How Cheer Parents Feel Meeting a New Team Coach

Here we go again: your child has aged out, changed schools, or is being subjected to team reorganization, and a new cheer coach is coming into the picture. Since your child joined cheer, there have been a variety of coaches, assistant coaches, team parents, school administrators, and cheer captains in command‚ and most have been helpful! Yet, sometimes, there are coaches that are insistent that it’s their way or the highway. You never know which one you’re going to get. Considering your child lives, loves, and breathes cheerleading, a new coach symbolizes someone that is going to be putting in major face time with him or her more than anybody else. It’s important and necessary to get on the same page from the start. So, after the dust of tryouts has settled, you arrive at the first parent-coach meeting of the season. Here’s what to expect. 1. Optimistic. This could be your child’s year! [Source: Giphy] You have witnessed your child grow in cheer since Day One, and a new coach can only expand their skills to new heights. With all of the training with the last coach or team, you’re confident that a new coach means improvement, achievement, and glory. Go team! 2. Cynical. They better not try to pull one over on you‚ [Source: Giphy] You’ve seen some GREAT coaches come and go, but there have been some simply atrocious and obnoxious coaches thrown in for good measure. You know, the kind that only sees their point of view and not the bigger picture‚ and they definitely didn’t want to hear the opinions of parents! Budget is another concern: this isn’t your first rodeo, so if they hand you a gear price estimate attached to a steep number for the new year, you’re going to voice a veto on the big spending. 3. Protective. It is your child’s life, after all. [Source: Giphy] Cheerleading is an high-impact sport and can get dangerous! You need someone that is qualified to lead the team. You also are aware that cheerleading is helping your child grow into a well rounded, responsible, and outgoing young adult; the last thing you want is a tyrannical and unjust team leader ruining their newfound sense of self-esteem. All is fair in love and cheer. Your child better get the guidance and recognition they deserve. 4. Curious. Just how far can this new season go? [Source: Giphy] As you shake the new coach’s hand and sit down for the meeting, it dawns on you that the possibilities are endless when it comes to team dynamics and growth. New coach means new routines, new creativity, new everything! 5. Reassurance. You’re now in the know. [Source: Giphy] Like a ripped-off Band Aid, meeting the new coach is over and done with. You only have to do it once, and now, the ball has started rolling on the new season. Although you don’t know their habits over time, their general nature seems nurturing and trustworthy, with the goal of team tranquility and prosperity in mind! Now, all you have to do is figure out where you fit in to make this the best cheer year ever. How else does it feel meeting a new team coach? Let us know your experiences in the comments!