Madeline
Cheer is the reality show for everyone. For the cheerleaders of the world, it is relatable. For everyone else, it is jaw dropping how competitive this world is. The men and women who cheer competitively are true athletes, and this is the docuseries that shows just that. this is not the sport most of us outside the world expect it to be.
Premise of Cheer
Season one of the series surrounds the team and the coaches for the National champions of Navarro community college in Texas. We learn about the preparation of the team in order to get ready for Daytona Beach, where the national competition is held every year. We learn about who makes it onto the mat for the competition and who is left to watch from the sidelines. We meet each character, how they got into cheer, and the struggles that many of them have.
In season two, we learn about the aftermath of the success of the show in season one. We learn about the scandalous events and the falling outs. We learn about the celebrity of these young people and how the FBI arrested one individual. We see how COVID affects the team and each of the teammates. We also get introduced to the second team in the nation, Trinity Valley Community College, and see their journey as they get ready to go to Daytona to compete. Both teams are preparing to go to the national championships in Daytona, one with the title and the fame and the other with something to prove.
The Athleticism
Although cheer appears to be a light sport, where it is all about shouting on the sidelines, in watching this docuseries it is clear that there is much more to it and it is not a sport for the faint of heart. The tumbling these cheerleaders are required to do. And the conditioning to be able to get through a simple two and a half minute routine is insane. Describing the athleticism cannot do the actual sport justice. The best is to watch the series and see for yourself.
Final Thoughts
This is not the docuseries I thought it would end up to be. The dedication, athleticism, and discipline of everyone involved is on par with most professional athletes. In order to get to the level they are at, they need to train, work hard, and dedicate their lives to the sport. Cheerleading is not at all what I had imagined.
