Lauren Rayman

     Released on Jan. 8, 2020, the Netflix original ‘Cheer’ took the world by storm. The six-part docuseries captured the attention of ordinary people, and celebrities, around the world.

     The show is centered around the Navarro College cheer team. Navarro College, located in Corsicana, Texas, is a junior college; however, their cheer team is among the best in the country.

     Under head coach Monica Aldama, the team has won 14 national titles at the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championships, five of which have been grand national titles. A grand national championship is won when a team has the highest score of the entire competition, not just their division.

     ‘Cheer’ highlights the little known world of competitive cheerleading. At the high collegiate level that Navarro competes at, the risk of injury runs high– back strains, a dislocated elbow, bruised ribs and multiple concussions occur throughout the course of the docuseries.

     Although injuries are present, the athletes push through for two, sometimes three, practices a day leading up to the NCA Collegiate Nationals. The show shines light not just on how hard the sport is, but also how rewarding the sport can be.

     Many people like the show because of the sport it revolves around, but even more people have started watching it because of the personal stories told throughout the show. There are many athletes on the Navarro team who came from rough pasts and use cheerleading as an escape.

     The show closely follows the stories of Lexi Brumback, Gabi Butler, Jerry Harris, La’Darius Marshall and Morgan Simianer. Some are well-known in the cheer world, dubbed ‘cheerlebrities,’ and some have come from troubling pasts and have inspiring stories.

     Because of how dynamic the show is, it has caught the attention of many celebrities. The Navarro cheer team performed on The Ellen Show, and one week later, some team members returned on The Ellen Show, this time accompanied by Kendall Jenner.

     Chrissy Teigen, Kalen Allen, Reese Witherspoon, JJ Watt and Tyler Oakley are among just some of the celebrities who have tweeted about the show. Navarro athletes now have social media followings as large as over one million followers.

     In my opinion, I really enjoyed the show. As a cheerleader, watching the show and recognizing some of the athletes on the team peaked my interest.

     My favorite part of the docuseries was not just the cheerleading, but the stories of the athletes highlighted in it. The show is raw and real– it does not sugarcoat anything in the sport.

     I would highly recommend this show to anyone– cheerleaders, athletes and ordinary people alike. There are lessons to be learned and applied to everyday life from the show. Overall, Netflix did an incredible job of bringing attention to the world of competitive cheerleading.