My younger sister Alli has always been the direct personification of overachiever. So, when she joined the competitive team at HVC, our entire family was made aware of exactly how hard cheer is. It’s nitpicky, requiring tons of strength and flexibility to look perfect on the mat with any flaw being critiqued beyond belief. Of course, that is what made it the perfect sport for Alli to carry her overachieving tendencies to. And ultimately, her desire to succeed made her an obvious pick for coach to the Junior and Mini teams once she aged up to Senior level.
This is a story of what practice takes from a coach’s viewpoint. It is reminders and corrections and stepping in to demonstrate. This can be done by physically adjusting a base’s hand or making them run stunts with shoes to prevent them from dropping a flyer. As a coach, Alli knows that they will likely drop stunts, mistime tumbling, or fall, but she is always ready to point out the one small fix that will make everything work out in the end. She is on whenever she gets on the mat and can hold that focus all night. Coaching cheer has made her into a passionate, motivated, and confident adult that I hope to one day be like. Alli is still an overachiever, but she has become so much more than that. She’s a coach.