A Journey of Triumph, Humility, and Growth

As 2024 closed, our team not only achieved remarkable goals but also celebrated some unexpected accomplishments. Right before the year ended, my current team won their 4th straight State Championship. For me, this victory marked my 6th consecutive title as a coach and my 8th overall.

The Road to State

Walking into the State competition, I was filled with uncertainty. Throughout the season, my team had been scoring exceptionally well, and the hard work we had put in was evident. However, the two competitions leading up to State presented us with significant surprises.

Two competitions before State, we faced an unexpected injury that forced us to rework our routine mere hours before taking the mat. We had to leave out several elements, but my team rose to the occasion and delivered an incredible performance despite the challenges.

The next competition, and our last one before State was even more tumultuous; we completely fell apart, making uncharacteristic mistakes. Although we still won, it was not the way we wanted to achieve victory. We knew our potential and had only four practices left to pull it together. As we approached the State competition, I was uncertain whether we would overcome our previous struggles or repeat them. Ultimately, I surrendered it all to the Lord and accepted whatever outcome awaited us. I truly believed that both I as a coach and my team had done everything possible to prepare for success.

The Power of Surrender

In our routine, we included a moment of surrender right before our first elite stunt—a symbol of our readiness for whatever might come next. True surrender means letting go of expectations; it’s not about hoping for a win but being prepared for any outcome.

Preliminary Round

When my team took the mat for preliminaries, they dazzled from the very first note of music. They radiated confidence—just as I had encouraged them to do. With each count passing and every skill executed to perfection, I felt a wave of calm wash over me. I was witnessing not just this year’s hard work but four years of perseverance and commitment paying off.

Our efforts were rewarded with a commanding 15.5-point lead going into finals—a return to the point spread we had maintained throughout most of the season.

Finals

As we entered finals, all of us longed for that exhilarating "hit zero" feeling one last time for the entire team and especially for our eight seniors who had dedicated four years to building a legacy. I could hardly imagine a better routine than what they had just performed in preliminaries, but they surpassed themselves in finals with another flawless performance—hitting zero again—and secured the State Championship by an impressive 17 points.

I celebrated with my team, exclaiming: “Way to go out, Seniors!” and “Welcome to State, Freshmen!” That night, while a trophy was certainly a wonderful achievement, it wasn’t the most important thing; they accomplished what they set out to do, which was to hit the best routine they could.

Facing Challenges

After celebrating with my team and while waiting for awards, I found myself facing some unexpected and unfair challenges directed at me personally. Despite trying to set those criticisms aside, it proved difficult.

However, when our team was announced as State Champions amidst the celebration, I received an unexpected honor: Cheer Coach of the Year voted on by the Colorado High School Coaches Association. Overwhelmed with emotion, I collapsed into the president’s arms in tears as she presented me with the award. To transition from such a high—watching my team deliver their best routine—to facing criticism and then receiving this recognition from my peers was incredibly overwhelming. There are so many deserving coaches out there; yet on that night, it reassured me of my journey.

Lessons Learned

Lessons learned are not just about skills and coaching, but if you look, you can find much deeper meaning to your experience as a coach and what you can pass to your team. Reflecting on this year’s journey has imparted invaluable lessons that I hope other coaches can apply.

Humility

My team and I had much to be proud of this season. Early on, I challenged them to explore humility deeply; I even created a devotional based on insights from Joel Muddemale's book A Hidden Peace. This journey revealed many areas needing humility—especially during those two challenging competitions leading up to State.

Surrender

True surrender involves letting go of expectations about outcomes. We surrendered our routine and trusted that whatever happened on the mat would be part of our story.

Forgiveness

While I faced opportunities for offense or retaliation against those who tried to discredit me, I reminded myself that I have chosen to forgive much larger offenses in my life. Instead of harboring resentment or allowing others’ choices to steal my joy, I chose forgiveness—not necessarily needing an apology from them. Rather than confronting them directly (which likely wouldn’t have made a difference), I opted for release and forgiveness as a means of personal freedom.

As I have learned from wins and from losses, success is not solely defined by winning championships; it encompasses personal growth, resilience in adversity, and unity as a team.

Each challenge we faced ultimately strengthened us and deepened our commitment to one another and our shared goals. The lessons learned will carry with the team and with me through the rest of our lives.