Coaching Philosophy Paper

Coaching Philosophy Paper

PEH 477

Sarah Gerber 2/21/2013

For the past 12 years, I have had the privilege to cheer on many elite cheerleading squads, making it to The Cheerleading Worlds competition and being a member of a highly-ranked collegiate cheerleading squad at North Carolina State University. Now that my time as a cheerleader is coming to an end due to age and injuries, I hope to be able to coach cheerleading and tumbling to middle school and high school aged kids. As I consider cheerleading to be a serious sport which requires personal commitment and dedication, my preference is to focus on developing my coaching skills in an all-star or high school setting. All-Star cheerleading programs are focused on producing highly skilled athletes and preparing them for the highest levels of competition as well as collegiate cheerleading programs. As a coach I will strive to set the expectation levels around the key characteristics of being humble and trusting, while at the same time being passionate and driven for success.

Thus far, I have been able to volunteer at two different all-star programs as I have begun to develop my coaching skills and style. I believe that cheerleading, or any sport for that matter, has the potential to help teach children many life lessons such as time-management and perseverance, as well as important character traits including teamwork and humility. For example, it is just as important for children to learn how to be both gracious winners and good losers depending upon the situation. I believe that developing a solid coaching philosophy which embodies these traits is a critical component to my future effectiveness as a coach, as well as having first-hand experience and knowledge of the skills performed in cheerleading. It is also very important to keep up with my current First Aid, CPR, and AED certifications so that I can help insure the safety and well-being of the squads. To be a coach means I will need to inspire and be a role model for those with whom I come in contact. Based on my experiences thus far, including feedback from the all-star program owners, I feel positive about how my communication and coaching styles are progressing. I am careful to repeat the tactics which I valued and benefitted from while watching and interacting with other coaches throughout my cheerleading career, especially the of ringing the bell where everyone in the whole gym stopped what they were doing and

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ran to watch the person who rang the bell show-off their new skill to cheering and clapping. And I am equally as careful so as not to repeat those which I believe are detrimental to someone's self-image and confidence, such as the yelling and negativity my middle school cheerleading coach displayed. Coaching at the all-star level will assuredly put me in a position to help refine my motivational skills by working with those of high school age to achieve their dreams of attending college and perhaps even being a collegiate athlete.

I believe that the involvement in sports as a young person is very important because this is how individuals learn what they are made of and what makes them most fulfilled, which can in turn help them identify the type of person they aspire to become and what they want to accomplish during their lifetime. Through the involvement in sports, athletes will mature physically, psychologically, and socially. Martens quoted: "You can't help others know who they are unless you know who you are." As a coach, teaching life lessons and using your own personal experiences and values to help form the values of younger people can help them become the best individuals possible. For example, as in a game or competition, young people learn that winning or achieving anything is accomplished through hard work and dedication. Athletics also teaches how to well-manage your time and how to balance having multiple responsibilities. In college, my coaches have expressed to me the importance of being a student before being an athlete. This lesson has been the reason why I have been so successful in my academics and have been able to balance both cheerleading and school. Athletes also learn how to work in a team and overcome obstacles such as conflicting personalities or views with another teammate. Having the ability to work well with others in all situations is a skill that an individual will use for the rest of their life. Coaches, and athletes, must be welcoming and accepting to all athletes regardless of their sex, gender, or race. For example, cheerleading has a high number of boys who are interested in same sex relationships. Although contemporary views may not accept "gay" people into sports, I strongly believe

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it is crucial for coaches to be welcoming and non-judgmental of all athletes they develop regardless of their personal diversities.

Sports have significantly affected my community and my family in many ways. Some of these ways include: allowing us to come together for events such as high school or college football and basketball games, giving those who might not make the team the first year in middle school something to work for, and helping us stay fit and healthy. For many years my family and friends have enjoyed supporting our local high schools and NC State University through attending the athletic events. To this day, my family has literally never missed an event that I have cheered at. In some amazing way, my family finds a way to make every single NC State cheerleading competition, football game, basketball game, as well as all of my sister's High School basketball and soccer games. These events reinforce family togetherness by showing our encouragement, advocacy and pride for one another. For me, having my friends and family at all of my events gives me motivation and confidence because I know they are all there to support me and believe in my skills and abilities. This involvement in athletics has kept everyone in my family very healthy and fit. My family enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities such as taking family walks, going on ski trips and tubing or wakeboarding on Lake Gaston. Spending this wonderful time with my family has been one of my favorite parts about growing up and I will encourage the parents of my future athletes to do the same with their families. And for those who many not be as lucky as I have been, I will commit myself to making every participant feeling as if they are a part of a family if I am the coach of their squad.

I consider myself to have a cooperative coaching style. As a coach, I give my athletes the mentoring and coaching they need to be a successful athlete, but it is up to them to put the amount of effort needed to be successful. But while it is important to let cheerleaders to choose their level of effort, I also have to think about what is best for the team. I will always give my teams routines that

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have to potential to win competitions and teach them the skills so they can perform each routine perfectly, but ultimately it will be up to the athletes how well they choose to execute the skills. This is where a strong coach comes into play, with only 2 minutes and 30 seconds to perform a routine and often hundredths of a point differentiating the first and second place teams; it is the spirit of the team and belief in each other that often determines the results. I also understand that I will need to become more accepting of the fact that not all participants are involved in the sport to be competitive or to cheer at higher levels. One of my weaknesses as a coach is balancing these different levels of motivation between each athlete. While I want everyone to work hard and become the best cheerleader they can be, I need to take a step back and realize that some athletes are just cheering for fun. One of my strengths that will impact my success as a coach is my knowledge of all of the aspects of cheerleading and that I know what it takes to be successful within the sport. I developed this coaching style while cheering in a competitive All-Star program in high school. I was very lucky to have such passionate and knowledgeable coaches in this program and was able to learn a lot from them. One specific coach, Eddie Sealey, really stood out to me and has made me into the athlete I am today. He was the coach that everyone loved and respected because of his enthusiasm and amazing chorography skills. He was able to choreograph routines for our team that led us to The Cheerleading Worlds for three years in a row. He understood every aspect of cheerleading and took the time to connect with every athlete, teaching them how to tumble and stunt in a way that made sense to everyone. This was amazing to me because he was able to teach us very difficult skills yet made them seem simple. I strongly believe that a good coach is one who excels at skills within the particular sport and is able to teach his athletes in the best way for them to master the skills. I also learned from Eddie how important it is to earn respect from every athlete because this raises the degree of trust and respect for the coach.

Within the league of All-Star cheerleading, winning is taken very seriously. Teams train for several months to perfect a routine that will beat other teams from around the country. The amount of

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