A cheerleading coach today must be more than just an expert in all areas of cheerleading: jumps, tumbling and stunting. She must also wear the hat of parent or counselor sometimes. Very often a coach must act as the police, monitoring what happens on the squad carefully. Someone who can do all these things is not easy to find, but she's needed for a fun, safe cheerleading experience for your squad.
Qualification
The single most important thing you should expect from your cheerleading coach is qualification. Your coach needs to posses the skills and experience for coaching cheerleading. Simply having experience as a cheerleader is not enough. Your coach should be certified by a cheerleading safety organization such as the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators. Beyond this, she needs to attend yearly rule-interpretation meetings to make sure safety knowledge and rule enforcement is kept current with standards.
Positive Critique
It is appropriate for you to expect your cheerleading coach to have a positive attitude. Coaches should encourage cheerleaders and help them believe they can achieve goals. It is not acceptable for your cheerleading coach to put you down. Inherent in the job of coaching is the need to tell cheerleaders when something is not being properly done. However, you should expect your coach to deliver criticism or correct in a positive manner without belittling you or demeaning you. She should be respectful of the squad and model good behavior to them.
Rule Enforcement
Expect your coach to be a strict enforcer of all cheerleading safety regulations. Coaches not only need to know the rules but also to be willing to make sure the rules are followed. While this may not seem very fun to you as a cheerleader, adherence to safety regulations can keep you safe and allow you to continue cheering.
Also expect your coach to institute squad rules such as those regarding promptness or practice attire. These rules will not only help you and the rest of your squad learn to respect your coach, they will create a more orderly environment for your cheer squad.
Conditioning
Expect your cheer coach to act like a drill sergeant sometimes. She needs to be responsible for the physical fitness of the squad. Devising new and interesting ways of training your squad is something your coach should put a priority on, because your safety in cheerleading is highly dependent on your physical ability to complete the skills. Expect your coach to push you to do conditioning for cardiovascular fitness, muscles strengthening, flexibility and balance training. Every cheer practice should contain at least one of these training elements.
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