Two weeks ago I knew nothing about cheerleading in the slightest, but after binge watching the new Netflix documentary “Cheer” all I can do is eat, sleep, and breathe cheerleading.
The docuseries is based in Corsicana, Texas and is centered around the outstanding cheerleading team of Navarro College, a team led by coach Monica Aldama. Before watching, I thought cheerleading required gymnastics ability, but was not terribly difficult, and let me just say, your girl was so wrong. Every cheerleader in this docuseries is an absolute beast, and to be a Navarro cheerleader you have to be at the top of your game.
The docuseries follows the team on their journey to the National Cheerleaders Association’s National Championships held in Daytona, Florida. After collegiate cheerleading there is no higher level, because the sport does not have a professional league. So for many, winning competition at Daytona is the ultimate goal, making it something everyone strives for.
Throughout the series we see Navarro cheerleaders literally sacrifice their bodies and lives for their routine, and sometimes serious injuries can occur (like when poor Mackenzie got dropped and landed on her elbow). All cheerleading teams take the competition at Dayton seriously – it’s kind of like Bring It On coming to life but without the all of the drama, and better cheerleading. Teams are in Daytona for days leading up to the competition, and during that time no one will go in the water because it is considered to bring bad luck to your squad. Seriously, no one will even dip a toe in the ocean. In fact, only the winning teams of each division of the competition get to go swimming, everyone else doesn’t get that luxury.
Overall, I will never look at cheerleading again because of how well this show captured the physical, and often mental toll the sport can take on a person. If you’re reading this and still haven’t seen “Cheer” I highly recommend heading over to Netflix to do so.