Did you know winning regulation team at the National High School Drill Team Championships actually had a cadet make a mistake during competition? The cadet, realizing his mistake, immediately froze and was corrected by the cadet commander on the spot.
No one wants to mess up and let their teammates down! When it comes to training, no one wants to be called out or punished for their mistakes. While repetitious practice is needed to build muscle memory, learning takes time. Create a culture on your team where committing to mistakes is important. This will help you quickly identify consistent mistakes that result from poor initial training, mistakes that are flukes which can be corrected on the spot, and mistakes that are caused by others in the block. Furthermore, while you should actively practice recovering from errors in exhibition, mistakes should be committed to and corrected by the cadet commander during regulation, even when they occur on the competition deck. Because of his decisive corrections on the drill pad, the commander of the winning team also won the award for best cadet commander in the country!
This week’s DTD Challenge:
Post on our Facebook wall and tell us about the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made or witnessed!
Want to learn more? Check out our Drill Team Training Workshops to find out how to bring our world-class Staff of coaches to your school!
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