Q&A with La Cueva HS head cheer coach Daniele Knee
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Q&A with La Cueva HS head cheer coach Daniele Knee.
What is your position with the team?
Daniele Knee: I am the Head Varsity Cheer Coach at La Cueva HS. While I may be the head coach, our program would not be as successful as it is without my assistant, Ashley Lober. It is actually hard for me to call her my assistant when we really coach and run this program side-by-side.
How long have you and Ashley been with the team? How long have you been coaching?
Knee: I have been with this team for seven years and have been coaching cheer for a total of nine years. Ashley has been coaching by my side for six of those seven years at La Cueva.
What are your personal backgrounds in cheerleading and/or related sports?
Knee: My personal background in cheerleading, outside of coaching, is not very extensive. I cheered as a young girl for a few years, and in high school I danced. When I was teaching at Valley High School, the cheer coach quit mid-season and I stepped in just to get them through the remainder of the season. I ended up falling in love with the sport and the kids and have been coaching ever since. However, Ashley has a cheerleading background worth noting. She cheered at Albuquerque High and went on to cheer at Oklahoma State where she was a two-time national champion. She also went on to cheer with Team USA and was a three-time world champion. I truly believe my years of coaching and Ashley鈥檚 years of personal cheer experience are what make us such a notable and successful program.
What were the results of the last State Championship in March?
Knee: We placed 2nd.
What are one or two things that the team members do in training that are keys to their success?
Knee: Repetition, repetition, repetition. Our kids hear 鈥渄o it again鈥� over and over. There is also no such thing as one more time. One more time usually means at least three more times.
If you could choose a word or phrase to describe the 鈥減ersonality鈥� of the team, what would it be?
Knee: I would say the phrase that best describes our program is, we are entitled to nothing, but will earn everything. We will earn our trophies by working hard, and we will earn the respect of others by being humble, kind, doing what is right, and always going the extra mile regardless of if it is recognized or not. At the end of the day, when and if the scores do not fall in our favor, we remember it鈥檚 just cheerleading and we are thankful to have had the opportunity.
How is cheerleading different from other sports? How is it similar?
Knee: Cheerleading is similar to other sports in the sense that we are practicing to perfect a routine and place as high as possible in every competition. It may seem like cheerleading is an image and all about standing on the sideline, cheering and promoting school spirit, but my team is full of talented athletes just like every other team. They practice daily and work on technique and gaining new skills. However, most teams get at least one full hour maybe more, to make up points when they are behind or re-run plays to accomplish a win. In cheerleading, you get one opportunity that is two minutes and 30 seconds long to be perfect and make no mistakes. You do not get to go back and try again to gain additional points to secure a win. What you put out on that mat is what you get judged/scored on; there are no second chances. The other difference is, while cheerleading is technically classified as a winter sport, we are in fact a year-round sport. We compete for State in March and have tryouts in April for the following school year. Not only do we have our own competition season where we compete in 4-5 competitions, but we also support other sporting events. So, while most sports have practice and games, we have practice, games, and our own competitions. We cheer at football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and state baseball games, and even at one of our band鈥檚 biggest competitions. We also try to provide goodies such as ice cream, Gatorade, snacks, candy, and do other supportive gestures for programs throughout their seasons. So, while we are working to perfect our craft, we are also building school spirit and community.
Will you please describe the team鈥檚 favorite competition?
Knee: As a program, I would say our favorite competition is Metro. We have won this competition more than any others. This is the first competition of the season where we get to compete against all APS and Rio Rancho Schools.
How is the team given encouragement after a disappointing loss?
Knee: The way Ashely and I encourage our team after a loss is by focusing on what we did well. We cannot go back and change the outcome, but as long as our team is proud of what they put out on the mat, that is all that matters. As a team we also do not dwell on a loss. We use it to come back better and stronger.
Can you please describe your proudest coaching moment?
Knee: My proudest coaching moments come from what happens off of the mat. My kids are often judged and stereotyped for being cheerleaders, so when they give their pom-poms to the little girl that has been waving to them the entire football game, or when I get compliments about how well my cheerleaders are doing in the classroom, those are my proudest moments as a coach.
What is the biggest life lesson you鈥檝e learned from being a coach?
Knee: The biggest lesson I have learned as a coach is to invest in your community. Get to know your players, their families, administration, and fellow coaches. In my time coaching at La Cueva, we have invested a lot into supporting our school community and it has paid off. The support given to our program this past season from other sports programs, the school community, and the administration has been such an amazing sight. I am so thankful for their support and this amazing community of coaches and athletes.
What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?
Knee: As a cheer coach, I hope to leave my team and the program with the reputation that cheerleaders are more than girls in skirts cheering on the sidelines. We are student-athletes, we work hard, we earn our trophies, we support our community, and are seen as positive ambassadors for our school and our program.
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