I get out of my car and head down to the practice area and hear “VICKY D” being screamed by a bunch of seven to thirteen-year olds as I get attacked with hugs.

I’m overwhelmed as I try to listen to three different stories at once while trying to tell the other two kids to get out of the parking lot. I hop into a few of the older kids’ Snapchats that they make me be in and get offered snacks by a younger girl. This is what happens every day during cheer season. It’s stressful, but rewarding to say the least. They make me feel like a rock star.

I’ve cheered since I was six years old. I was never good at sports and probably wasn’t that talented at cheer either, but something about it made me feel alive. I’m not sure if it was the enthusiasm, rush of stunting and tumbling, or fun and games, but it was my favorite thing to do. As I got older, I decided to coach cheer. I thought it would be a fun activity to put on my college application (I’m just being honest). However, it ended up meaning so much more to me.

Obviously the love and laughs the cheerleaders give me is enough to make any coach’s heart burst, but that’s not the reason I coach. I’ve watched these kids grow up through the past three and a half years. I’ve watched them go from spunky ten year olds to mature high schoolers. I’ve spent the last few years striving to be a positive role model for these kids. I treat them as real people and look at them as little sisters to me. I’ve taught them how to stunt, tumble, and dance, but that is not the reason I coach. I coach to make a difference in these kids’ lives and to give them someone that they can look up to.

In the program I coach for, you “junior coach” while you’re in high school and then you usually move on, go to college, and stop coaching. That is what I did for my freshman year of college, however this past year I felt like I was missing something. I decided to coach a younger squad with all new kids for the first half of the season until I went back to school. I loved every minute of coaching this year, however leaving the kids was so hard. It was even harder because these kids are too young to understand what college is. They thought I just stopped coming to practice and games and that broke my heart.

I have received many cards, Instagram posts, and texts from these kids to express how thankful they are for me. That means more to me than anything else in the world. It makes every practice, game, and competition I’ve gone to worth it. Coaching has had a huge impact on my life and it’s made me a better person. I now live everyday striving to be the best person I could be for their sake. I know they are looking up to me, so I can’t let them down.

To every kid I’ve ever coached, whether it was for a few practices or multiple seasons, you hold a special place in my heart. You’ve inspired me to be a better person and to make good decisions every day. As you grow older, I hope that I’ve helped lead you to a place where you feel safe and loved because you deserve nothing less. Continue to be who you are and don’t let anyone change you. Keep shining and always know that your favorite coach is rooting for you in whatever you decide to do.