Cheer on Netflix

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am from the same “club” gym most of the students featured are. I’m 25 so I have actually competed with or against quite a few. I think the documentary highlighted the injuries which makes it appear much more common than it really is (I’m not discounting injuries, just think they are highlighted disproportionately). Also, college cheerleading like this is done on a floor with no springs as opposed to “club” which is more similar to a floor in gymnastics. This level of cheerleading does come with risk, however, many of these people have been tumbling at a high level for 12+ years, so it’s finally all caught up with them.

So is the floor with what seemed to me to be a completely insufficiently cushioned mat rolled over a gym floor the norm in college cheerleading? I kept thinking the entire time that they need a real gym with a better and safer floor.

I have one episode to go and love the show. I'm completely taken by all the kids and by Monica, which surprised me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from the same “club” gym most of the students featured are. I’m 25 so I have actually competed with or against quite a few. I think the documentary highlighted the injuries which makes it appear much more common than it really is (I’m not discounting injuries, just think they are highlighted disproportionately). Also, college cheerleading like this is done on a floor with no springs as opposed to “club” which is more similar to a floor in gymnastics. This level of cheerleading does come with risk, however, many of these people have been tumbling at a high level for 12+ years, so it’s finally all caught up with them.

So is the floor with what seemed to me to be a completely insufficiently cushioned mat rolled over a gym floor the norm in college cheerleading? I kept thinking the entire time that they need a real gym with a better and safer floor.

I have one episode to go and love the show. I'm completely taken by all the kids and by Monica, which surprised me.

Yes - it is the norm. Many colleges don’t have access to a spring floor either. Renting mat time at a local gym can be pricey. And unlike this school, many colleges don’t give their cheer teams much money so there aren’t resources to spare to rent out space. Also, if you are requiring kids to practice off campus you have to ensure they can get there if they don’t have cars/ there is no public transit.

It’s important to note not all college teams compete. There are some schools that just do sidelines and then some schools that build strong competitive teams. Some schools have also adopted a new NCAA sport: acrobatics and tumbling which is just the competition side and no sideline cheerleading. At this point it is only a female varsity sport. The girls recruited are amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from the same “club” gym most of the students featured are. I’m 25 so I have actually competed with or against quite a few. I think the documentary highlighted the injuries which makes it appear much more common than it really is (I’m not discounting injuries, just think they are highlighted disproportionately). Also, college cheerleading like this is done on a floor with no springs as opposed to “club” which is more similar to a floor in gymnastics. This level of cheerleading does come with risk, however, many of these people have been tumbling at a high level for 12+ years, so it’s finally all caught up with them.

So is the floor with what seemed to me to be a completely insufficiently cushioned mat rolled over a gym floor the norm in college cheerleading? I kept thinking the entire time that they need a real gym with a better and safer floor.

I have one episode to go and love the show. I'm completely taken by all the kids and by Monica, which surprised me.

Yes - it is the norm. Many colleges don’t have access to a spring floor either. Renting mat time at a local gym can be pricey. And unlike this school, many colleges don’t give their cheer teams much money so there aren’t resources to spare to rent out space. Also, if you are requiring kids to practice off campus you have to ensure they can get there if they don’t have cars/ there is no public transit.

It’s important to note not all college teams compete. There are some schools that just do sidelines and then some schools that build strong competitive teams. Some schools have also adopted a new NCAA sport: acrobatics and tumbling which is just the competition side and no sideline cheerleading. At this point it is only a female varsity sport. The girls recruited are amazing.

So, I didn't quite understand. Navarro is in a Junior College division, right? Does that mean there is even another level of skill above them? Like from bigger, 4 year colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from the same “club” gym most of the students featured are. I’m 25 so I have actually competed with or against quite a few. I think the documentary highlighted the injuries which makes it appear much more common than it really is (I’m not discounting injuries, just think they are highlighted disproportionately). Also, college cheerleading like this is done on a floor with no springs as opposed to “club” which is more similar to a floor in gymnastics. This level of cheerleading does come with risk, however, many of these people have been tumbling at a high level for 12+ years, so it’s finally all caught up with them.

So is the floor with what seemed to me to be a completely insufficiently cushioned mat rolled over a gym floor the norm in college cheerleading? I kept thinking the entire time that they need a real gym with a better and safer floor.

I have one episode to go and love the show. I'm completely taken by all the kids and by Monica, which surprised me.

Yes - it is the norm. Many colleges don’t have access to a spring floor either. Renting mat time at a local gym can be pricey. And unlike this school, many colleges don’t give their cheer teams much money so there aren’t resources to spare to rent out space. Also, if you are requiring kids to practice off campus you have to ensure they can get there if they don’t have cars/ there is no public transit.

It’s important to note not all college teams compete. There are some schools that just do sidelines and then some schools that build strong competitive teams. Some schools have also adopted a new NCAA sport: acrobatics and tumbling which is just the competition side and no sideline cheerleading. At this point it is only a female varsity sport. The girls recruited are amazing.

So, I didn't quite understand. Navarro is in a Junior College division, right? Does that mean there is even another level of skill above them? Like from bigger, 4 year colleges?

Yes - many 4 year colleges also have teams like Navarro. The junior colleges don’t compete directly against the 4 year colleges though except for the grand national champion title.

However, there is a NCAA sport that is very similar at 4 year colleges. Generally the whole team has very high level tumbling, not just a handful. So to try to directly answer your question, yes, there is a level above. They do not compete in the same competitions as teams like Navarro.

[Anonymous]

Is Navarro really better than Kentucky or even Texas Tech? I understand that sometimes they score higher overall, but the whole time I was watching I was wondering why Gabi didn’t go to Kentucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Navarro really better than Kentucky or even Texas Tech? I understand that sometimes they score higher overall, but the whole time I was watching I was wondering why Gabi didn’t go to Kentucky.

BC UK and other top tier cheer programs at 4 year schools wouldn’t put up with her coming and going as she please do compete with other teams, do photo shoots, etc. and she also didn’t seem too excited at continuing on with more college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Navarro really better than Kentucky or even Texas Tech? I understand that sometimes they score higher overall, but the whole time I was watching I was wondering why Gabi didn’t go to Kentucky.

BC UK and other top tier cheer programs at 4 year schools wouldn’t put up with her coming and going as she please do compete with other teams, do photo shoots, etc. and she also didn’t seem too excited at continuing on with more college.

Interesting. Why bother with college at all? Does all-star cheer top out at a certain age?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Navarro really better than Kentucky or even Texas Tech? I understand that sometimes they score higher overall, but the whole time I was watching I was wondering why Gabi didn’t go to Kentucky.

BC UK and other top tier cheer programs at 4 year schools wouldn’t put up with her coming and going as she please do compete with other teams, do photo shoots, etc. and she also didn’t seem too excited at continuing on with more college.

Totally agree. And bc of that I wouldn’t call Navarro better than those programs. It’s a different program with a different style.

[Anonymous]

I am kind of into it but it seems like the stunts are insanely risky, the coach is a tiny emperor and that girl Gabi’s parents are insane and her dad is gay and Texas is a hell hole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Navarro really better than Kentucky or even Texas Tech? I understand that sometimes they score higher overall, but the whole time I was watching I was wondering why Gabi didn’t go to Kentucky.

BC UK and other top tier cheer programs at 4 year schools wouldn’t put up with her coming and going as she please do compete with other teams, do photo shoots, etc. and she also didn’t seem too excited at continuing on with more college.

Interesting. Why bother with college at all? Does all-star cheer top out at a certain age?

Have you watched Last Chance U also on Netflix by the same production team? It’s similar in that there are some talented athletic programs at the JUCO level but in a lot of them the coaches are working with kids from very disadvantaged backgrounds (look at some of backstories with the Navarro cheerleaders) who couldn’t make it to the 4 year level, or did and flames out and are looking for redemption back at JUCO to rehab their image.

Yes all star cheer tops out at a certain age.

[Anonymous]

OP here and I haven’t been able to watch a full episode yet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Navarro really better than Kentucky or even Texas Tech? I understand that sometimes they score higher overall, but the whole time I was watching I was wondering why Gabi didn’t go to Kentucky.

BC UK and other top tier cheer programs at 4 year schools wouldn’t put up with her coming and going as she please do compete with other teams, do photo shoots, etc. and she also didn’t seem too excited at continuing on with more college.

Interesting. Why bother with college at all? Does all-star cheer top out at a certain age?

Have you watched Last Chance U also on Netflix by the same production team? It’s similar in that there are some talented athletic programs at the JUCO level but in a lot of them the coaches are working with kids from very disadvantaged backgrounds (look at some of backstories with the Navarro cheerleaders) who couldn’t make it to the 4 year level, or did and flames out and are looking for redemption back at JUCO to rehab their image.

Yes all star cheer tops out at a certain age.

No I haven’t, I’ll check it out. I’m familiar with JUCO in the context of basketball and football when the athlete is using it to make grades to get into a 4 year college. It doesn’t seem that Gabi in particular comes from a disadvantaged background although the point about working and promoting herself is taken. I guess it is also possible that she didn’t get into UK.

[Anonymous]

How did Jerry not make the Louisville cheer team but made the Navarro team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did Jerry not make the Louisville cheer team but made the Navarro team?

He said he learned a lot at Navarro, dropped a ton of weight, and became a better cheerleader there. Monica said that she looks for potential, so that probably played a role as well.

Jerry now cheers at Louisville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did Jerry not make the Louisville cheer team but made the Navarro team?

He doesn’t tumble. Louisville has enough talent coming in that does tumble. They won’t just take anyone.