High School Your Worst Year Ever (that’s Not This One).

[Sterling von Shimmer]

As an athlete or coach: what was your worst year?

Mine was my freshman year on JV and it was due to bullying. I’ve mentioned before how my HS cheer program was initially run like a sorority by the director. No strategy, no nothing... just a reason for the director’s friend’s daughters to wear skirts in front of boys. And then me, the one rando who was begrudgingly put on the team because my tuck wouldn’t allow me to be cut without the director looking stupid.

So the cliquey attitude embraced by the director trickled down to my teammates who decided that they were going to completely ignore me. And I was so riddled with insecurity that I’d assumed I’d done something wrong, but I was so quiet and afraid of offending them that I literally didn’t do anything so I could not think of what that was. It really messed with me until I learned halfway through the year that they were as terrible to each other as they were to me, despite pretending to be BFF’s. That’s when I realized they were just terrible people who were incapable of being a team. Like they literally couldn’t put a half up for lack of communication and trust. As a result, the director was fired, the new director cut my awful teammates who couldn’t even get through a tryout without bullying, and we went from a program that made up technique OTF to winning Nationals in a few years.

They were some of my best cheer years, but I do not miss those girls turning their backs and loudly whispering when I walked into practice afternoon. It’s only a palatable memory now because things turned out great, but eeesh... girls can be terrible.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Worst coaching: The year I used every alternate I had because of a pretty bad flu, and kids kept getting sick. I had to pull athletes from JV for a homecoming performance during the week and for a comp that weekend (they had to learn the routine same week.)

Worst athlete year: The broken foot/boot year in 6th grade.

 

[Fiercecheer12]

Athlete: getting bullied by girls on my team, as well as a torn knee.
Coaching: getting bullied by other coaches( yes you read that right) , and coaching kids that were SO disrespectful.

 

[cheerbowgirl101]

Well this year was quite terrible for me, even way before COVID(which really ended up being a dirt cherry on top of a mud cake), so this year. But if I had to choose- my freshman year on JV. The coach was borderline emotionally abusive to a few girls on the team, and boy did she hate me. I was that kid who everyone thought was on varsity, but got stuck on JV for a second year(because of said coach). So I resented the team(and somehow I cared and tried more than the rest, because it was a terrible program), and she resented me. So weird.

 

[KPep]

Athlete: Probably my last one in university. Coaches were barely older than us and they were hanging out with us. They quickly chose their favorites, and I wasn't one of them. My motivation went down really quickly. I was a dream come true to be a part of team at first, but not at the end. Funny thing is that one of them is the owner of a gym now and, given my current position, he is much more respectful now. Maybe maturity has something to do with it too.

Coach: One year, a former athlete (teenager, she was about 15) threatened to destroy my reputation at work because she was asked nicely to leave the gym (!!!). My former kiddos would always be welcome to practice, as long as they were spectators and not wanna-be coaches or distractions. She knew and agreed. But quickly, she got on the mat and started chatting with the girls and coaching them. I sent her an email to explain that she was not welcome anymore and she got very upset. I had trouble with her in the past (lying to her mom and the mom would come to me and yell at me more than once) but this was the cherry on top. Her mom working at the same school board as me, I had to take the threat seriously, considering past events.

Her high school was contacted and her team kicked her out. They would absolutely not allow such behavior towards a coach and a teacher, even if I was working somewhere else. I have to say I was nervous for a while after this. I was at the beginning of my teaching career and did not want a bad name. Some athletes felt like I was too harsh by asking her not to come for the rest of the season, but it died down. Honestly, I had better things to do than to deal with former athletes.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Athlete: Never had a bad one
Coach: The year before I discovered proactive coaching, llc