| A Look into the Journal of a Cheerleading Coach | |
| A Different Kind of Tryout |
All cheerleaders have to go through tryouts, and while most high school Cheerleaders where going through the many emotions of tryouts the spring of 2001, I was going through a different kind of try out.
I got the call on Tuesday, March 6th, asking me to please come in for an interview that Thursday. I am so nervous. Is my lack of coaching experience going to be a problem in their eyes? Is my lack of a college degree going to be a problem for them? What am I going to wear? None of my nice clothes fit me because I'm still not down to my pre-pregnancy size 10s. I haven't bought many clothes in the size I'm wearing now, I still have hopes of getting the weight off. I go through my whole closet trying on everything in it and deciding on nothing. In tears I call my Mom, "Mom, what am I going to wear to my interview, I'm too fat to fit into my nice clothes." The ever wise Mother replies, "Come over and try on something of mine." I go to her house with low expectations, she is my mother after all, what clothes can she have that I'll want to wear. I find a deep purple suit dress that comes down to my knees; this is going to do just fine, "Thanks Mom."
The day of the
interview.
I go to work in the morning and work drags on, I'm so nervous. Will I say the
right things? Will the Athletic Director look over the fact that I'm only a
few years older than the girls I'll be coaching? Am I wearing to much make up?
On the way to the interview I get lost two times and still manage to make it
on time.
Sitting in the athletic office I look around me trying to calm myself down. Out of the main office comes this cute little blond in a trendy business suit wearing a big smile, thanking the Athletic Director for his time, my confidence flies right out the window.
"Kaitlin, we're ready for you now." "We're", what is this? I've never interviewed with any one but just the AD before, who else is in that room? He introduces me to the Dean of students, the Superintendent, and the head of the school board; at least that's who I think he just said all of these men are. I am asked to sit at the head of the table while each man pulls out a packet of papers with questions and grading scales on them. I feel like I AM at a try out with the score sheets these men just pulled out. We go through a question/answer session for about 30 minutes.
I leave the school feeling very down. On my way home I call my husband to tell him how it went, "Scott, I bombed big time, it was so intimidating with all those men there, all of my self confidence left me when I walked in that room and all my well spokenness was no where to be found." I call my mom and tell her the same.
Watching TV that night the phone rings, it's the AD, "Kaitlin we'd like you to come in for a second interview, we've narrowed it down to you and one other person, can you come in next Wednesday?" Waiting just two days was hard enough, now I have to wait a whole week. Back to the question, what am I going to wear? I decide to go out and buy something new, a trending business suit with black pants, a black mid thigh length jacket, and a red collared shirt, the school's colors.
Look for the second installment of A Look into the Journal of a Cheerleading Coach, The Second Interview, coming soon...
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