It’s funny having coaching and dance on the same day because it allows me to reflect on myself both as a leader and a participant. If I good day with the kids, I seem to have a good time at YDT, and if practice is tough so is rehearsal. I’m not sure exactly why this is… I just started coaching in late February and I’m still getting the hang of things. A few weeks ago I was teaching the kids choreo for the new routine and didn’t notice that one of them had fallen behind. She had made a comment about how she wasn’t getting it, but because of her comedic tone I assumed she was just joking and continued teaching. Before I knew it, she started crying about how I was teaching top fast and stormed out of practice. That evening at YDT I myself was having trouble with the choreography, and I think my experience earlier that day exacerbated my frustration at rehearsal. On top of feeling upset with myself for struggling to learn as quickly as everyone else, I was even more upset with myself for putting another person through the same thing earlier that day. Today practice went well and I’m feeling really great here at YDT. I guess since practice ends just an hour before YDT, chances are I’ll arrive at YDT in the same mood I was in when I left practice, but I think I’m also just becoming more sensitive to how it feels to work with someone that’s at a much different place in their dance education. I don’t see myself changing at every single YDT rehearsal, but over the course of the semester I have certainly improved. If I am as patient with the members of my cheer team as Matthew and Renee have been with us I think we will reap the benefits.