Cheerleaders respond to cheer coach resignation

By Emily Kim,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Earlier this month, on Feb. 8, Danielle Eckert made a surprisingly sudden decision to resign from her position as the Davis High cheerleading coach. Some cheerleaders were troubled with Eckert’s abrupt choice.

“She told us she couldn’t handle the parents constantly critiquing everything she did and she became too stressed out,” junior Addie Neel said.

Senior Summer Yeo, who had Eckert as her coach since she was a freshman, said she feels a sense of personal loss.

“I was really upset when I found out she wasn’t going to be coaching us anymore. Not only was she my coach, but a really important person in my life that I really looked up to and admired. She was a tremendous coach and went above and beyond for us,” Yeo said

Eckert’s sudden resignation left the cheer squad with no coach, and now the cheer squad is not able to perform any tricks and tumbles. The cheer team cannot prepare for the upcoming national cheer competition at the end of March.

Junior Brittany Aldredge finds Eckert leaving an inconvenience for the whole team.

“It’s so inconvenient for Danielle to leave because we have nationals in March and she just left out of nowhere. She got everyone really excited and just left. I think it was just kind of selfish of her,” Aldredge said.

Sophomore Alyssa Vitangcol said she thinks the problems Eckert was experiencing should not have been so extreme as to force Eckert to leave. However, Vitangcol also said she believes Eckert’s resignation has brought her team together.

“It’s really sad, and honestly she shouldn’t have had to leave especially based on the circumstances. But in the end, we’re going to come out stronger,” Vitangcol said.