I’ve Gotten Myself Into It Again

It’s official.  I will be a full-fledged cheer coach at Carroll High School…starting…NOW!  Well, not right at this very moment; but try-outs are April 1^st and I’ll be making my debut with open gyms for a couple of days a week in March and clinic is the last week in March.  All my former cheerleaders better get the numbers of the Carroll girls and give them a heads up…Mrs. Maness doesn’t play.  J  Fortunately, I’ve kind of got my foot in the door with some of the girls.  I choreographed their competition routine this year, and might I add, it was AWESOME!  I was very disappointed that they decided to only participate in one competition.  There is a lot of cheer talent at Carroll and I am super excited about jumping in head first very soon!  I have lots of big plans for my new girls!  We will have 3 squads…varsity spirit (football and basketball-grades 10-12), freshman spirit (football and basketball-grade 9), and competition (grades 9-12).  My goals for us this year…raise some major funds and take home a state championship in 5A!  That’s right; I’m going for the gold the first year!  And they’re very capable!  I hope to take at least 16 for the competition squad!  Standing back-hand-spring required of course.  Let’s see…off the top of my head we’ve already got 5 standing back-hand-spring-tucks, lots of back-hand-spring “rows” (as they call them…that’s a row of back-hand-springs…I thought it was weird at first, but I like it now J), 5 or 6 rows with a tuck at the end, at least 3 layouts, 2 X-outs (although none are as high as a former squad member of mine…Fran Renfroe Holmes could tuck or X-out over a full grown man in her day!), and a full twist.  They are a choreographers dream!  And the best part…I love them all!

Now, I can’t brag about my future without bragging about my past as well!  My first experience as a cheer coach was at Zion Chapel in 2007.  I walked in to a situation that needed some mending.  In the end, my very first squad taught me a lot.  I had to, as they say, “rule with an iron fist”, but I loved each one of those girls!  Each year after that, my girls started meaning more and more to me!  I would go home some nights and want to pull my hair out but the next day something would happen to remind me why I love the sport and my Zion girls so much!  They went from being “rah-rah” girls to competitive cheerleaders.  By the time I left, the Zion girls had become the squad to beat at summer camp and the Pea River Valley competition.  When I left Zion last year a good friend took over my girls and has continued the tradition of excellence.  Thanks to Hope Bowers and Chelsi Jones for keeping the program going!  It really means a lot and I know the girls appreciate you too! 

It’s nice to look back on the past with a smile…and great to look to the future with tons of excitement.  That’s what cheerleading does for me.  I know, most people just don’t get the infatuation with cheerleading…but for me…I just love it!  And don’t we all need something to be passionate about?  What’s your passion?