DAD IN A CHEER BOW

A father recounts how he became his daughter’s cheerleading coach in this memoir.

Until his 8-year-old daughter, Anna, became interested in cheerleading, Riccards admits to having “zero experience” in the sport. Anna had struggled to maintain interest in the previous sports she pursued—horseback riding, taekwondo, and soccer—and at first the author and his wife, Jennifer, dismissed the cheerleading idea as a passing fancy. But as Anna began to take the sport seriously and moved up from the “younger, less intense, Mighty Mite squad” to the Junior Pee Wee squad, Riccards also became increasingly involved in team activities. When a family wedding took Jennifer away for the weekend, he became the designated “cheer mom.” It was “no big thing” for him to attend a “curling party,” where the girls had their hair styled in preparation for a competition, despite being the only man among the mothers and daughters. When Anna decided that she was done with her team, the Wildcats, her one condition for returning was that her dad become an assistant coach. Riccards describes a rewarding process that began with the mandatory Youth Cheer and Dance Association coach training and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concussion training. He also discusses his awkwardness as a man regarding the issues of physical contact with the girls. The book recalls how the author overcame his insecurities to become a competent, supportive coach—“a cheerleader for the cheerleaders.” He recounts the rewards of watching the team improve and grow, helping the Wildcats take first place at the Central Jersey competition, win second place at the Globals, and secure eighth at the Nationals.

Riccards’ memoir is written in a fluid, openly conversational style that makes for an easy read: “We assumed that with the end of the year, she would have had enough of cheerleading, and it would be time to move on to something new. Boy, were we wrong!” The account bursts with enthusiasm and will make readers beam with admiration: “There I was, in a sea of cheer moms, wearing my Wildcats Cheer t-shirt, a pair of tiger ears, and a fluffy orange tutu. Cheering on our squad.” Nevertheless, the author is unafraid to address issues regarding gender stereotyping: “It is often (not always!) easier for men to accept a woman knowledgeable about football than for men or women to accept another man spending their time doing choreography or such with female athletes.” He asks readers to reassess how they perceive the roles of men and women in sports coaching roles. Riccards is also aware of key social developments, commenting how the #MeToo movement emphasized the importance of never being alone with a young athlete to protect both parties and build trust. The author repeats himself on occasion, as when emphasizing that he looked more like “a dad who plays football.” This does not detract from a forward-thinking memoir that encourages fathers to support their daughters even in areas where they may feel out of place. Riccards writes: “I wear the label ‘boy cheer coach’ with immense pride.” Perhaps more men will do so in the future.

Courageously upbeat writing in a frank, inspirational sports account that supports change.