This month there wasn’t much cheer news, which is normal since the season has started, but it’s too early for most teams to compete. There have been some school competitions and on the allstar side it’s early enough that one of the major judge conventions is just now wrapping up.
Athlete Friends – Listen to how your coach talks about the team. Is the team referred to as “we” or “they”. Either is fine so don’t judge them yet, but take note of if you hear “we had a great practice” or “they had a great practice”. If you always hear “we” or always hear “they” I don’t see a reason to think anything about it. Some coaches include themself as part of the team and say “we” while others use “they” since they aren’t in the routine. The problem I see is when it switches, specifically when it is “we” when it is good and “they” when it is not. If you hear “we had a great performance” and “they dropped 3 stunts and didn’t complete the pyramid” be weary because that coach is indirectly saying they are a part of the good team and have little to do with the bad team. I don’t see how this can be a good thing.
My thoughts on a coach using “we” with the bad and “they” for the good are not clear because I haven’t heard many coaches do that. My first thought is it is a positive sign, but something about it doesn’t resonate with me.
Coach Friends – Are you part of the team or not? Either way can be fine and I hope your speech properly reflects how you feel.
Andre J. Carter 