Here comes the new season

I'm really tempted to just fold this blog into my main blog, http://tedscolumn.blogspot.com.
I feel like when I really use it, it's more to just vent than to document- let alone build anything book worthy. When I use it to vent, I'm being too reactionary. It seems like rather than relieve my stress, I feel like it only makes me more wound up. It misrepresents how negative coaching cheer can be when actually it's always been an overall very meaningful and rewarding experience for me. And of course, there's always the risk that students or parents that I write about might be offended.

Like at the beginning of the summer when the mother of a Freshman candidate was so livid with me for not putting her on the squad. It was unfair that her grandfather's funeral was the day that tryouts had been scheduled, but she hadn't turned in a permission form or teacher-recommendation forms which had been due a week before and had been available for almost two months before.

The real issue was that she was academically ineligible. I double-checked the policy and touched base with both our guidance counselor and our principal to make sure I was as clear as I could be with the parent. To be honest, the child can be a divisive, volatile, and disrespectful tiger. She's let her anger get away from her and used obscenity in uniform before while on junior high cheer- but even if she was perfect, her grades would've kept her off.

But that's the kind of conflict that both makes me wonder how many more years I want to continue coaching cheer and makes me question the wisdom of trying to blog about it (even when I try to protect the identities of the kids I work with.

Facebook and Twitter are shorter, easier and more immediate, making blogging something that I'm not as disciplined at as I used to be. Life gets pretty busy too. All summer I thought I'd write but instead was caught up in church and family activities. And school is about to start, which will make things incredibly busy again.

It seems like we've never had the first football game for a week or so after school had gotten started. This year our first home game is next Friday, school starts Wednesday! Three of my four cheerleaders are scared to have to perform at the first pep rally. I can't blame them.

The pep band won't be playing at the game that night. Our principal actually left it up to me whether or not to even have a pep rally. I really think we should, but I don't know if I should push the girls too hard if they're not ready.

One, a Junior, was even ready to quit earlier this week.

"i really didnt wanna do it in the first place but (Senior) was pressuring me so i thought i would give it a try but now im having second thougts because im really not the cheerleading type i like cheering from the stands...and i hate being in front of crowds like at pep rallys i cant do that...im sorry," she told me.

I was having a heart attack.

I did my best to convince the Junior, "You're telling me that (Freshman Z), (Senior B), and (Sophomore R) ARE "cheerleader types" and you're not? (each example was a former cheerleader who was shy, awkward, or socially isolated). They're willing to get in front of people, but you're afraid to? Kiddo, you're smart, you're responsible, and you're gorgeous. Pep Rallies are nothing to be afraid of- let (Senior) carry them and just go along with the ride, they're fast and most kids who've cheered (like B, Z, and R) wind up actually thinking they're fun.

You're a natural leader and really fun. If you can handle Drill, Cheer will be a piece of cake.

I still think you should at least try a game or two. But, I understand how it can feel to be pressured so just like I said before, ultimately it's up to you- but I can tell you, if you can conquer this challenge (and I totally believe you can) you will come away with confidence and poise like you wouldn't believe. Doing this can put you over the top- it can be the difference between being kind of a leader and a majorly powerful woman who'll take on the world. If you bite down hard and try this this one short season, it'll be all gain for you.

Think on it, pray on it. Talk to someone you trust, adult or friend about it and let me know next week. I'll totally back off and not tease you or try to make you feel guilty (like how I tried to pressure Katie last year). But I really think you'll be great at this and this could be great for you."

Poise and Confidence are a couple of blocks on John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. I truly believe that these are powerful gifts that cheerleading can bestow on kids and I meant every word I said to her. But let's face it, I didn't want to go from 4 to only 3 (especially since one of the 3 is still pretty iffy). And I'll be honest, I'm not keen on the prospect of having Senior B or the "tiger" Freshman on squad this season either, if only because neither works well with the Senior we do have.

Fortunately, she tentatively agreed to give it a try. One of our Freshmen is really just giving it a try too ("iffy"), her true love is volleyball and her mother is nervous about her being too involved in too many things.

If you're actually a regular reader, or one of my friends or former cheerleaders that I shared this blog with, I'd sure appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts. Like every year. (:

This is the most I've written here in months and I really SHOULD be preparing lessons for next week. So anyway, if you come looking for this blog and don't find it, head on over to http://tedscolumn.blogspot.com and just run a search for "cheer," or "coaching," or "Pappa Bear" and you should still be able to find this kind of entry once in a while.

Perennial Stress-Out

Started out with 11 candidate, now 4 are backing out...
and I moved tryouts from today till next week due to Track meets, but guess what? Softball practice & games all nxt week AND we had girls qualify for State Track Meet- which is the day of my tryout!!!

Here's a note that I sent to our faculty and to some veteran cheerleaders, begging for them to put pressure on kids-

Teachers/Staff- I really need your help!  

Last week I had 11 candidates planning on trying out for cheer. I was excited, finally a real tryout, the chance to pick the best 6 out of 11- just what our cheer program needs. Kids who will get enjoy each other and that the fans will respond to.
Just yesterday, three of these candidates told me that they're opting out, citing grades, other sports and needing jobs. I reminded them that because so many of them have experience in either junior high or dance/gymnastics that if they make Cheer, it will really be a minimum time commitment. They can Cheer even if they play VB or are on Drill. They're likely to spend Friday night at the game anyway, so surely cheering won't put a strain on their grades.
Please encourage any of them that you think would make outstanding cheerleaders. Tell them how great a job you think they'd do. Tell them how much BV needs them to set a positive example and raise school spirit. 

After coaching cheer for 18 years now, I firmly believe that Cheerleading provides kids with confidence, poise, and leadership.
It also promotes school spirit, pride, enthusiasm, identity, community and sportsmanship for the whole school. 

So, say something to some of these girls today about how exciting it would be for BV if they were a part of that. If you don't see them today, do it this weekend or early next week.
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of seasons when we only get 5 girls come out and then having one or two quit, one or two move away and one or two end up ineligible due to grades. I can't do this alone. We're all in this together. Please do what you can.
Thank you all for your support! 

Will be FreshmenAlly Kahl- Mom's not sureMarissa Bruck- Hasn't turned in paperwork yetJamie Platner- Concerned about behavior as 8th graderJennifer Zehner-
Will be SophomoresKatie Cogdill- Not sureKelsi Segebart- Deciding not toTaylor Rassell-
Will be JuniorsEmmie Wood-
Lexi Seuntjens- Deciding not to
Will Be SeniorsKayla Sternberg- Vacillating Cammey Hast- Worried about having to put up with too many Freshmen! 

Are things looking up?

Three lively, fun girls; two Freshman and a Sophomore just came by my room to pick up forms.

Candidly, along with the Junior Cammey and 8th Grader Ally (who was JrHi Mascot this year) this would make a pretty decent crew. I will keep the posters up and running the announcements because there were at least 4 or 5 other kids whom I knew were interested at one time. I sent an email out to cheer alumna to volunteer to help judge.

The ugly part of having to have actual tryouts would be having to cut kids that I care about, to whom cheer is important. On the other hand, having higher energy, more initiative, more pride, more volume, and maybe even more dance/gymnastic skills are all great reasons to maintain a weeding-out process.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, let the Lord take care of the rest.

Man on a mission

-To Murph and the Magic Tones at the Armada Room of the Holiday Inn-

Elwood: We're putting the band back together.
Jake: You were the backbone. The nerve centre of a great rhythm and blues band. You can, make that live, breath and jump again.

-To Mr. Fabulous, the Matre'd in the dining room of the Chez Paul restaraunt-

Jake: We're putting the band back together. We need ya man, we need your horn.
Mr Fabulous: I can't, I really can't. 
Elwood: We got everybody but Matt guitar Murphy and Blue Lou and we're getting them next. 
Mr Fabulous: No way.
Jake: If you say no, Elwood and I will come here for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week. 
Mr Fabulous: Okay, okay, I'll play. You got me. 

Tryouts are coming up in just 2 weeks and I feel like a blues man trying to reassemble his band for a mission from God to save an orphanage in the last minute. I've done everything I can think of to cajole, convince, or coerce (okay, maybe not coerce) kids to come out for cheer.

I told them straight-out; Every year it seems like people don't go out for cheerleading because they're afraid that someone else, who's too into drama or kinda snooty or way too quiet is going to go out for cheer and they wouldn't want to have to be on squad with that person. As I've been trying to convince you all for the last month or two- if only 4 or 5 girls come out that's who we have to go with, even if they're ineffective, divisive or defective, but if 10, 12, 14, 16 or more come out- then we can pick the most enthusiastic, the most amiable, and the most talented.

I've begged, I've pleaded, I've sent them pictures of when they were on cheer in junior high. I've encouraged them to encourage one another. I guess all I can do now is to hang up the sign-up sheet and run the announcements and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, we lose money. Cheer & Drill share track concessions. Most years we have 5 home meets and make a bundle of money. This year we only had 3. One got cancelled due to rain. Cheer & Drill Squad members who are on Track were all scheduled to work the last meet, Monday May 9 because it's a Boy's Meet. But now, one of their rained-out meets is being rescheduled for that Monday- AND, some of the Drill parents want to grill burgers and brats at the meet for a fundraiser. A girl just told me that no one on Drill can work concessions for that meet because their parents want them to sell burgers and brats. First of all, don't they get that they're taking money away from their own fundraiser by competing with the concessions stand for customers? And secondly, most of the cheerleaders were also on Drill or are also on Track. Especially since I had 3 cheerleaders transfer to different schools this year and 2 more quit- I will have only one or two people able to work. AAAAAUUUUUGHHH!!!

Typical teenagers

I covered a study hall last hour for another teacher. Two of my football cheerleaders, who'll both be Seniors next year were in there. We talked about potential recruits. I don't know if there was anyone that they didn't roll their eyes about, glare at me over, or just generally poo-poo. "Ugh!," "Them?!", and "If they come out, I'll QUIT." were a frequent chorus.

It does seem that the girls who are enthusiastic about coming out are either divisive and drama-prone, or woefully unskilled and ineffective. Whereas those who you'd think would be bright, fun, amiable, and have any modicum of leadership are either already committed to Volleyball, Drill,  or taking stats for the football team- or they're really hesitating about taking the plunge.

At my annual coaching (performance) review, my principal made it clear that we needed to get girls who 1. aren't as on the social-fringe as they have been, 2. will make a deliberate and concerted effort to encourage/lead fans, and 3. be responsible enough to show come to games consistently. Tell me something I don't know, Boss- easier said than done. It's not easy to recruit kids who get along and will do a great job at a small AA school like ours.

Soldier on

Two Junior girls assured me today that the two of them and at least one more were committed to cheering for football season. Hope springs eternal.

The campus daycare Director, who runs concessions during football and basketball seasons stopped by my classroom to discuss what she had left over and what her recommendations were for track. Earlier this week our drill coach tendered her resignation, so it looks as if I may have to run all 5 track meets alone. So be it. Lord, let those girls show up to work. It's always a bear. Many of them participate in track. Some of them were in both drill and cheer, some quit cheer. Now those on just drill are sheep without a shepherd. Anarchy.

But at least that's a month away.

Tonight's game was fantastic. It was a real barn-burner. We dominated the first quarter and held on to a 10 point lead through most of the second. Our the stands were overflowing, even though the game as almost 2 hours away.

Our student section stood the entire game and were a dream of a crowd for our two meek cheerleaders- who did a fantastic job most of the time and didn't let it ruffle their feathers at all when students initiated cheers on their own because the girls weren't. I was proud of them and they had a lot of fun.

One Senior girl, a dominant basketball player herself and younger sister of one of the best cheerleaders I've coached led a couple of cheers- including one where she pantomimes a roller coaster ride and the whole student section went on the ride with her. It was fantastic. I promised myself that if we won, I'd have her do it again tomorrow at a pep rally. Since we only had 2 girls left on squad, I thought about inviting everyone down who knew or thought they knew the fight-song dance to perform it at the rally.

These two quiet, shy cheerleaders are the the most loyal and dedicated. For all they lack, I think they'll be assets if they both want to return for football season next year too. With the other 3, that's 5. I know of at least two eighth graders who want to cheer as Freshmen. That's 7, the Spec. Ed. boy will make 8. 8 is enough, I'd love to get the zealous Freshman back, if she ever gets her grades up. That's 9. Then there's the Schizophrenic 8th grader and the pathological drama-queen Junior. That's 10.

If I could just get another 2-4 more to come out, I could actually have tryouts and keep the best 6 or 8. I guess I'll run the announcements and hand notices and hope for the best.

I was so caught up that it didn't matter to me that if we won, we'd play another game on Saturday- preventing me from going on a date with my wife for my birthday.

In the end, we lost 49-46. A storybook half court shot looked like it would make it in with only a second or two on the clock, but sometimes those miracles don't happen in real life the way they do in movies. Everyone was heartbroken. I was really rooting for a couple of our Senior guys who are great Art students. I knew that it had to be devastating for them.

It was a long, quiet bus ride back to school. We got in around 10 and I decided to write this while I let my van warm up. If I leave now, I can get home by or before 11. God willing I can get to sleep by Midnight. It's hard to wind down after such an adrenaline-pumping game, but 5:30AM comes mighty fast.

Thank God, as they say, that tomorrow's Friday.

Uncertain about the future

Got some news this morning about last night's Board meeting. I guess one of our 5th grade teachers is retiring and instead of hiring new, they want to move the 8th grade Civics teacher (who also does have a dozen other things) down to that position and have me teach 2 sections of 8th Grade Civics. It's not HS Psych, like I'd really like, but I'm game.

I appreciated that they told me in Feb. instead of August. It means dropping Web Design and MS Cheer, but I guess I don't mind that too much. It will be more work, but it's something I value and like and I like this year's crop of 7th graders too.

Although, I must admit that I'm really feeling insecure about HS Cheer. Not just that they'd take it from me because I appear to be ineffective, but that they'll scrap it altogether.

Our boys are doing really well in play offs this year. Tomorrow night are Regionals and if we win, they'll go on to sub-state, but our cheer squad have missed the last couple of games and I don't know whether we'll be there tomorrow night either.

We started out with 7 but it's really atrophied.

First, the two veterans (who are also on Drill) quit early in the season, saying that "it just wasn't as much fun as past years." The truth was that they were embarrassed to be on squad with the others. One seriously quiet Hispanic girl who had cheered before, but never seemed to come to practice; Two painfully shy, very quiet, and somewhat awkward/uncoordinated girls; one heavy-set, socially awkward, but incredibly positive if not overzealous Freshman girl; and our significant/profound Spec Ed boy.

Then one of the two quiet rookies quit. She said it was because she didn't have transportation to/from practice and games, but I found out from other students later that she had got her navel pierced and was afraid I'd order her to take it out.

I begged and pleaded with the 2 vets to come back, or for some of my other veterans who weren't cheering this season to come back- but to no avail.

Eventually one (also insanely quiet, shy, and moody) girl who had cheered in the past offered to cheer, but only for games when she didn't have to work. I took it!

I worked with what we had as much as I could. The all got much better over the course of the season. They bravely led pep-rallies. They all learned the fight-song dance, which is more than I can say for some of the more socially adept/accepted girls on this year's football squad. I even got them to get louder.

The Freshman zealot grew on the basketball players and much of the student body. She went from being the new kid who'd transferred in from somewhere else and seemed kind of weird, to being the one who always got them to stand up and yell, the one who always slapped their hands and told them "good job!" whether they won or lost. The only people who's nerves she was irritating, were her squadmates- who'd all rather blend into the background and who felt like she was being bossy, just because she actually took initiative and started cheers! 

I'm proud of all of them, but I really have to say that I'm really proud of her for her constant positive attitude, enthusiasm, intention and school spirit.

Ah, but then it really fell apart. The Hispanic girl, a Junior, transferred to another school. That zealous freshman started failing two classes, making her ineligible, and the Spec Ed boy's mom had back surgery so she couldn't transport him around to games anymore. We were down to two, quiet cheerleaders.

Our surly, curmudgeon of a mascot, a Junior boy who's on my yearbook staff, called this season the "Geek Squad." I sighed and asked him not to make things worse.

I was still proud of them, they were troopers. If you knew them, you'd know it was brave of them to cheer just the two of them.

Then we came to "mid-winter break," a Thursday and Friday off, giving us a 4 day weekend in February- playoff season. And what happens? One of the 2 remaining girls, the rookie Sophomore's family decides to stretch this into a vacation in Florida. So she's unavailable for the last girls game last Thursday or the boy's games last Friday and yesterday (Tuesday).

I'm in Des Moines in a meeting with a new Occupational Therapist for my daughter when I get an email from my principal asking why we haven't had any cheerleaders. I explained as concisely but honestly as I can.

In my experience, it seems like most administrators, having a background in competitive team athletics aren't very empathetic to the problems of cheer coaches. But I could just be paranoid. He didn't respond to my reply, though he did ask this morning, when he brought me the news about next year's changes, if I thought we'd have cheerleaders tomorrow night.

We'll see, the Florida family is supposed to get back some time today and that girl plans on coming to school tomorrow- of course the game will be LATE, it's more than 80 miles away.

I know a few 6th and 7th graders who will be upset about the demise of our MS Cheer program. One who'll be devastated in fact. I don't know what to think. No other schools in our area have MS programs and it will make some things easier for me.

I don't know if my board or administration would like to find someone to replace me because I just can't seem to hold a decent squad together- or if under the pressure to cut expenses because of state budget crunches and the national recession- they'd look for an excuse to discontinue HS cheerleading at our school too.

Guess I can't waste energy worrying about it nor take it too personally whatever happens. I'd miss that vocation, it's not just that it's become a part of my identity (which it shouldn't be) bit it's both such a meaningful venue for mentoring kids and an aspect of HS life that I think is important- though from all I've been managing to recruit lately, maybe it's not so valuable to the constituency to constitute maintaining it much longer anyway.Hmmm.

Anyway, I'm not spinning out of control in any kind of existential angst or anything, but I am trying to absorb what all this means. Mind you, I can't hardly listen to anymore news about teacher unions and labor unrest right now either.

I guess I have this blog to ruminate on. The compulsive communicator in me desperately wants to share this post with people. Maybe just to get some sympathy, maybe for moral support or to solicit some positive thoughts and prayers. But in my insecurity, I don't think it would be wise. My wife already worries that students or parents might be offended if they ever knew what I write here. I know better than to complain publicly about work, you hear about people getting in trouble for what they post on facebook and twitter all the time. Be that as it may, writing is therapeutic and if this blog never leads to publication, but is merely a diary- then at least it's helping me process my thoughts and work through what I'm dealing with.

Maybe it's time to retire. As fantastic of a ride as it's been, and as important as it is for some of these young women to gain the poise and confidence that Cheer offers and hopefully the mentoring I try to offer- a HS Cheer coach needs to inspire pride and loyalty, I seem to be lacking in this area.

CTC1988

CTC1988
Originally uploaded by T-Mal

Here we are in the Campus Center (student union). The girls recruited us dumb guys so that they could build stunts. The mascot costume is pretty fierce looking, but the chick inside was this really cute red head... anyway, this was the final Concordia Teacher's College cheer squad because in 1989 they changed the school's name to Concordia College, and in 1994 it became Concordia University.

Yes, I am aware that my hair looks like a helmet and that I look like a dork without a goatee.

doghouse

doghouse
Originally uploaded by T-Mal

These were the Concordia Teacher's College 1988-89 Bulldog's Cheerleaders. This is the Seward, Nebraska town band shell next to Godfather's Pizza at the end of the Homecoming parade. I still remember the chant-

This is the Doghouse
Big Blue and White!
This is the Doghouse
And we know how to FIGHT!

Sent out to a variety of Alumni from 2 schools

Years ago I used to ask former cheerleaders to pray for my current squads. I've kinda gotten lax on that commitment in the last couple of years- mostly just because of being so busy. But the longer you're in this job, the more heartbreak you see in kid's lives, so I'd like to invite you all to ask God's help for a few kids I've been cheering.

If you're from or still in the Dunlap area, please keep these prayer requests confidential. If you're not a person of faith, please don't be offended by this email, just delete it. If you are a believer but like me have been getting caught up with the business of everyday, maybe God will use this email to rekindle your own relationship with Him.

Okay, here goes, first the two biggies:

• Please pray for "BK," a 5th yr Senior who cheered for us during football season but has now transferred to another school. She's aged out of the foster care system and recently got locked out of the house where she was staying. Her love is basketball, but since she's 19, her hs eligibility has run out. She's a miracle baby- she was born premature with her organs on the outside. She wasn't supposed to survive, but did. She's been surviving ever since. Self-styled rapper on facebook/youtube- not bad for a white girl from Omaha, lot of hurt and anger though- as you could imagine.
• Please pray for "Kay," a Junior. She also cheered during football this year, but didn't come out for basketball season because she found out that she was pregnant.  Yesterday she had a miscarriage. She was 12 weeks along. As frightened as she had been when she found out she was pregnant in the first place, she's absolutely devastated about losing her baby.

But it would be wonderful if you'd consider praying for a couple of broader and less profound areas too-

• Please pray for my current basketball squad- Two veterans quit after the first week of games. As often happens when people quit, they didn't really give a reason. The remaining cheerleaders aren't very experienced, they aren't very confident, and they aren't very loud. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of them and they've come a loooong way in practice, but they're not the strongest we've ever had. No kidding, three of the girls are painfully shy (it's kind of surprising that they had the courage to come out for cheer). The one girl with the most moxie is a freshman who's a new student and something of a social outcast. Her skills are developing quickly and she has a lot of dedication and motivation, but not exactly as pretty as or as popular as a prom queen. Her family lives in an old funeral home in town and the consensus in town is that her whole family is... maybe a bubble-off-of-plumb, so to speak. Rounding out the squad is a severe/profound special ed boy. He's not able to speak much but just exudes joy and enthusiasm. They're all sweet kids and trying their hardest. I guess, please pray that they'd continue to improve, especially their coordination and that kids wouldn't make fun of them or deride them too much. Especially pray that they'd all gain courage, confidence, poise and skills by working together this season.
• Please pray that God would bring together a strong squad for next year. There are a few 8th graders who would be good- but they're pretty prone for drama. There are a few Juniors, but I don't know which ones will come out again and whether they'll want to work with next year's Freshmen as Seniors. And of course, there are the girls on this year''s basketball season- a Freshman, a Sophomore, and a couple of Juniors. The last couple of year's it's been hard to get girls to come out for football season, they'd all say that basketball season is more fun- but now this year almost no one wanted to come out for basketball either, and then 2 of them quit.
• And I guess please pray for my coaching. Last year I was feeling really inspired and reading lots of John Wooden. This week I'm pretty wore out. It's probably just this time of year- basketball season can be grueling with 3 games a week and late nights. I'm not ready to throw in the towel or to give up coaching or anything, but school's busy and with 3 girls of our own, home is busy yadda yadda yadda. Pray that I can remain focused and motivated because these kids deserve the best I can give them. They need a coach and not just a sponsor. Maybe I'm just tired, maybe I'm worried about BK and blue about Kay, to be frank, maybe I'm self-conscious about this season's squad- but for whatever reason I'm feeling pretty fried this week.

That's it. Thank you for your thoughts and your prayers prayers. One of the reasons you were included in this email is because I feel so privileged to have been able to teach or coach you. You are all amazing people who I'm really proud just to have known. It's been wonderful to watch God make you into such great adults.

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

Thanks,

Coach