We have another coach to chat up. It’s Coach Alayna Robbins, who is new to Capital Cheer this year.  Besides what you can read on her bio page, you can get to know her better with answers to the questions with which we have probed all of our coaches.

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Coach Alayna, I’m going to ask you to talk about your favorite things for a few questions to start off our conversation.  What is the best thing about coaching?

Watching athletes grow, not just in their skills, but in their confidence, teamwork and leadership. As a coach, it’s about seeing my athletes progress as athletes and in life, from when they first join the program, to when they graduate.

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What is the best part of the season for you and why?

Competition days! All the hours of hard work come together, and I love seeing the athletes confidently execute their routine on stage. Especially when they hit their routine and run off stage in excitement.

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How have you evolved as a coach over your career?

I’ve grown more confident in my abilities in coaching. Thanks to my mentors over the last 5 years who have shared with me and who have done this a lot longer than I have. I love learning from coaches with more experience and seeing where I can apply things to my own coaching.

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With that in mind, do you have a role model? Who is it and why?

My role models are all the coaches who coached me, and also those who I now get to coach alongside. It’s a cool feeling to be so invested in the sport as an athlete for many years, and to then progress to a coach and learn from those who coached you.

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On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least competitive and 10 being the most competitive, where would you rate yourself?

I would say I’m an 8. Obviously, I want our teams to succeed, but I also value growth, teamwork, and team cohesion as much as winning.

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What do you think the recipe is for success for a team? For a program?

For a team, the recipe includes trust, communication, consistency, and holding each other accountable to our individual and team goals throughout the season.

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For a program, I would say success comes from a strong culture, supportive community, and a structured, yet collaborative vision that everyone believes in.

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What’s one thing you wish parents knew about you?  About coaching?  About cheer?

As a military brat who moved every 2-3 years, cheer was always something that I was truly devoted to. It gave me a sense of community regardless of me being the “new kid”. I’ve always loved this sport, and I reminisce on spending 5-6 days a week at my all-star gym when we moved back to this area my sophomore year of high school. I want to inspire that same passion and love of cheer within the athletes that I coach.

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Why do you think someone/a business should support this program? 

Aside from a strong sense of connection, Capital helps develop athletes into strong future leaders, creating a lasting impact that they will carry into college, careers, and society well into the future.