Since June I have been involved with the cheerleading program at Copper Hills High School (CHHS) here in West Jordan, UT as a coach. Coaching is totally different than actually cheering or playing any sport. I never realized how much hard work went into being a coach. Finding that boundary between being a friend and being an authority figure is hard work! Plus I really don’t think teenagers these days have very much respect for their elders. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they all thought I was 20 up until about 3 weeks ago… obviously I need to act more like an adult and less like a teenager. The past 3 weeks though have really challenged me. The head coach quit and the competition coach got arrested. To satisfy your curiosity, the 22 year old competition coach got arrested for breaking into a frozen yogurt shop to steal frozen yogurt. Really? I would have definitely and graciously given her the $2 it costs to get the dessert. If I were going to get arrested I would definitely want it to mean something. Go big or go home right? Anyway, since the administration is in no hurry to find another coach to help lift my burden, the responsibility of 38 high school female cheerleaders has landed on my shoulders. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely LOVE coaching and I’m not complaining at all, but it’s a little stressful dealing with that on top of working 35 hours a weeks and having 13 college credits at the same time. It’s a great excuse not to date though… Seriously though these girls amaze me every day and they work so hard at what they do. The strength and the courage they have, leaves me speechless. Competition season starts in the beginning of December and even though we have had to deal with losing 2 coaches, normal high school drama, concurrent pmsing, and multiple injuries these girls have all the hope and determination in the world to excel and to do well. They constantly inspire me, so I guess I’m pretty lucky to be able to have that in my life these days. I have had some pretty interesting moments while coaching. Just one example, recently we were learning basketball cheers to prepare for the upcoming season when one of the JV girls raised her hand and innocently asked, “What’s a rebound?” It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Seriously? After a pretty lengthy demonstration involving a shoe, a basketball hoop, and plenty of confused looks, she still didn’t understand… Oh well. There’s no such thing as a stupid question right? We have had competitions to see who can fit the most grapes in their mouth during halftime. Yours truly won to the amazement of every high schooler present with a grand total of 23 large green grapes. And I cannot even count the number of random dance offs that occur either during a game or during practice. There doesn’t even have to be music involved. Definitely keeps me entertained.
Blast from the past... Winter 2004
