Police Sergeant Working as Cheerleading Coach at a Florida High School Breaks Down Barriers One Step at a Time

The job of a cop isn’t easy. It’s one of the most taxing and demanding professions today. So, when a cop from the Palm Beach Schools Police Department decided to take on the role of a cheerleading coach as well, it turned a few heads.

It is Sgt. Philip Salm who is breaking the mold by putting in a shift as a cheerleading coach at Seminole Ridge Community High School. His journey to becoming ‘Coach Dad’, which he shared recently, is a very interesting one.

From policeman to cheerleading coach

For Salm, it all started when he was in college. He was a student who had a wrestling scholarship. However, successful as he was, his team dissolved, leaving him high and dry with no scholarship to fall back on. This led to Salm, a native of a simple farming community, coming up with a new plan.

With no option in sight, he turned to cheerleading. As luck would have it, he was selected and he fell in love with the sport. Soon enough, Salm began to defy the stereotypes, claiming cheerleading is a great way to showcase your strength and flexibility. Salm is absolutely right. The sport has established itself and gained respect over time.

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Now, Salm goes from teaching firearms at the police academy to teaching kids how to perform their stunts perfectly. “I can go from literally teaching firearms to walking in here and yelling at them for dropping a stunt. It’s so neat. I live a good life,” Salm says. Due to a mix of his composure and his unique situation, Salm has also been gifted the title of “Coach Dad,” a title he wears with immense pride.

Why Sgt. Philip Salm is known as ‘Coach Dad’

A heartwarming element to this story is that Philip Salm’s daughter Madelyn Salm is also part of his team. “The drive that he has, that’s the best because he really wants us to win,” Madelyn Salm said. “It’s funny. After 20 years, he’s still in this.”

It’s no wonder why Salm embraces the ‘Coach Dad’ title. With his own daughter in the team, he is very aware of the impact of his role. “I love ‘Coach Dad.’ It’s personal. My daughter being here and the boys will reach out to me for dad advice,” he said.

A Facebook video from 2020 shows how Salm and his police department care for the children of the community. They are definitely going in the right direction by making an effort to contribute to the lives of the next generation of US citizens.

Salm’s life goes against the stereotypes. He is impacting lives both as a coach and a policeman. His lessons of discipline, teamwork, life skills, and breaking down barriers will live on long after him. Here’s hoping he succeeds in taking Seminole Ridge High School to first place in the cheerleading competition. After all, they did come second last year.

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