.

Addison Mae Donohue

Jake Ryan Robertson

September 17th, 2014 5:55 pm

November 10th, 2014 4:31 pm

7 lbs. 8 ozs, 18.9 inches long

7 lbs. 9 ozs, 20.5 inches long

Mommy - Coach Katy Donohue

Mommy - Coach Mandy Robertson

Laven Kate Balent November 3rd, 2014 12:32 am

5 lbs. 3 ozs, 18 inches long Daddy - Tom Balent

So You’re On A Travel Team...Now WHAT? With Kim Tucker Congratulations on becoming a member of a travel team with Maryland Twisters! That is a huge accomplishment as an athlete. As a parent

you are probably asking what happens now. We realize that being on a travel team can be overwhelming whether it is your first time or if you’re a veteran. There are a couple of tips we have picked up along the way that will make your life a bit easier and less frantic this season. 1. Sleep – we have found that sleep is the biggest necessity when traveling for competitions. A lack of it can cause problems for the athletes during their warm up, routine, etc. The reason most people are unable to get enough sleep when traveling is because of the excitement of the trip. Sit down and discuss the weekend events and time restrictions with your children well in advance so there are no surprises. There is a curfew for all athletes for two day and/or travel competitions, we ask parents to adhere to this as we don’t want any injuries due to lack of sleep or rest. 2. Eat, Eat, Eat – When your sleep patterns change, the body releases a hormone that makes you want to eat more. If you can support this with food then it will help your body adjust faster. Pack some nutritional snacks that are easy to travel with or go to a local store and pick some up – the vendor lines can be extremely long. Also, make sure you bring or buy enough for a few days, as we are normally there for three to four days. When I say nutritional, I mean vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthy carbs (grains, fiber, etc). Please ensure all athletes eat before coming to meet their team to report to warm up. There have been many times an athlete becomes dizzy or sick to their stomach because they have not eaten in advance. Get the proper nutrition in your body for a successful performance! 3. Drink, Drink, Drink – When you are dehydrated, your body becomes more exhausted from lack of fluids. The quickest and easiest way to dehydrate is on a long road trip, bus trip, or long airplane ride. The more you can hydrate, the better you will feel during your entire trip. Hydrate with both water and electrolytes like you see in Gatorade. Caffeine, like in soda, tea, or coffee dehydrates you. It is very important to keep your athletes hydrated on competition days! 4. Travel Itinerary – We will be collecting all travel itineraries prior to our travel competitions so we know where everyone is staying and how to get a hold of them. We need this information just in case we have to communicate a change or get a hold of an athlete. We hope to have the competition times in advance, however there are times we do not get the confirmed times until the week of the competition so please be patient and flexible with us. 5. Travel Bag – Please put your essential items in a carryon bag in the event that something happens to your luggage. The carryon bag should have anything you will need to compete. This includes: Uniform, Shoes, White Socks, Bow, Make up, Under garments, Hair necessities, Cell phone, Cell phone charger, Any braces (for injuries) 6. Travel times – For those travel competitions we will have a mandatory Friday night practice time for all teams. It is imperative that you and your athlete arrive no later than 6 pm that Friday evening. We do this for a couple of reasons: To help your children get familiar with the venue and see the stage they will be competing on – this is extremely beneficial for those that are new to big, national events. To help you as a parent get familiar with the venue and get your tickets ahead of time. To prepare your child and the team as a whole for the event, getting them into the frame of mind they need to for the weekend. 7. Not vacation time – Please understand that travel competitions are not a vacation, so please plan your activities around the competition. We are there for a purpose and that purpose is to compete to the best ability that we can. 8. Text messages – Please bring your cell phone chargers to the competition, as text messages are the best way to communicate between several people. Team reps and coaches will send updates and/or inspirational messages via text so please be prepared for this. 9. Sister teams – We will be assigned sister teams so we can continue to bond with others within our program and build a supportive environment while on the road. Please note this may include little goody bags, an inspirational note, or a good luck charm of some sort. 10. Hair and Make-up – We get asked all the time if we have to do hair and make up for travel competitions. The answer will always be yes. The competition lights can be very bright and can wash out athletes from afar. We will teach you how to do your makeup and hair. There are always others around who will be more than happy to help assist you if need be. We thank you for all the support you give us every day and for the opportunity for our coaching staff to take part in your child’s life. We realize that coaching goes far beyond teaching an athlete how to cheer, stunt, dance, tumble, and perform. They are learning life lessons they can use throughout their lives.

See you on the mat!

November’s Athlete of the Month Glen Burnie:

Deja Powell - Little Winds What is Deja’s role on Little Winds?

Deja is a flyer. How does she standout on her team?

Deja is one of our youngest athletes on Little Winds, but also one of our strongest tumblers! She has been working on her "specialty" pass and it's been looking great. Deja gets along well with everyone and she always gives 100% at practice! How have you seen Deja improve since this summer?

“Deja has improved so much over the last few months! Her flying and tumbling technique continues to get better every practice. Deja is a pleasure to have on Little Winds!!” ~ Coach Matt T.

Deja has improved so much with her flying skills since summer training. She started out a little nervous but she has began to show confidence while in the air and has been working very hard on her technique! What can we expect from Deja this season?

This season you can expect Deja to be flying high in Little Winds pyramid and showing off her specialty pass during tumble. We are so excited to see the athlete she is becoming and can't wait to see her shine this season!

Waldorf:

Coach Matt T and Kelcy

Kendall King - Waterspouts

How does Kendall stand out in the gym?

She is always tight, sharp, smiling and performing. What does Kendall contribute to her team?

She is a beast of a base! Kendall is very smart and has learned to adapt to make it happen. What do you see in Kendall’s future?

Kendall is very determined to advance her tumbling skills. Her goals and her determination will take her far. How would her teammates describe her?

“Kendall will shine this

She is a very kind, caring and helpful little girl. Coach Margie, Vikki, and Holly

season. She will be a great leader. She will perfect her level 1 skills and move toward level 2 .” ~ Coach Margie, Vikki, and Holly

November Nominees: Taylor Scott - Fourcast “Taylor works hard at every practice. We can put her in almost any position and she makes it work. Taylor has been a flyer, a side, a main and a back throughout your time with Fourcast and she has never complained about it – she strives to make it work no matter what.” ~ Coach Dywon, Kim, and Amber

Katie Crews - Cold Front “Katie not only mastered her level 3 skills, the layout is almost to perfection and she just landed her standing back!!! She is in the gym about 4-5 times a week from team practices, classes and privates. Conditioning her body to be a cheer machine is her goal. A work ethic like no other, we are very proud to coach this athlete.” ~ Coach Chase

Morgan Shields - Cobalt “Morgan Shields is the epitome of a champion athlete, physically and mentally! Not only is she immensely talented with a beautiful standing full, Arabian to full, excellent jumps, etc. but she is ALWAYS on task, ALWAYS has a good, hard working attitude, ALWAYS does more than is asked. She is one of the best role models in the gym!” ~Coach Terri

Jordan Murray - Shade “Jordan brings Shade such strength in the areas of jumps, stunts and dance. Her strong character contributes to the focus and unity of Shade. Jordan works extremely hard to achieve her goals in tumbling, while staying in a positive mindset. It is rare to find an athlete who can come to practice, work to accomplish the goal, remain a positive role model, all the while contributing to the aid of her family during their difficult time. Jordan you are a powerful young woman... Shade is proud you share the floor with them.” ~ Coach Lisa, Dywon, and Jason

Kamryn Koller - Weathergirls “Kamryn is a dynamic hard working young lady with an aggressive spirit to get things done. In her short time at Twisters she has achieved her tumbling goals and continues to strive to get better. I know she will continue to do great things. Great job Kam! Keep up the good work!”

Ryleigh Bowling - Dewdrops "Ryleigh is always cheerful and in great spirits at practice. She has a can do attitude and tries her best during practice. We are so proud of

Gabby Parillon - Storm Chasers “Gabby is always excited for practice. She remembers her routine and helps her teammates find their spot. She is a great cheerleader and leader on her team.”

everything she has accomplished ~ Coach Christine

this season! “ ~ Coach Meredith and Morgan

~ Coach Will

Nicole Alexander - Breeze

Marissa Grierson - Blast

“Nicole is always present and

“Marissa has worked very hard to achieve

“Sarah is an all around great

punctual, she works hard both at

the goals that we have set for her. We can

athlete. She focuses on

home and never fools around at the

always count on Marissa to work hard

technique and listening to her

gym and her determination to be

and never complain about the little

coaches criticism and applying.

the best shows more and more every

things. She always gives 110% during

She has acquired new skills in

practice! She has come such a long

every practice.”

record time and is an all around

way from tryouts and we are beyond ecstatic with the progress she has made! We are SO proud of her!!”

~ Coach Hilary

~ Coach Kim and Margie

Sarah Gilberston - Mist

pleasure to work with.” ~ Coach Shonte

Dominique Weaver - Hail “Dominique is an experienced veteran who brings a lot to the table. She is

always at practice and although she is quiet, she leads through her actions. You will always see a smile on her face and a positive attitude is

Ryan Bennett - Downpour “Ryan is always at all practices with a positive attitude and ready to work. Ryan comes in focused and ready to knock out whatever needs to be done. Ryan is such a hard worker and we are so proud of her!” ~ Coach Ashlie and Mandy

something us coaches love to see in

Peyton Knapp - Frostbite “Peyton gives us 150% all the time. As soon as she walks in to the gym she is ready to work hard. Peyton comes to every practice with a positive attitude and is always helping her teammates. She has progressed a lot since the beginning of the

our athletes. Well deserved

season.”

Dominique! “

~Coach Vikki and Ashlie

~Coach Matt G.

Kayleigh Lehrmann - Halo

Rebecca Tillman - Wrath

“Kayleigh is a confident and amazing

“Since the beginning of the season, we

athlete. Although she is not a captain on

have seen so much determination

Halo, she acts and leads as if she is one. Her

in Rebecca to be a great cheerlead-

ability to motivate not only herself but the

er. Rebecca is a leader and continues to

rest of her teammates is outstanding in

strive for greatness. As coaches

itself. On top of that Kayleigh has shown so

we couldn't ask for a better example of

much improvement in such a short period of

a role model for others to follow.

time and that comes from her perseverance

Thanks Rebecca for being a great sport

and dedication to her skills and her team.”

at all time.”

~ Coach Matt T.

~ Coach Amber, Morgan, and Larry

The Top 5 phrases our athletes should never say: #1

“I can’t!” Probably the biggest culprit! Saying “I can’t” before you even try sets you up to fail. You instantly come across to your coaches and teammates as a weak link. Your credibility drops and you leave your peers questioning whether they can count on you when it matters most. Let’s change the mindset from “I can’t” to “I’ll try”. Not one of our coaches expect you to be successful your first try, if you were we wouldn’t have jobs! We can teach skills and technique we can’t teach you determination. Trying something new to the best of your ability is all we ever ask for. A positive outlook can make all the difference!

Contact Us Give us a call for more information about our services and products Maryland Twisters Glen Burnie 170 C&D Penrod Ct Glen Burnie, MD 21061 (410) 766-8729 Waldorf 109 Post Office Road Waldorf, MD 20602 (301) 396-4934 [email protected] Visit us on the web at www.marylandtwisters.com Maryland Twisters enhancing your athlete through the sport of cheerleading