Coach Name: Ebony DuBose
School: Westside High School
City and State: Jacksonville, FL
Mascot: Wolverines
School Colors: Red and grey
Team that you coach (Varsity, JV, Competition): Varsity and JV
How Long have you been coaching: Approx 10 years-3 at Westside
Your Cheer Background: I cheered in high school and college (a lifetime ago) in Ct.
Your Top 5 Coaching Tips 1. Respect is non-negotiable 2. Hard work will win over talent 3. Be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things 4. If the cheerleaders speak badly about their team, no one will respect the work they put in. 5. You only have this moment once, you won’t get it back. Give all you have and enjoy the process.
Your best conflict resolution: Maintain open, approachable and honest with your team. As long as they trust you, anything is possible.
Best Leadership Tip: Respect and trust. If you have both of these, the team will give you their best. What is your biggest challenge and how do you deal with it: The cliques and attitudes. I mix the stunt groups up, change formations for dances and pyramids and cheer line up, a lot. By doing that, they have less time to clique and work as a team.
How do you motivate your team(s)? Hard work motivates them. When they accomplish something they thought they couldn’t, it’s like Christmas!
Top 2 MUST DO’s at practice: 1. Positive words and actions 2. Team Bonding What advice would you have for a new Cheer Coach? Do not cross the line and become a friend. Maintain the coach-athlete relationship.
Favorite thing to teach or work on during practice: Stunts
