Coaching For Such A Time As This

When people think of the word “cheerleader”, they often think of girls screaming, glittery bows, and short skirts. Cheerleading has evolved so much from what it once started out as, but it still gets bound by the stereotype people have in their heads of what a cheerleader is. Movies like Bring It On capitalize on the stereotype of a bunch of sassy, rude girls who join the cheer team in order to wear the uniform and date the high school football star. This stereotype is far from the truth. Over the past few years, cheer has really stepped into the spotlight as it officially became a sport. The documentary, Cheer, even came on Netflix to show what the sport is truly about (great show, highly recommend).

I started coaching cheer at my alma mater, Woodbridge High School, a couple years ago and was soon confronted with the challenge to coach a sport that most people do not take seriously. Sadly, it is pretty common for another student to walk by our practice, laugh, and yell, “Cheer isn’t a sport!” or “Cheer isn’t even hard!” Consequently, I often find myself embarrassed when people ask me what sport I coach and I instantly feel like they lose all respect in my coaching abilities. So, how do I fight the stigma that precedes modern cheerleading and encourage my team to continue to work hard despite other people’s opinions?

One of my favorite verses in scripture is in the book of Esther when Mordecai says to Esther, “Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for a time such as this.”

I constantly remind myself of this passage, especially when I am insecure about how to coach my team and how to affirm their hard work, even when other people do not acknowledge it. Just like God gave Esther her royal position for a purpose, He gave me this team, at this time, for a purpose. The longer that I coach, the more I realize that my job as a coach is to not only make my team better athletes, but also to impact their hearts by showing them the love, encouragement, and resiliency of Jesus. I cannot worry about the way people feel towards my sport, but rather focus on whether I am pleasing the Lord.

Galatians 1:10 states, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” 

I have come to terms with the fact that I can please God through the role he has given me, as a coach, by lifting my team up, encouraging them for their work, loving them fiercely, and being an example of how to keep trekking on the path God has set out us, despite what others have to say. If God is perfect, then His choices of where He has us are too.

So I encourage you to think about the role that you have been given, whether it’s as a coach, a team captain, or someone on the sideline, and ask yourself how can you encourage your team and be an example of Jesus. And always remember that “perhaps you have come to your royal position for a time such as this.”

Bailey Smith

My name is Bailey Smith and I am the JV cheer coach at Woodbridge High School in Irvine, CA. I grew up in Orange County, began college at the University of Oklahoma, and graduated from California State University, Fullerton with my degree in Human Services. I am now getting my M.A. in Education: Educational Counseling at Azusa Pacific University. In addition to cheer and counseling, I love the mountains, traveling, creating, and spending time with my people.