Caitlyn Raybine, a Luvabulls coach and teacher at South High, described this year’s season as exciting.
“JV being able to do competition for the first time is something I’m extremely excited for,” she said.
Raybine coached cheer for one year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. Although she described it as a fun experience, she decided to coach the Luvabulls for one main reason.
“I love the energy, dedication and school spirit our dancers bring to the team,” she said.
Raybine said she has been in the dance industry for years. After being a competitive cheerleader for 13 years, she learned many valuable lessons that she now shares with her students.
“As a coach and dancer, I’ve learned to be more understanding and that not every practice will be perfect. We’ll have good days as well as bad days, and that’s completely okay,” she said.
When Raybine encounters a conflict between dancers, she said she’s learned how to resolve the situation without letting it affect the team. She believes it’s important to set aside tension for the sake of the group.
“I usually handle problems like that by sitting them down and having a serious conversation. And if absolutely necessary, I’ll get the captains involved,” she said.
Raybine has been a Luvabulls coach for five years. Her favorite memories always come from camp season. Although it can be a stressful and challenging time, she loves seeing the growth that happens—and most of all, how everyone starts to get to know each other.
“I love seeing how they all slowly get comfortable with each other, and overall it’s just a great team bonding experience,” she said.
