Cheerleading is a sport. Some might not think so, but it is and this documentary series by Greg Whiteley is proof of it being a sport. This series shows how cheerleading has evolved as a combination of dancing and gymnastics, but way more physically demanding. Whiteley's cameras follow a team of cheerleaders at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, which is about a hour south of Dallas. We see their practices, which are intense. The routine involves a lot, almost acrobatic moves that have people jumping and being thrown through the air. Things go wrong and a few people end up falling, hitting the ground and seriously injuring themselves. Other moves also result in physical injuries. It's true athletics at work and I think this series proves why.
There are people who still regard cheerleading as something that happens on the side-lines and as something that is purely for entertainment. Most people regard cheerleading as a form of dancing and it's not that dancing isn't athletic, but those people don't see it as much of a sport. However, we see how organized cheerleading has become and how much it's grown into a legitimate, national competition. Whiteley also demonstrates that it's a money-maker, at least for one company that has branded cheerleading in terms of marketing and advertising. No one talks about it, but, from what we see, cheerleading is something that could be included in the Olympics.
Monica Aldama is the head coach of cheerleading at Navarro College. This series is as much a profile of her than anything else. We learn who she is and how she got involved in this competition. We also follow what it takes for her to push her cheerleaders to win and succeed in other ways. She's a strong, lovely and charming presence that people respect and highly regard. She's a good character in this series, but most of the profiling of her focuses on building of this team. We do get interviews of her husband and glimpses into her home life, but there isn't much delving into her personal life or personal views.
When it comes to delving into personal lives, the series does more so with the cheerleaders themselves. In addition to Aldama, the series also profiles five cheerleaders specifically. All in all, there's a swirl of dozens of cheerleaders in and around Whiteley's cameras. Yet, those cameras zero-in on five cheerleaders in particular. Those five are Morgan Simianer, Jerry Harris, Gabi Butler, La'Darius Marshall and Lexi Brumback.
Of the dozens of cheerleaders, I understand why the series focuses on these five. Their personal stories are probably the most interesting. One cheerleader's mom died from cancer. One cheerleader was abandoned and had her grandparents raise her. Another cheerleader nearly committed suicide. Another was arrested. If Whiteley wanted to make a compelling series, utilizing the stories of these five people would help because they're the most emotional. Most of the cheerleaders probably don't have dead parents, neglectful parents, suicide attempts or arrest records, so those cheerleaders get ignored, which makes sense, but it shows the emotional manipulation at work here.
There are moments when it's spotlighted that the cheerleaders have to choose between school and cheerleading. It's also underlined that Aldama makes sure that her cheerleaders are doing well with their studies and getting good grades. Yet, for most of the cheerleaders that gets put into the forefront, the emphasis is that they choose athletics over academics. It's one thing that the cheerleaders make that choice, but Whiteley and the documentary also make that choice.
Unlike the high school documentary
Undefeated (2011), it's understood what the students' curriculum is or would be. However, in college, students can choose their own major or their own courses. According to the Navarro College website, those courses can be in science, business, public service or arts. Despite the series focusing on the five cheerleaders on which it focuses, we don't learn what the majors or courses those five are taking if any. We don't even learn what their majors are in text on screen.
The coda or last act in the last episode does switch gears and show us the lives or the potential lives of the cheerleaders after the competition is over. It's acknowledged that they can't be cheerleaders forever because unlike football, basketball or one of the other major team sports, there is no professional career after college. With the exception of two, we don't get that much of a clue of what these kids will do following the competition. They're all appreciative of the experience and love Aldama, but they have their own lives to live and this series keeps us at a distance from that.
Rated TV-MA.
Running Time: 1 hr. / 6 eps.
Available on Netflix.
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