It's a good thing

My wife's concerned that this blog could come back to bite me. She's concerned that some of the people I've written about don't discover it and take offense. I thought I've gone to great lengths not to be TOO judgmental, not to use names, to be clear that what I write here are my opinions and reactions, and especially to not share it with anyone directly involved in my school or local area.

Be this all as it may, it does occur to me that if all you read are my consternation over adolescent melodrama or difficulties, you may come away thinking either than cheerleading is an ugly, difficult thing, or that I don't really like coaching it.

I have a friend who's a pastor. She used to be a high school teacher. She taught at my school along with her husband. Their children are just finishing college now. She coached the Dance/Drill Squad, so we were comrades-in-arms of sorts. We'd commiserate about our stresses and in many ways she was a mentor for me.

While we were both in the thick of it, it seemed like we were supporting and encouraging each other. Both of us tried not to complain about kids to outsiders. But once she'd left teaching for seminary and the ministry, when I'd share about the travails of coaching, she assumed that I must not want to coach anymore.

When I look back at this blog so far, I can imagine how readers might make the same mistake. I really do enjoy coaching and believe that its important work. Like any job, there are things that are stressful about it. I obviously needed a venue for releasing that steam. I will try to balance my complaining with more thanks-giving.

In that vein, I introduced Middle School cheerleaders to Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success last week and it went really well. That Power-Junior came and apologized to the junior high girls (although, more eye witness accounts have come in from people in the stands that corroborates her side of the story- not those of the eighth-grader). I was really proud of her.

The season is winding down. MS Football is over and HS FB has only 2 more games. Time to get in gear on recruiting and/or setting up a tryout date. But right now- GOTTA GET GRADES DONE! It's the last day of the quarter. October is an insanely busy time this year.