From Parent to Accidental Cheer Coach
Children have a way of bringing out even the smallest of joy hidden deep under work stress, bills, deadlines, and to-do lists. I usually start out with a very hectic day but when I get to 5:15pm on Wednesdays, I know exactly what will make me feel better.
I am blessed with the job of teaching 7 girls how to:
Follow directions
Collaborate with others
Push themselves to meet goals
Cheer!
Coaching Tiny Team at Dynamite AllStars in Gaithersburg has been quite the experience. What started out as an amazing opportunity that turned into an exhausting mistake has led me to now avoiding tears like a weirdo now that the season is over.
How did I get myself here, exactly? Well, my then 8 year old daughter, Elise, was quite the girlie-girl. Hated dirt, thought working was overrated and would bathe in all things pink if possible. Of course, she flipped at the idea of cheerleading (pun intended).
The cheerleaders, the coaches, the families… well, cheer family that we have grown to be a part of at Dynamite led me to want to step up and do even more. I asked to be Assistant Coach of a junior level team halfway through the competition season and although it was incredibly exhilarating, by the end of the season I had decided that my daughters wouldn’t cheer anymore.
The cost, the schedule, the loads of dirty laundry were calling my name and I had to go back to having a normal schedule. I was eager to finish the year, prepare for summer and an easy breezy school year ahead.
As staffing arrangements changed, we realized that Dynamite’s youngest and cutest exhibition team, D-Spark, needed a coach and like a sensitive Sally, I volunteered.
As a high school cheer captain, I thought I knew exactly what it took to be a head coach.
As a paraeducator at an elementary school, I thought I knew exactly what it took to manage a handful of small children!
Both of those tasks combined wore me out!
Once a week for an hour and forty-five minutes, D-Spark kicked my butt. They are such busy-bees that our practice consists of 5-10 minutes of just talking to me- just talking!
D-Spark only had four competitions this year, that’s not bad! I wouldn’t have to give up my entire life, just a couple of weekends. Little did I know that it would be so draining. Our routine is timed at about 1:05, as opposed to the 2:30 for other teams, not only because they’re an exhibition team but because getting to that 1:05 is difficult enough!
At our first competition, you could hear the awes and ohs in the crowd over the music blasting. Behind all that cuteness, for that minute routine, these girls turn everything off and just focus on me. Sure, they’re distracted by the crowd and smiling and blowing kisses to mom and dad but when I’m doing their routine crouched down on the floor, they follow my every move.
I’m sure I could hit a high-V and pick my nose and they would probably just follow along. I must admit, however, that they don’t need me. You can hear me yell, “You got it!” about 4 times in each practice because they truly do. Tired Coach AJ or not, they have worked so hard this season and will be such awesome cheerleaders as they grow up.
There were times I felt like a coach and there were times I felt like a volunteer babysitter but what has started out as a hobby has turned into a necessity. I need to see their smiles, I need to hear them giggle, even when I want to pull my hair out.
Boy, have I proved them wrong! When I raised my voice just a little and paused practice I’ve gotten the saddest looks ever but those big eyes cannot deter a coach from keeping them safe.
I’ve found myself focusing so much on D-Spark that I really have to flip a switch in my head to get to mom-mode when my daughters are performing.
Shhh- don’t tell my daughters that!
Knowing that in a short amount of time that D-Spark will be 9, 10, and 11 years old thinking of the first time they became cheerleaders. Having a spot in that memory means the world to me. I guess I wasn’t that exhausted. I would do it all over again, if I could.
Maybe with just a few earplugs.
-Coach AJ
