So, you're considering being cheerleading coach? It's an exciting opportunity when you get a chance to mentor cheerleaders, but have you considered all of the factors that go into coaching cheerleading? Maybe you've never coached before, so you're not fully aware of what factors to consider. It is so important for cheerleaders to have coaches and mentors, but you must first be real with yourself and ask yourself a few questions and be completely honest with your answers.
Based on my experience, here's a set of questions that will help walk you through your decision.
Warning: No sugar-coating here, per usual I'm going to be real.
1. Do I love kids? (Specifically, the age group that you will coach.)
This question may seem like a no-brainer, but it's an important one to ask. If you've never spent an extended amount of time with other people's children, consider putting in some volunteer or charity hours with that age group before you decide to coach them.
2. Do I love cheerleading?
If you're considering coaching cheer, this answer is probably "yes", but let's dig a little deeper.
3. HOW MUCH do I love cheerleading?
Unfortunately, simply loving the sport is not enough. You must love it enough to fully commit. You will spend hours not just teaching children the correct way to cheer, but having parent meetings, creating schedules, drafting communications, thinking of new cheers and chants, choreographing a dance, researching the latest techniques, hiring a photographer, listening to parent complains, organizing fundraisers, ordering uniforms, poms, bows, and balancing budgets.... the list could go on and on, but you get the idea. If you are going to be a head coach, it will take A LOT of time and energy. And when you don't feel like going to practice, you go anyway.
4. Am I here to coach or to be their friend?
With this question, you must be brutally honest with yourself. Allow me to be brutally honest with you for just a moment. I've seen many coaches that coach for "fun". Now, before I go any further, let me clarify by saying that having fun with your team is VERY important! I love to have fun with my teams, but there is a time and a place. Guidelines must be set and then the fun will automatically occur as you bond and come together as a team.
This may sound harsh, but I said I was going to be real, if your top goal for coaching is to "have fun", you might want to consider being an assistant coach or staying with the much younger age groups.
Cheerleaders work hard. Cheerleading today is not your momma's cheer program. Most cheerleaders want to be the best at what they do. If your primary intent as a coach is to "have fun" and do hair, make up, and posters, are you doing your team any justice? Your team will be counting on you to not only love them and have fun with them, but critique them, build them up, and push them to new limits. That is your job as a coach. Trust me, they will respect you for it, because they want a leader that sees their potential and helps them meet it.
Fortunately, when you coach them for potential, your relationship will grow and you will naturally have more fun and celebrate successes together!
Coaching cheerleading is not easy and it's a commitment that you do not want to take lightly. In fact, there will be times that you question why you are coaching. However, if you think you answered all of the questions above and still qualify as a head coach, congratulations! Cheerleading will soon consume most of your time and your brain power (ha!), but in the long run it is so fun and rewarding!
Keep shinin' and keep smilin', Sisters!
Thinking of becoming a coach? Have questions? Please reach out!
Already a coach? If I've missed something in this article, please comment and add them below, I would love to hear from you!
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