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I’ll admit I totally fangirled over today’s podcast guest. I’ve admired Kristen Rosario’s creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurship from afar for years. She is the co-founder of Top Gun Allstars, and one of the coaches of the Cheerleading Worlds Grand Champion team, TGLC. For those that are like, “What’s a TGLC?” TGLC stands for Top Gun Large Coed, and they are one of the best, most fun teams to watch. They’re one of the winningest teams in all of Allstar cheerleading, and they pack venues everywhere they perform. Athletes move from all over the country to compete with Top Gun teams.
I sat down with Kristen to talk about how she and her husband, Victor, built Top Gun into what it is today. She talks about the culture around their gym, her super cool relationship with her athletes, trusting the process, and gives advice on how to have a healthy relationship with your athlete’s coaches.
Check out TGLC’s routine!!!
TRUSTING THE PROCESS
What does “trust the process” even mean? It’s a question we’re asking a lot these days. Kristen says that sometimes it means being okay with your athlete staying at the same level when you feel they should have leveled up. It means looking at the bigger picture. Trusting the process means believing that the coaches – the professionals you’re paying – have your athlete’s and the team’s best interests in mind when placing them.
She says that sometimes coaches see athletes they’ve never met and have to evaluate and place them in as little as a weekend. Mistakes can be made, but give us time to figure it out. If it’s wrong, give us time to make it right.
But, just because Susie can throw her back tuck doesn’t mean that she’s ready emotionally to be on that senior-level team.
Sometimes “trust the process” means that we’re looking at more than just your child’s skill. Sometimes it means that we’re looking at what’s going to help your child grow and develop emotionally.
Good coaches will look at the full athlete.
It’s more than just tumbling, too. They’re looking at stunting capability. There can’t be a team with 23 flyers and 4 bases!
THE PARENT-COACH RELATIONSHIP
It’s easy to believe that many cheer coaches give a little “eye roll” when it comes to cheer parents, and that coaches would rather parents stay out of the way, but Kristen says that’s not true. They would much rather parents be involved, especially when it comes to the positive aspects of cheer and their athlete.
The key is for parents and coaches to have communication.Coaches need to be able to say,’ if the dream is this level, then she needs to learn how to base,’ and for the parent to hear that and help put a plan of action together.
Parents can be part of the process!
WHAT SHOULD PARENTS LOOK FOR IN A GOOD COACH?
According to Kristen? Honesty, compassion, and a healthy fear! We don’t want the athletes to be “scared” of their coaches, but to have that healthy respect for their coach, in that they don’t want to disappoint them.
Listen to the full podcast episode to hear Kristen talk about their 19 world championships, how Top Gun plans their routines, and who gets all the credit for their creativity!
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