You need a lot of energy to keep up with two groups of very different students in one day: kindergarteners and high school cheerleaders.
Kenny Larios is up to the task, teaching Spanish to early learners at Reuben Trejo Dual Language Academy by day and heading to Lewis and Clark High School to coach Tiger Coed Cheer after school.
“It’s two different worlds for me. You have those little ones that are excited, they're ready to learn. They want to be with their friends, you know, they’re chatty,” Maestro Larios explained as his Tiger cheerleaders warmed up for practice. “And then here, I think for me, it's just looking forward to the coaching and what are we going to accomplish as a team.”
He connects with both groups through music and dance, encouraging kinders to stretch and wave during a daily “brain break” and making teens laugh when he busts a move.
Larios recognizes how important it is for students to connect through shared interests. “My freshman year of high school, I was not involved in anything, I felt left out. I started doing wrestling, I started doing tennis, and I started feeling like a part of something,” he said.
“Being on the coaching side, I’d rather them have cheerleading than be out there doing nothing. Instead, they are enjoying the time with their peers, building memories.”
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