I'm so very down today, for the last 20 years I coached cheerleading at the local high school but also owned my own cheer gym. Last year was so hard on me that I resigned my position, and today seeing my kids post who made what squads, made me realize hiw much I truly loved coaching and teaching the kids! My heart is breaking that I wont see them and be a part of the cheer family! It has been so much a part of my life, that I don't know how I will make it through next fall! But I guess I will suck it up and be thankful for the time I did spend with them,
Screw the 'suck it up' part!!! If you want to cry, well then CRY!!! If you have a problem w/the bawling part (tell significant other 1st) go take a hot shower, sit down so that the spray hits the top of your head & THEN you can BAWL!!! Scream if you can, pound the floor, LET that grief go!!! Get it OUT of your system!!!
& then try what the other ladies have suggested, you don't have to quit cold turkey, you can volunteer as an assistant coach or teach the teenie weenie ones. M
I understand how you feel. I've been pretty active most of my life. Even though I have had fibro most of my life since my late teens, which is when I knew I had pain. I've learned to work through the pain and well, since I have been not working, I miss doing some things I used to do. And I pray that I didn't retire yet. I'm going to try my first med beside flexeril, to help with pain so I can go back to work. I'm still looking for work but it is so hard. I volunteer at church and don't like to miss anything that is going on there. I will go even when I am in a lot of pain. I have another volunteer job and I work at the front desk. It is enough to keep me busy yet not enough to run me down. I don't want to say no to everything. I'm getting tired, Yea !!! You can help me learn a new cheer. I'm actually tired enough so I can sleep... Yea, Yea, Yea, I hope I sleep all night long, Yea, Yea, Yea, LOL, I'm not kidding. That is worth a cheer for me.
Is there some one who can drive you out to some of the games?
Audrey
Morning Jackie...Just sending love and gentle hugs to comfort you. I don't know if you're up to it but what about volunteering your time with the cheer squad. It wouldn't have to be physical, you could help choreograph new cheers, change up some old ones from when you were the coach...an assistant coach perhaps. I would think that just as an observer from the bleachers would give the team an extra set of eyes to catch places in the cheer that need to be 'tightened up". Just some ideas that you've probably already thought of but maybe, if you were up to it from time to to time, you could soothe your broken heart over all of this and maybe then it wouldn't feel so broken :(
Keeping you in my thoughts Jackie!
Always~Laurel aka Northwoods G-Ma
{{{Gentle Hugs}}}, I agree with the other ladies. Let yourself grieve the loss of something you love and then find a way where you can participate in cheering but not be in charge. Maybe this is a new chapter in your life and you could be a judge at some of the cheer competitions or help cheer teams clean up their routines.
I hope your day gets better.
Stacey
Sending you hugs and hoping other great opportunities come along for you that makes you want to cheer.
Singingtrees
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Luna01}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} I just love this! I laughed out loud reading your first sentence. I could almost hear my German Grandmother, in her stern, a bit irritated, and somewhat loud, but not yelling, voice saying this to me. Thank you!
Jackie - I had a very similiar problem while my kids were still in high school… Here’s how we made it work:
Change your title to “cheerleading advisor”… I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by colleges…
If you can do it, line up some college cheerleaders to do the physical things like stunting, spotting, tumbling. Use your squad veterans to teach your new girls the traditional sidelines, band dittys, fight song… And best of all, try to take them to a summer cheer camp like UCA or NCA (recruit a parent or two to help chaperone). Trust me, if you can manage to go, you’ll have a blast!
I’m actually sad that all my cheerleaders have gone off to college, I do miss it! I hope this helps some, I know sometimes just thinking about how much is involved makes me tired (at times being realistic about your energy level is so tough when there’s something you’ve enjoyed so much!!).
Hang in there!
Hmmmm, I am half German, imagine that!