Natalie Ho on Competition Stress

UCLA CHEERLEADER + CALI SMOED ALUM

“Be there with your team. Be there and present in the moment. Don't worry about stuff coming after when you haven't even gotten to it. Just focus on what you're doing now.”

What is your favorite competition?

I think my favourite competition is Worlds. It's a classic; the big finale at the end. Especially my first Worlds with SMOED. That was huge for me because I had just come off of an injury, so we were all anxious to see how the season would end. It was always like an uphill battle.

There's nothing like competing with SMOED, in my opinion. And I think my second favorite competition would have to be NCA. Specifically, the 2018-19 season as well. Even though I didn't get to compete, just seeing my team on the floor was just amazing. The sheer noise of having everyone in the arena looking down and cheering you on.

Do you get nervous before competitions? How do you deal with that?

I definitely get nervous before competitions. I know a lot of people that have superstitions and mine was drinking a Starbucks Acai refresher before going on. I liked it because it got a little bit of caffeine in my system, especially for those early mornings. But handling stress, I would just say I stuck to what I did at practice.

You practice how you perform and I think that definitely shows on the mat. During practices, we would go through competition warm-up and to me that just made it so much more transferable from practice out onto the mat.

I think a lot of people tend to get in their heads during warm-ups regarding their skills. They know they can do it, but just too much pressure and I remember we would do our little boom, snap, claps/little team bonding games or hype music just to keep us distracted from this. It's important to note though that we were distracted from the pressure, but still focused on our team. In those moments, nothing matters outside of the bubble of the team.

What is your pre-competition routine?

Definitely a good breakfast besides just the Starbucks. Getting a good meal with balanced carbs and protein is super important because it is going to be a long da I make sure I pack all my snacks and set everything out the night before (uniform bow, shoes, socks, etc). This way, everything is packed so I'm not stressed the morning of.

I know people have different ways of getting ready, but personally, I like getting ready by myself so I can really get in the zone before having to put on a game face for my team. Because, even within the team, if someone's coming in, hair not pples throughout the lf and then eat and

What’s your go-to playlist?

When I was little (around middle school) I would be listening to Hamilton specifically. The rap songs would hype me up and Hamilton was my go-to. It's like a nerdy little secret but it's great.

What is your post-competition routine?

For me, after a competition, we're waiting around, we're waiting for awards. Everyone just wants to get out of hair, makeup, and uniform so by the time competition day is done for me, I'm pretty dead. I love hanging around my team and being with them all the time, but at the same time, to get me less amped up, a meal with my family is always nice. We'll go out to ramen or just a family meal and that kind of helps me destress and calm everything down.

What are some essentials in your competition bag?

Hairspray, for sure.

My makeup pouch for touchups. I used to be the one who was always unprepared, always asking people for stuff, but recently, I've been the one being called prepared in college because I have all this stuff.

Sunglasses. I put on my sunglasses, and I feel like I have a little alter ego. If I'm not feeling 100% that day, sunglasses are going on and it makes me feel much more prepared and ready. Sunglasses always make me feel cool.

My eyedrops because I wear contacts

Lipstick or moisturizer for my lips

Deodorant

Setting spray

Snacks. Definitely snacks.

Air pods

Lash glue

And of course, water

What advice would you give to someone who is going to their first competition?

It sounds cliche, but just be there with your team. Be there present in the moment. Don't worry about stuff coming aft when you haven't even gotten to it Just focus on what you'r doing now Take one skill at a time and rest up for your competitions. You don't need to be going out, like, partying doing anything crazy the night before when you know you h something the next day.