"Five, six, seven eight". It was the day of tryouts. I walked into the wide, open gym thinking this would be the worst day of my life. I couldn't tell if the coaches were going to be mean snobby people or warming and friendly. I confronted the coach and assistant coach, informing them who I was and that I was ready to try out for the Delaware Military Academy Cheerleading Team. When I first met my head coach, Jen, and my assistant coach, Leeanne, I was afraid and nervous because I didn't really know them or any of the other girls in the gym except my sister and my friend Alexis. I heard they were tough coaches as they both teach at Tri State CheerNastics, a competitive cheerleading team in Delaware. Both coaches were nice and caring, but Jen stuck out the most. Jen had a calm personality. She was open and loving to all of us, the old girls and the new girls. Not only is Jen a great cheerleading coach, she was an inspiring person who I looked up to and had a positive effect on my life.


My first chance of really getting to know Jen was mostly at summer practices. It took a while for everyone to warm up and become comfortable around each other. Unlike other sports practices that are miserable, Jen made cheerleading practice fun. After a long eight hour school day, I was always excited to go to cheerleading practice. Continuously going over cheers multiple times to prepare for the upcoming games was never boring to me. Jen always taught us cheers in a way that we would remember them and have fun at the same time. I would have to say my team and I had the best bonding moment at Pine Forest Cheerleading Camp in the Poconos. There, my coaches, my team, and I all slept in the same cabin, at all our meals together, practiced together in the blazing August sun, and hung out with each other. It was right then and there when began to realize that Jen was a great coach and every time I was around her, I was always filled with laughter.


Jen had many sides to her ... In a good way. Not only was she the one who constantly cracked little jokes and made everyone laugh, but she is a mother of four, dealing with struggles in her own personal life. To this day, there is never a moment where Jen had let what happens outside of cheerleading affect her attitude towards us. She never took her anger out on us, and she never yelled at us unless we weren't focused and doing the cheers wrong. Jen is truly and inspiring and helpful person to me. I know that if I need help with something, I could always go to her for advice and/or guidance. Unlike other coaches, Jen never made us seem more than what we really were. She wouldn't stand there talking to us in a soothing voice, telling us we looked and sounded great. If we were messing up the cheers and goofing around too much to the point where we were showing no improvements, Jen would correct us right away, and she would put us in our place. This is what I like best about her; she is to the point and tells you how it is.


Although Coach Jen is only a few years older than me, is married, and has four children; she never hesitates letting her wild side out. I would have to say that Jen is one of us. As teenage girls, we are moody, dramatic, and stubborn, but Jen has patience. When we are doing what we are supposed to and on track and focused at practice, she gives us the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we will end practice a few minutes earlier due to our hard work. Other times we might end practice later because of our lack of sharpness and loudness. Throughout all of my many practices with Jen and my assistant coach Leeanne, there has never been a dull moment. Both of my coaches keep me focused and engaged. Although this was my first time ever cheerleading, Jen and Leeanne didn't look down on me. They always stayed positive and helped me improve my individual skills throughout the year.


I think Jen would be the perfect nominee for the Teen Ink 2013 Educator of the Year because she is a one of a kind person. She not only teaches cheerleading, but she also teaches great life lessons and encouraged me to try my very best at all times. I look up to Jen because of her many personality traits and how she treats people. She's not one to judge you by the way you look. She critiques you on what you bring to the table and helps you move forward with your life in a positive way. I would like to nominate Coach Jennifer Kryspin as Educator of the Year because not only is she a great cheerleading coach, but she is an inspiring person who I look up to; she had a positive effect on my life.