Middle School Cheerleading Assistant Coach

About the role

Provides sports instruction and leadership to Cary Academy student‑athletes.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to all pre‑season, in‑season, and post‑season responsibilities and guidelines outlined in the Coaches Handbook.
• Treat every team and community member in a fair, respectful, and non‑prejudiced manner.
• Coach and instruct the team in proper fundamental skills with the goal of raising every athlete’s technical skill to a level capable of competing against opponents and advancing the athletic program.
• Ensure team members behave in an appropriate, responsible, and sportsmanlike manner at all times.
• Enforce all Cary Academy, NCISAA, TISAC, and CAMS conference rules regarding scholastic eligibility, practice start dates, and off‑season workouts.
• Arrange and/or attend sports meetings, parent meetings, and end‑of‑season receptions or banquets.
• Establish, publish, and enforce reasonable team rules that follow Cary Academy Athletic Department policies; provide rules in writing to the team and parents at a preseason meeting with athlete and parent signatures after Athletic Director approval.
• Submit team rosters to the Athletic Director and Athletic Administrative Assistant within seven days (five school days) of the first practice; no additions without prior Athletic Director approval.
• Inform the Athletic Director immediately if a player quits or is removed from a team (participation may fulfill PE requirements for grades 10‑12).
• Communicate with the Athletic Director on a regular basis.
• Record work hours in UltiPro each day.
• Arrange practice times with the Varsity Coach and Athletic Director.
• Issue, care for, maintain, and collect all equipment and uniforms; maintain an inventory.
• Set up and break down practice and game venues; ensure all equipment is stored securely.
• Ensure all practice and game venues are in safe playing condition and comply with NFHS rules.
• Report ALL injuries (student, employee, or guest) to the Athletic Trainer within 12 hours; injuries requiring more than basic first aid must be reported immediately with an incident report completed with the Athletic Trainer.
• Never leave a practice unsupervised; do not permit the team to begin practice before the coach’s arrival.
• Head Coaches ride/drive with the team to and from all contests; coaches are responsible for the team at all times.
• Select qualified student managers and instruct them in their responsibilities and expected conduct.
• Maintain positive communication with athletes and parents, including weekly practice/game schedules, game recaps, cancellations, and team bonding activities or celebrations.
• Communicate cancelled practices or venue changes to parents, players, Athletic Directors, Athletic Trainers, and Athletic Administrative Assistant no later than 2:00 p.m. on the day of the event; practices cancelled after 2:00 p.m. require coach supervision until all players are picked up.
• Select a “team parent” to assist with team needs (e.g., driving a bus, organizing email lists, game snacks/tailgate events, end‑of‑season gatherings, securing volunteers); a team parent may not act as a coach’s stand‑in.
• Supervise locker room activities and facilities; check for uniforms, running showers, or misbehaving athletes before leaving.
• Establish and adhere to a definite practice end time: JV and MS practices no longer than 90 minutes; Varsity no longer than 2 hours.
• Supervise players following all practices and games until their ride arrives; if a parent has not arrived within 15 minutes of the end time, the player may be handed off to security, and the coach and security should notify the parents of the student’s location; habitual lateness should be reported to the Athletic Director.
• Report game scores and recaps immediately following each athletic event.
• Attend any and all TISAC, CAMS, or NCISAA meetings expected of a coach.
• Complete post‑season procedures as outlined in the Coaches Handbook.
• Schedule a conference with the Athletic Director following the final contest to evaluate the program, evaluate the coach’s performance, submit final reports, return keys, and return outstanding equipment and supplies.

Requirements

• Expertise and skill in the assigned sport.
• Ability and willingness to be a collaborative and supportive member of the Cary Academy team.
• Regular, predictable, and reliable attendance.
• Previous experience coaching the assigned sport in a school or recreation environment.
• Directly related experience or a combination of directly related education and experience may be considered in place of the above requirements.

Schedule

In general, this position is scheduled Monday through Friday during the given athletic season. Certain work requirements, events, responsibilities, or unplanned academic calendar changes could result in a temporary modification of this schedule, including weekend work, as determined in coordination with the Athletic Director(s). The position works an average of 15–20 hours per week; exact hours are determined by the Athletic Director(s) and may vary weekly depending on sports or academic schedules.