Any opportunity for a mother and daughter to bond is a great one. Many mothers decide that becoming their daughter's cheerleading coach will enhance their relationship. One mother, Kadi Prescott is the coach of her daughters’ team. A California team, the girls, Ella, 4 and Marlie, 10, cheer for the Hesperia Trojans, a Junior All American Football team. Kadi coaches both the Jr. Micro (4-6 year olds for first and second years) and also the Micro's, who are 7-10 years old and have one or only two years of cheer experience. The coaching endeavor began when two of her sons signed up to play tackle football, so naturally the girls wanted to cheer for their brothers. Because there was a shortage of coaches, Kadi decided to lead the squads. Kadi's cheer experience comes with four years of high school experience as well as one in college cheer. “I've always been a dancer, but the whole concept of supporting a team by rallying the crowd in cheering was something that appealed to me,” Prescott said. “Cheerleading was a large part of my life and my squad got me through some very tough personal times during high school. I still talk to them and see most of them regularly. They were and still are like sisters to me.” Prescott says that coaching one's daughters can be a difficult task. “It is hard at times to make my daughters understand that when we are at practice I am their coach. They have to be treated as any other team member and they often try to protest that or challenge it,” she said. Kadi finds herself a bit harder on her daughters at practice, but admits she does not want to ruin their experience by being the naggy, pushy mom who lives vicariously through her daughters because she missed her days of glory. This is something she has seen with others in dance and cheer. Ultimately, Kadi believes that cheerleading instills a sense of pride and leadership in girls. “If coached right, it can increase self esteem. Cheer, like any team sport, teaches kids how to be sportsman-like and work as a team to achieve goals,” Prescott said. “All of these things will aid my daughters in applying for college and jobs and being a confident woman.” Photo courtesy of Kadi Prescott.