“She’s the reason,” coach Nathan Schmitt says as he holds up a picture of his 2-year-old daughter, Aria, in a silver frame with the words “Daddy’s Girl” across the bottom.
For 15 years, cheerleading has been a huge part of Schmitt’s life. He started off coaching in college, which lead to high school, coaching for all-star teams, and then coaching for high school again.
“I saw a need and I saw something- there’s not enough great cheerleading coaches. Considering that I was part of the team, I knew that I could do a good job at it,” said Schmitt.
However, rumors have been flying back and forth as to what exactly is going on with regard to varsity’s head coach, but the answer is simple.
He’s resigning.
Although Huntley will be getting a new head coach, Schmitt will still be here teaching Psychology and Sociology. It was not an easy choice, and just the thought of leaving cheer is a big change .
“It’s incredibly hard. It’s very bittersweet because it’s exciting to know that what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve built here is something amazing, and I’m very proud of that. But, cheerleading has also been a part of my life for 15 years- a huge part. You can’t just walk away from that and be like “Oh, it’s not going to affect me,” said Schmitt.
Work life, or personal life? You tell me which one is more important. People always hear stories of kids wishing their parents were around more often, and that’s something that Schmitt did not want to happen.
“I’m getting home late at night from a game, I left for school before my kid was awake, and I’m getting home after my daughter’s already asleep. I went an entire day and I never even saw her because I’m here so much. I can’t keep doing that,” said Schmitt. “I don’t want to be the parent that wasn’t there when she did any of her “firsts,” or wasn’t there when she starts fully talking and that kind of stuff.”
Whether it’s adjusting to a change in sports, jobs, school, or anything in life, there will always be that transition that everyone will go through.
And as for Huntley’s varsity cheerleaders, adjusting to a new coach is something they will have to do.
After many years of getting ready for tryouts, practicing hours on end for competition season, and helping athletes live to their full potential, there is a lot this coach has learned when it comes to being a mentor.
“You have to have passion, an incredible work ethic, and you have to be willing to really work towards something because it’s such a long season. Not just ours, but any season,” said Schmitt. “Perseverance is definitely a key requisite for any coach. You have to be able to handle the good times and the bad.”