Blood, sweat and cheers
A new Netflix docuseries follows underestimated athletes willing to put their bodies on the line for their sport
Sequined, sunshiny, allamerican girliness is the collective imagination of what a cheerleader is. She is simultaneously sexy and cute as she dances on the sideline, imploring the real athletes to “Be aggressive. BE-E aggressive”.
But in the recently-released Netflix docuseries Cheer, this image of the eternally optimistic, but otherwise ornamental, cheerleader is flipped on its head.
A deep dive into the world of competitive cheerleading in the United States, Cheer follows the Navarro College cheer squad as they train for the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida — the only shot for the elite athletes to compete each year.
“Ouch,” Morgan Simianer says, her nasal vocal fry punctuating her pain.
This is the first word spoken by Simianer after the 43kg flyer is thrown three metres into the air and then caught by two of her teammates. And it’s the word that defines Cheer, which shows the Navarro cheerleaders perform death-defying stunts that will inevitably have a lasting toll on their bodies.
It’s being caught that hurts. Falling into the cradle-like, muscled embrace of the stunters leaves deep bruises on the ribs, threatening to shatter them.
Simianer is one of a 40-strong squad. By the end of the six-episode documentary only half of her teammates will have made it “on the mat” to compete at Daytona in a routine that will last just over two minutes.
The stakes are high. For many the competition will mark the end of their competitive cheerleading careers.
At its core, Cheer is about a sport that is so underestimated there are almost no opportunities to pursue it beyond college — yet these cheerleaders are willing to do almost anything for their moment in the sun.
The docuseries is buoyed by something far more compelling than the pursuit of accolades or future success — the often lifesaving effect of being part of a team.
The squad is led by Monica Aldama, who is the precise blend of Southern
Cheer