- May 22, 2013
- 28
- 22
Has anyone ever dealt with a bad or unskilled high school cheerleading coach?
This isn't recent or anything, it was years ago but I guess it still really bothers me.
In high school, I had a coach who was excited I was going to try out only because I'm short. From the way she talked about me to the team members, they all said they knew I was going to "make it" before even trying out - or ever even meeting the coach. I had called the coach and talked to her a little because I was transferring high schools before I had the try out. I needed to double check the try out times, etc.
I think from the beginning, she just expected a girl who had never cheered before to be whipped up into full extended libs, full extended tick-tocks, etc...without much practice...because I'm short.
The coach was a dancer in high school, and was a "cheerleader" for an NFL team. I could be wrong, but as far as I know she never had any actual true cheerleading experience.
In the summer, she only went to about 1/3 of our summer practices.
Going into half-extensions was not so bad for me, but when we started to do full extensions - while I did them, I never was able to practice them enough to fully to feel comfortable. Since I'm pretty small, my bases were tall, but really thin girls that didn't look to be very strong. When I would get up to do my fulls, they were shaky in a combination between my nerves, and them not being strong enough to hold me up above their heads for a period of time. Honestly, it probably was more me though.
She tried to have me do single-partner fulls, which I feel is a pretty advanced stunt for a flyer who isn't very confident in even a full with two bases and a back spot. I felt like she was more eager to get "hard stunts" than she was being willing to let me truly and fully practice the full extension before going onto something else. IMO, I don't care if you've spent a month or two on fulls - if a flyer isn't ready for anything more advanced - for her safety you do not attempt it. In fact, I remember one time during practice I fell face-first onto a mat (thank the lord there was a mat) from an extended full. The coach just slammed her binder down and told everyone to take a drink and get some water. I was hurt, my face was hurt and my ankle had been sprained. My bases just stood there above me irritated, and my coach didn't even ask if I was okay. It was obvious she was irritated with me. I feel like while it can be frustrating for a coach when a flyer is "stuck" on a skill, she should of known better than to push a skill to be done through when clearly I needed more practice. I also feel the fact she didn't get after my bases, and the fact she didn't even ask if I was okay was completely negligent on her part. In all honesty, I was the only flyer who had that much trouble on that certain skill. It made me feel really inadequate regardless of the fact I was trying my best.
The following season, I was told by some girls who were younger than I that she had said "I learned a hard lesson last year. Just because your small doesn't mean you'll be a good flyer". I found this to be very hurtful and unprofessional.
When I found out she said that, it hurt me really badly. Everyone knew who she was talking about too. *sigh*
Anyways, it was years ago but it's one of those things I needed to get off my chest. I don't know if she's a cheer coach anymore, but if she is I don't think she's still coaching in my hometown. I'd hate to run into her again.
This isn't recent or anything, it was years ago but I guess it still really bothers me.
In high school, I had a coach who was excited I was going to try out only because I'm short. From the way she talked about me to the team members, they all said they knew I was going to "make it" before even trying out - or ever even meeting the coach. I had called the coach and talked to her a little because I was transferring high schools before I had the try out. I needed to double check the try out times, etc.
I think from the beginning, she just expected a girl who had never cheered before to be whipped up into full extended libs, full extended tick-tocks, etc...without much practice...because I'm short.
The coach was a dancer in high school, and was a "cheerleader" for an NFL team. I could be wrong, but as far as I know she never had any actual true cheerleading experience.
In the summer, she only went to about 1/3 of our summer practices.
Going into half-extensions was not so bad for me, but when we started to do full extensions - while I did them, I never was able to practice them enough to fully to feel comfortable. Since I'm pretty small, my bases were tall, but really thin girls that didn't look to be very strong. When I would get up to do my fulls, they were shaky in a combination between my nerves, and them not being strong enough to hold me up above their heads for a period of time. Honestly, it probably was more me though.
She tried to have me do single-partner fulls, which I feel is a pretty advanced stunt for a flyer who isn't very confident in even a full with two bases and a back spot. I felt like she was more eager to get "hard stunts" than she was being willing to let me truly and fully practice the full extension before going onto something else. IMO, I don't care if you've spent a month or two on fulls - if a flyer isn't ready for anything more advanced - for her safety you do not attempt it. In fact, I remember one time during practice I fell face-first onto a mat (thank the lord there was a mat) from an extended full. The coach just slammed her binder down and told everyone to take a drink and get some water. I was hurt, my face was hurt and my ankle had been sprained. My bases just stood there above me irritated, and my coach didn't even ask if I was okay. It was obvious she was irritated with me. I feel like while it can be frustrating for a coach when a flyer is "stuck" on a skill, she should of known better than to push a skill to be done through when clearly I needed more practice. I also feel the fact she didn't get after my bases, and the fact she didn't even ask if I was okay was completely negligent on her part. In all honesty, I was the only flyer who had that much trouble on that certain skill. It made me feel really inadequate regardless of the fact I was trying my best.
The following season, I was told by some girls who were younger than I that she had said "I learned a hard lesson last year. Just because your small doesn't mean you'll be a good flyer". I found this to be very hurtful and unprofessional.
When I found out she said that, it hurt me really badly. Everyone knew who she was talking about too. *sigh*
Anyways, it was years ago but it's one of those things I needed to get off my chest. I don't know if she's a cheer coach anymore, but if she is I don't think she's still coaching in my hometown. I'd hate to run into her again.
