Pick the cheerleading squad

You wake up bright and early the next morning and after getting ready you give Mrs. Stevens office a call.

"Jane you're up early what can I do for you?"

“Well, I was just calling to tell you that I would like to coach the cheerleaders this year.”

“Really? That’s great, April will be so excited! She couldn’t stop talking about how much she hoped you would pick that job. I think she wanted someone she felt could relate to the girls on the squad.”

“I hope she or the girls will be willing to give me some pointers because I’ve never cheered myself.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” She says with a laugh. “If I know my daughter she’ll be all too happy to get involved with cheering again, and the girls are very willing to work so I’m sure that they can teach you a few things themselves. They start practice about an hour after final period. They’ll be at the field house, do you think you’ll be able to find it?”

“I’m getting pretty good at reading the map, so I’m sure I’ll manage. Thanks again for all the help Mrs. Stevens.”

Your first day of classes goes extremely well. Since it is just the first day and you're new you figure it can be a get to know each other session. After introducing yourself to each class and taking roll most of the girls seem very nice and eager to hear about what college life was like. You do get the occasional comment on how young you look and asked if you're sure you're old enough to be a teacher, but you laugh and take it in stride. It isn't anything you hadn't heard when you were doing your student teaching. A few girls ask about your office hours and if you will be available for tutoring. At the end of the day you head back to your apartment to change into some work out close for practice.

When you get there your friend April is sitting on your patio and has a gift laying on the table beside her.

She comes running up to you and gives you a huge hug. “I’m so happy you agreed to coach the cheer squad! I told some of the girls all about you already. They’re really excited to meet you.”

“I’m glad you’re so excited April. I hope you’ll be available to help me out with some of the routines I’ll be flying blind after all.”

“Don’t worry, just call me when you need help, and besides I’m sure the girls will show you all their routines and how they work. A few of them coach at camps for cheerleading in the summer so they can teach you.”

“And here I thought I was the teacher.”

“Well in class yeah, but as you pointed out you haven’t cheered before so they’ll show you the ropes in the beginning. You’ll mostly be in charge of scheduling things and making sure the squad gets to games and tournaments and stuff.”

“Well alright as long as I won’t get in any trouble.”

“No, not at all a lot of the coaches pretty much let their teams run practices and stuff. It’s part of the “Cleopatra culture” mom told you about. Usually the coaches only step in if the team is doing poorly or are out of control, like the swim team.”

“Ok, let me get changed, I’ve got to get to the field house for practice.”

“Oh, I was so excited I almost forgot the squad and I got you a present for your new coaching job.” She says handing you the present from the table.

“April! You shouldn’t have, you’ve already done so much for me.”

“It’s not just from me the cheerleaders helped pick it out. It’s my way of thanking you for coaching my old squad, I know that you were a little hesitant, and the cheerleaders wanted to get you a welcome gift. After you change I can come with and introduce you to some of the girls if you want.”

“That would be great thanks.”

You are very touched and open the package with a smile. Inside are: a navy wind breaker with “Cleopatra Cats Cheerleading coach” in dark grey on the back and a pair of pompons on the right breast, a whistle, and a pair of navy shorts with the word “CHEER” across the butt in grey and a pair of sweat pants in the same design.

You go in and change putting on a white t-shirt with the shorts, which you notice are a little tight and very short.

When you mention this to April she responds “That’s how all the girls on the squad wear them. I guess when I gave them your size they ordered them like they would wear them. Don’t worry they look great on you.”

“You don’t think it looks, I don’t know, unprofessional?”

“Hey if the volleyball coach can wear the same spandex shorts as the players at practice you can certainly wear those shorts to cheer practice, coaches in the past have worn ones just like them. Besides the squad will be happy you like their gift.”

Conceding these points you and April make your way over to the field house. On the way you decide that the jacket is long enough for modesties sake and if you take it off to help the girls with their routines than no one would think twice about them.

When you get there you see several girls are already there and are doing their stretches and other warm ups. April calls out to some of the girls and they walk over to meet the two of you.

“Girls this is my friend Jane Doe from college that I told you about. She has agreed to fill the coaches’ spot for us. Jane this is Amber, the squad captain” April says motioning to a petite girl with dark blond hair.

“Nice to meet you Miss Doe, April and my sister cheered together here. She told us a lot about you.” Amber shakes your hand and looks at you intently.

“Morgan is her assistant captain and an honor roll student.”

“Thanks for choosing our squad”, says a tall brunet with a lovely olive complexion, “it’s nice to have a coach close to our own age. Coach Mary was nice but a fifty five year old just couldn’t relate to us.”

“Mandy the squads unofficial make up and hair artist.”

“Oh I love your hair” the very tall blonde says in a bubbly voice, “I could totally do so much with your look.”

“And this is Becky, she helps plan the work out routines. She used to be on the gymnastics team.”

“Don’t worry” says the two toned blond with a bright smile, “Mandy’s harmless show her something shiny and you can escape her make over.”

“Hey! Just because I’m not a genius like Morgan doesn’t mean I’m some sort of air head”, he tall blond replies with a pout.

“I was only teasing.” Says Becky giving her friend a playful poke in the ribs causing the taller girl to giggle.

While all this is going on Aprils’ cell phone rings and she excuses her self saying she has to go but hopes that the girls will help you get acquainted with the rest of the squad.

“Don’t worry April”, responds Amber, “she’s in good hands.”

“Do you like your gifts?” asks Mandy, “We totally want to make you fell welcome and like part of the squad.”

“Yes they were very thoughtful, thank you.”

“All right lets introduce you to the rest of the squad and then we’ll show you some of our basic cheers.” Amber says.

After the introductions the girls go through several routines. Some are the standard fair you would expect from any high school squad but others are more complex than some college routines you’ve seen.

“Damn” you think to yourself, “I hope April or some of these girls can help me figure some of this out. I may be in over my head.”

Practice goes well and Amber points out some examples of what goes right or wrong with the routines to you and assures you that you don’t have to worry she and the others can handle this stuff, “You just need to check the schedules and enter us in tournaments and handle all the registration stuff.”

They offer to show you some of the basics and you accept trying a few hurkies, splits, and learn a few simple chants. Afterwards several of the girls tell you how nice it was that you were wiling to try some of the things they do. “A lot of times our old coach would say she was the coach and didn’t need to play at cheerleader, or that it wasn’t part of her job.”

When practice ends Amber asks if you have time to go over the upcoming schedule. Morgan want’s to know if she can discuss some of the tournaments that the squad wants to enter this year. Becky mentions that you had a hard time on some of the splits and offers to show you some stretches that could help with your flexibility, and Mandy wants to know if you have the time to discuss some uniform ideas she has.