Cheer - General Discussion

[IntrovertRed]

Finished first episode.  Have to wonder who came back because of the fame or even chose Navarro over other schools due to the show. I should have watched the first season again just to remember who everyone was from last year.

Is there a reason why a student would go to Navarro over a 4 year or D1 school?  I know very little, or zilch really, about college sports.

Edited January 13, 2022 by KLJ

[meatball77]

23 minutes ago, KLJ said:

Finished first episode.  Have to wonder who came back because of the fame or even chose Navarro over other schools due to the show. I should have watched the first season again just to remember who everyone was from last year.

Is there a reason why a student would go to Navarro over a 4 year or D1 school?  I know very little, or zilch really, about college sports.

The rules are different for Cheerleading because it's not a sport in the NCAA (it is in NAIA but not NCAA), it's considered an activity so it doesn't face the same eligibility rules as a typical sport.

However, typically athletes at these junior colleges are going to these schools because they don't meet the eligibility requirements to play NCAA sports and so they go to the Junior College to try to get their grades to a point where they can transfer.  I suspect that's what typically happens at Navarro when there aren't video cameras following them around (I think we even saw that with someone in the first season) in addition to kids who are getting a two year education who might not have without the support of an athletics program.

I suspect residential junior colleges are mostly just a thing in the middle of the country where there are large groups of people who live in areas that aren't within driving distance from community colleges. 

Nevarro being national champions is great but there's a reason we never saw more than two teams on the stage when they were doing awards.  Those two are probably the only JuCo's in the country with co-ed teams that size.

Trinity Valley seemed more professional and like a much better place to be, just the way they dressed for practice seemed better.

[Wicked Biscuit]

3 minutes ago, meatball77 said:

The rules are different for Cheerleading because it's not a sport in the NCAA (it is in NAIA but not NCAA), it's considered an activity so it doesn't face the same eligibility rules as a typical sport.

However, typically athletes at these junior colleges are going to these schools because they don't meet the eligibility requirements to play NCAA sports and so they go to the Junior College to try to get their grades to a point where they can transfer.  I suspect that's what typically happens at Navarro when there aren't video cameras following them around (I think we even saw that with someone in the first season) in addition to kids who are getting a two year education who might not have without the support of an athletics program.

I suspect residential junior colleges are mostly just a thing in the middle of the country where there are large groups of people who live in areas that aren't within driving distance from community colleges. 

Nevarro being national champions is great but there's a reason we never saw more than two teams on the stage when they were doing awards.  Those two are probably the only JuCo's in the country with co-ed teams that size.

Trinity Valley seemed more professional and like a much better place to be, just the way they dressed for practice seemed better.

Does NAIA have any eligibility requirements? I was really surprised that people could come back and join the team for the spring semester to compete at the big competitions without taking classes the fall semester as well. That seems like it would encourage teams bringing in ringers who don't have to take their classes or GPA seriously. That also seems like a quick way to build team dissatisfaction.

[irisheyes]

8 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Its on my list to watch, but i'll be away at a big All Stars cheerleading competition this weekend (haha timing!) so i probably won't have time to start watching until next week.

Have fun in Indy. Wish we were going. 😀

I’m watching the first episode, and it’s just this sense of doom. It’s January of 2020, and they’re all worried about making the mat, and I want to tell them, “Honey, ain’t no one making mat this year.”  Plus, seeing Jerry, knowing what he was doing, and they’re all completely clueless about it. (And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I don’t think anyone could have even imagined what was happening.)

[meatball77]

1 hour ago, Wicked Biscuit said:

Does NAIA have any eligibility requirements? I was really surprised that people could come back and join the team for the spring semester to compete at the big competitions without taking classes the fall semester as well. That seems like it would encourage teams bringing in ringers who don't have to take their classes or GPA seriously. That also seems like a quick way to build team dissatisfaction.

They're not competing in any of the conferences.  It's all through ACA the monopoly that owns and controls cheerleading.

So there are no eligibility rules.

[SailorGirl]

5 hours ago, Conotocarious said:

I finished the season.

Hurry up, guys!

It’s a LOT. Definitely a ton of stuff happened. I won’t spoil it for anybody except to say they do address the Jerry stuff in a whole episode and its hard to watch.

It was hard to watch but I think they did a really good job of it. I also appreciated that they 

Spoiler

didn't just wipe him out completely and put a brief chryon up -- they let the chronology play out. I also appreciated that they showed all the sides of it -- both the victims and those who loved Jerry. Of those who knew and loved Jerry, it seems like Gabby, La'Darius, and certainly Monica were the ones it broke the most.  I think the subsequent issues with La'Darius, the team, and Monica, was part of the Jerry fallout - La'Darius didn't have the emotional capacity to process it, especially as he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, and he directed it at Monica. So sad for all involved. 

Overall, Monica got beaten down really hard this year. Really feeling for her.  

Still loving my girl Morgan!! 

Edited January 13, 2022 by SailorGirl

[methodwriter85]

4 hours ago, meatball77 said:

I'm also wondering how many semesters some of those cheerleaders were attending Junior College and I wonder what they end up doing after.  It didn't sound like that Monica was pushing the kids to move to a four year school.

If I'm reading things right, cheerleaders at junior colleges are eligible to compete in 3 championships. I think you're allowed to take 5 years to complete a 2-year degree, but it looks like a lot of them take 3 years. Possibly four, if they redshirted and did not take part in a championship.

[novemberjenny]

I really enjoyed this season. I was one of the few who didn’t like Monica the first season around so I enjoyed watching her squirm a bit this season. Not that anyone deserves to be bullied online but it was nice to see her knocked down a peg or two. I think Monica has an enormously over-inflated ego and she plays favorites, which makes her the worst kind of coach. The way she’s buddy-buddy with some and indifferent with others is extremely off-putting. For example when the one girl asked to speak with her privately (can’t remember her name, she’s kinda pudgy with black hair) Monica was so cold and snappish with her that it took me aback. Then with other girls/guys she’s giggling and hugging them. 
 

A million years ago, I was on my high school dance team and we participated in a few NDA competitions. This is when cheer and dance competitions were a lot smaller and there were fewer categories of competitors. We were more thrown together. Nothing really has changed (except the uniforms have gotten a lot sluttier 😝) we had the chants, the weird rituals and we even had a spirit stick and some stupid acronym as well. It was a lot less political back then, too. All star gyms weren’t really a big thing yet. It brought back some good memories of friends and great times. 

I thought they handled the Jerry episode very well. It was hard to watch (and kind of triggering) as a sexual abuse survivor myself but I thought it was done very gracefully. My heart really broke for the victims and for his teammates, as well. I think it truly broke Gabi and La’Darius. I was extremely disappointed in Monica though. The way she was waffling around and making excuses for Jerry is the EXACT reason why victims so seldom come forward. My abuser was also a very charismatic and well-liked individual. I actually even dated them at one point in our history. “Speaking up” and “coming forward” was unfortunately not really a thing back then. You kept that kind of thing quiet. I never told anyone besides my best friend, years after it happened. You have no idea the courage it takes to come forward. I hope they can learn to heal from what happened to them, and that they realize that nothing was their fault. 

I have to wonder, how many different programs can these people be a part of? It was nice to see people like Lexi and Morgan moving on and away from their Navarro bubble, but Gabi is enrolled in yet another college, Weber State. She is going on 24 years old. She can’t keep cheerleading for the rest of her life…I really hope she has a plan B. Actually I hope a lot of these people have a plan B. It seems like people like Jada and Gabi don’t want to move on from college cheer so they just keep matriculating to different schools. 

I was very glad to not see the creepy Navarro alum with the twirled ended mustache this season. He was a firefighter I think? I can’t believe no one mentioned him. I found it so weird, especially in light of the Jerry story, that a grown man with a full time job was hanging around cheer practices full of half-dressed teenagers. I actually said “what the fuck?” When the one guy (season 1) fell on his head at nationals and the alum guy picked him up and carried him away. So gross.
 

*old person voice* back in my day! But really back in the day for competitions and performances, it was hair pulled back tight in a pony or a bun, no nails or nail polish, no visible tattoos, etc. we did wear a ton of makeup though. Frosted tan/peach eyeshadow for competitions was a huge thing for some reason, so that’s the look everyone had. That and dark red lipstick. We wore shitloads of blush too. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It gives me anxiety when these girls are doing these extremely dangerous stunts with hair in their face! 
 

On a shallow note, I really hate the current aesthetic of young girls nowadays. The scraggly unbrushed hair, crop tops, chunky boots, and the weird long ass square nails. Their nails look like when we used to make fake nails with scotch tape in elementary school. I also hate the pounds of clumpy spider legs mascara 🤮 And WHY do all of them have such fugly tattoos everywhere?? Ugh, YOUTHS. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by novemberjenny

[pasdetrois]

A viewer can really see how the fame distracted Navarro - all the running to Hollywood, press conferences and appearances, little girls screaming, talks about creating a brand for each cheerleader, etc. The cranking out of the paid messages while sitting in the spa.

When the media announced that Jerry had bought a house I was glad because I thought it was a responsible choice. I assume he will lose it now.

I suspect the others' money will be spent and gone. Meanwhile these kids don't seem to be getting a true education (a marketable trade or a four-year degree).

I was also turned off by the lengthy interviews about how dramatically some of them reacted to Jerry's arrest. There was a whiff of reality-TV performance in those interviews.

It was great to see the other Navarro cheerleaders, and the TVCC team, instead of the same small handful featured repeatedly. I appreciate being reminded of how talented some of them are. But the TVCC coach seems kind of mean.

A lot of those kids don't have much. There must be tremendous resentment of those who are getting so much attention and money due to their "fame."

I hope Jerry's victims survive this exposure. Very brave, but they will feel the consequences. Their mom seems smart and tough.

Edited January 14, 2022 by pasdetrois

[Racj82]

17 hours ago, meatball77 said:

I'm on the Jerry episode now.  Do they mention the other two Navarro cheerleaders who were arrested for child sex abuse because it was three of them!  Jerry's was specifically bad, he couldn't even stop abusing kids when he was out on bail (and he was denied bail because of that).

I'm glad they didn't just erase Jerry from the second season and instead acknowledged it and supported those two (male) victims.  Amazing for those boys for being willing to speak up, they are heroes.

I'm also wondering how many semesters some of those cheerleaders were attending Junior College and I wonder what they end up doing after.  It didn't sound like that Monica was pushing the kids to move to a four year school.

I never had any doubt that this whole case would be covered. I don't say this as judgment but Netflix loves true crime. They love converting stories into true crime stories if something is going on with the people in the show. They were going to for sure cover this. Covid also killed the momentum of the second season so they had to talk about what has happened outside of the competition.

[Whimsy]

I’m on the Jerry episode right now. It’s hard to watch, but important. I am so proud of the boys, their mother and everyone else who supported them going public. That could not have been easy. 
 

In episode 3 they focused on Maddy and they showed her all-star gym. My daughter cheered for ECE for 2 years (not the same team) before she moved on to Pro. In the background of a couple scenes they showed one of my daughter’s old coaches and my heart stopped for a minute. I worked for the gym in the office when my daughter was there to help pay tuition and so I could hear everything. That coach was horrible. She was very mean and screamed at the kids, especially at my daughter. Said some very hurtful things that still affect her to this day (4-5 years later). So, that brought up old feelings, heh. 

[Irlandesa]

On 1/12/2022 at 7:45 PM, KLJ said:

Finished first episode.  Have to wonder who came back because of the fame or even chose Navarro over other schools due to the show.

I'm on the first ep now.  I thought it was hilarious that they all pretended the reason they were coming back was anything other than the money.  And I don't blame them.

14 hours ago, novemberjenny said:

I have to wonder, how many different programs can these people be a part of? It was nice to see people like Lexi and Morgan moving on and away from their Navarro bubble, but Gabi is enrolled in yet another college, Weber State. She is going on 24 years old. She can’t keep cheerleading for the rest of her life…I really hope she has a plan B. Actually I hope a lot of these people have a plan B. It seems like people like Jada and Gabi don’t want to move on from college cheer so they just keep matriculating to different schools. 

If I remember from the first season, Gabi's was somewhat of a cheerleader social media star even before joining Cheer. She has almost 2 million Instagram followers and over 2 million on Tik Tok. 

There's money in that.  Yes, she should have an after-Cheer life but, unlike most of us who make more money the longer we're in the work force, there's  a pretty good chance none of these people will make as much money in their lives as they're making now.   That's the upside of social media for a lot of reality stars.  Their shows may not pay much for participation but they can leverage that fame for other financially beneficial activities.

Some may blow through the money.  Others won't. And one would assume she's taking classes while at these schools.  All the transferring probably makes it hard to craft it into a degree but that doesn't mean she's not getting an education.  And it doesn't mean she can't firm up a specific degree once her cheering days are over.

6 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I never had any doubt that this whole case would be covered. I don't say this as judgment but Netflix loves true crime. They love converting stories into true crime stories if something is going on with the people in the show. They were going to for sure cover this. Covid also killed the momentum of the second season so they had to talk about what has happened outside of the competition.

That and they didn't really have a choice since it happened while they were filming. He was in too much to erase.  I'm only on the first episode and it's very awkward already to see him focused on so much in the aftermath of Cheer's release.  It makes sense because he was THE star from the first season but still awkward. 

[Marisagf]

I have to say, I kind of dig TVCC!  I'll slink away now.  

[TOL]

I’m finished and I want everyone else to hurry up so I can talk about it !

[Racj82]

5 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I'm on the first ep now.  I thought it was hilarious that they all pretended the reason they were coming back was anything other than the money.  And I don't blame them.

If I remember from the first season, Gabi's was somewhat of a cheerleader social media star even before joining Cheer. She has almost 2 million Instagram followers and over 2 million on Tik Tok. 

There's money in that.  Yes, she should have an after-Cheer life but, unlike most of us who make more money the longer we're in the work force, there's  a pretty good chance none of these people will make as much money in their lives as they're making now.   That's the upside of social media for a lot of reality stars.  Their shows may not pay much for participation but they can leverage that fame for other financially beneficial activities.

Some may blow through the money.  Others won't. And one would assume she's taking classes while at these schools.  All the transferring probably makes it hard to craft it into a degree but that doesn't mean she's not getting an education.  And it doesn't mean she can't firm up a specific degree once her cheering days are over.

That and they didn't really have a choice since it happened while they were filming. He was in too much to erase.  I'm only on the first episode and it's very awkward already to see him focused on so much in the aftermath of Cheer's release.  It makes sense because he was THE star from the first season but still awkward. 

He really goes into the background until the episode focused on him. 

[methodwriter85]

On 1/14/2022 at 3:06 AM, Racj82 said:

He really goes into the background until the episode focused on him. 

I think he gets one or two talking heads leading up to the episode on him. They kept him in the background as much was humanely possible. In a way, it's probably a good thing the 2020 competition got cancelled- the season 2 that was intended probably would have kept him front and center and then this show would have been even more screwed. 

On 1/13/2022 at 10:20 AM, pasdetrois said:

When the media announced that Jerry had bought a house I was glad because I thought it was a responsible choice. I assume he will lose it now.

I just can't get over it. Say Jerry does serve 15 years. He comes out as a 36-year old to absolutely nothing. He will have to register as a sex offender for his entire life. He cannot live near parks nor schools. This is a guy who had an amazing and bright future in February 2020, and he won't even be able to get a job as a janitor in 2035.

Gabi's devastation was painful to watch.  LaDarius seemed to chose the angry route. Then there was the conversation one of the friends had, where he was asked if Jerry ever indicated something like that happened to him that might have caused him to end up like that, and the friend basically said that Jerry didn't really talk about things like that, and yeah, that seemed to track. In season 1, other than the talk about his mother dying, you never really ever see Jerry talking about anything negative. He maintained this upbeat, positive persona the entire time, and even according to Monica he tried to convey that to her in his letter from prison. It really makes you think about how much you don't really know people, even people you think you're close to. At the end of the day, people can put out whatever persona they decided to put out, and if they don't want you see the real them, then you won't.

Maddy Brum was the VIP of the season for me. Her story arc- crying at the rehearsal where she gets pulled from a stunt, becoming good friends with Gabi, learning about her rough and tumble background...I really loved her. 

Khris Franklin (the TVCC assistant coach) and Donte were fantastic to watch together, although you could pretty much see that Khris kind felt like he was taking the reigns. In a season 3, I'd really like to explore that because damned if there isn't some kind of power struggle about to happen. LOL. I also kinda went "Huh?" at the explanation that Khris was living with his friend's family in their McMansion. I thought it was an intriguing hint about Khris's vagabond type life.

The negative? I was not a fan of the "Weenies" trio from Trinity. We get it. You're manly straight men who don't smile.

Overall, I thought the show did a really good job of being able to to pivot when Covid19 interrupted season 2, Jerry's scandal, losing Morgan & Lexi as stars, and yeah....really fascinating watch. It doesn't have the joy of the 2019 season, but it just kind of reflected the times.

Edited January 15, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Whimsy]

Showcasing these two teams is still so weird to me. I mean, they are performing really amazing routines. But they’re the only two teams in their division. I mentioned during season 1 and I’m mentioning it again because it’s just so weird. Monica winning 14 times against only one other team just isn’t as impressive as another team winning multiple times in a division that has at least four teams.  

Here’s the schedule for day 1.  Navarro and TVCC’s division is on the first page right after the lunch break. I can’t pull up just the printed list for day two, but you can use the searchable form on this page, if you’re interested. 

Actually, all of the divisions are really small. Guess I’m just used to the all-star cheer divisions where sometimes there’s double digits competing. It just seems weird to me that there aren’t more teams competing. 

[Racj82]

4 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I think he gets one or two talking heads leading up to the episode on him. They kept him in the background as much was humanely possible. In a way, it's probably a good thing the 2020 competition got cancelled- the season 2 that was intended probably would have kept him front and center and then this show would have been even more screwed. 

I just can't get over it. Say Jerry does serve 15 years. He comes out as a 36-year old to absolutely nothing. He will have to register as a sex offender for his entire life. He cannot live near parks nor schools. This is a guy who had an amazing and bright future in February 2020, and he won't even be able to get a job as a janitor in 2035.

Gabi's devastation was painful to watch.  LaDarius seemed to chose the angry route. Then there was the conversation one of the friends had, where he was asked if Jerry ever indicated something like that happened to him that might have caused him to end up like that, and the friend basically said that Jerry didn't really talk about things like that, and yeah, that seemed to track. In season 1, other than the talk about his mother dying, you never really ever see Jerry talking about anything negative. He maintained this upbeat, positive persona the entire time, and even according to Monica he tried to convey that to her in his letter from prison. It really makes you think about how much you don't really know people, even people you think you're close to. At the end of the day, people can put out whatever persona they decided to put out, and if they don't want you see the real them, then you won't.

Maddy Brum was the VIP of the season for me. Her story arc- crying at the rehearsal where she gets pulled from a stunt, becoming good friends with Gabi, learning about her rough and tumble background...I really loved her. 

Khris Franklin (the TVCC assistant coach) and Donte were fantastic to watch together, although you could pretty much see that Khris kind felt like he was taking the reigns. In a season 3, I'd really like to explore that because damned if there isn't some kind of power struggle about to happen. LOL. I also kinda went "Huh?" at the explanation that Khris was living with his friend's family in their McMansion. I thought it was an intriguing hint about Khris's vagabond type life.

The negative? I was not a fan of the "Weenies" trio from Trinity. We get it. You're manly straight men who don't smile.

Overall, I thought the show did a really good job of being able to to pivot when Covid19 interrupted season 2, Jerry leaving, losing Morgan & Lexi as stars, and yeah....really fascinating watch. It doesn't have the joy of the 2019 season, but it just kind of reflected the times.

This is why I hate the term out of character. That is just something someone had done yet. You can never fully know someone's character. Just because you can only know so much.

He or she would never!

We don't know that. Jerry was of the most beloved people to come out reality TV in years. Cosby and Michael Jackson were loved throughout the whole universe. It doesn't stop you from also being a monster.

Hate to see it but it is a sad reality.

[Marisagf]

2 hours ago, Whimsy said:

Showcasing these two teams is still so weird to me. I mean, they are performing really amazing routines. But they’re the only two teams in their division. I mentioned during season 1 and I’m mentioning it again because it’s just so weird. Monica winning 14 times against only one other team just isn’t as impressive as another team winning multiple times in a division that has at least four teams.  

Here’s the schedule for day 1.  Navarro and TVCC’s division is on the first page right after the lunch break. I can’t pull up just the printed list for day two, but you can use the searchable form on this page, if you’re interested. 

Actually, all of the divisions are really small. Guess I’m just used to the all-star cheer divisions where sometimes there’s double digits competing. It just seems weird to me that there aren’t more teams competing. 

Agree!  I also looked up the competition just to confirm that Navarro and TVCC were the only teams in the division.  And they are!  Is this the only competition for which they are eligible?  Aren't there more cheerleading competitions?    Or is this the biggest and most official?

 

[Nancybeth]

I just finished S2 last night...I enjoyed it but it was a LOT. I read an article that it's essentially three individual shows wrapped into one -- Navarro dealing with COVID and then trying to defend their title; TVCC as the underdogs making a run; and the breakout "stars" of Cheer S1 dealing with their fame and Jerry's arrest. It jumped around so much and incorporated so many different people that sometimes it took me a minute to figure out who was who.  

I really liked seeing more of TVCC and understanding how they were different from Navarro. Their tumblers were amazing. I really liked their coaches but I'll be interested to see the reactions to Vontae because I thought he was actually tougher on his team than Monica is on hers and yet I bet he won't get the same reaction from viewers. Khris Franklin was a bit of a mystery -- he was the head coach and then was demoted (?) or stepped back and they brought in Vontae and yet now they are co-head coaches? And his busy life of coaching and judging cheerleading means he hasn't been able to get married and have a family? I need more backstory here.

I always side eye the discussions about Navarro being the top cheerleading program in the country because it seems like they're....the top program in a 50-mile radius in Texas? If all of these colleges and universities aren't competing in the same division, how do you say anyone is number one?

[pasdetrois]

Quote

I thought it was an intriguing hint about Khris's vagabond type life.

There must be a story there: I guess he became too consumed by serving as head coach and perhaps was told to take a step back? Then he had to take part-time jobs to survive and apparently moved in with friends to save money. And he chose to talk about how he couldn't commit to a long-time girlfriend and it was a smart decision. Now he's back to serving as one of two head coaches. An unusual trajectory.

Monica's and La'Darius' relationship seemed unhealthy - boundary issues. She was tolerating his behavior at the expense of the team. I didn't like the on-camera sobbing and hugging session. I think Monica slowly lost her way over the time period we saw - she seemed less effective as a coach.

Ultimately I loved Vontae. He really had self-discipline and exhibited good leadership as they headed to Daytona and while there. 

Cassadee was so familiar to me, and then we were shown who her family is.

Maddy Brum is a true star. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. When her dad tried to worm his way in I worried. She seems tough and smart so I hope she gets everything she needs out of this experience.

[pasdetrois]

Should we start a media thread? I don't know how or if it's OK.

Edited January 14, 2022 by pasdetrois

[luckyroll3]

6 hours ago, Whimsy said:

Showcasing these two teams is still so weird to me. I mean, they are performing really amazing routines. But they’re the only two teams in their division. I mentioned during season 1 and I’m mentioning it again because it’s just so weird. Monica winning 14 times against only one other team just isn’t as impressive as another team winning multiple times in a division that has at least four teams.  

It is weird. Talk about perspective. Both of the teams are really good, BUT if it's just the two of them, going all the way to Daytona to compete just seems so silly and the number of wins definitely become less impressive. Were there more Junior College Teams in this division in the past, or has it always been the two of them?

[luckyroll3]

Also, I couldn't stand La'Darius last season.....and that still hasn't changed. He is such a toxic person and I can't imagine being on a team with someone like him. Monica definitely enabled him in her attempt to be a support system for him and that bit her in the ass. But, she should have seen that shit coming. 

Edited January 14, 2022 by luckyroll3

[Whimsy]

4 hours ago, Marisagf said:

Agree!  I also looked up the competition just to confirm that Navarro and TVCC were the only teams in the division.  And they are!  Is this the only competition for which they are eligible?  Aren't there more cheerleading competitions?    Or is this the biggest and most official?

 

I don’t know how college team competitions are, but k do know that one of the TVCC coaches said it was their only opportunity to compete so I think this is the only one, which is a huge departure from all-star cheer where we went to like 6-8 comps a year. 

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

 

Monica's and La'Darius' relationship seemed unhealthy - boundary issues. She was tolerating his behavior at the expense of the team. I didn't like the on-camera sobbing and hugging session. I think Monica slowly lost her way over the time period we saw - she seemed less effective as a coach.

I agree their relationship was toxic. I FF’d their cry-fest. I also couldn’t see the tweets, texts and other on-screen words so I don’t even really know what he was accusing her of actually doing. 

1 hour ago, pasdetrois said:

Should we start a media thread? I don't know how or if it's OK.

Unfortunately we can’t. This is only a single-thread show so we only get this one thread. 

22 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

It is weird. Talk about perspective. Both of the teams are really good, BUT if it's just the two of them, going all the way to Daytona to compete just seems so silly and the number of wins definitely become less impressive. Were there more Junior College Teams in this division in the past, or has it always been the two of them?

I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it’s only these two teams for basically ever. It’s still a head scratcher to me that a 2-year college has a cheer team. The team turn-over rate is crazy. By the time you gel and get cohesive as a team, half the team leaves. 

11 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

Also, I couldn't stand La'Darius last season.....and that still hasn't changed. He is such a toxic person and I can't imagine being on a team with someone like him. Monica definitely enabled him in her attempt to be a support system for him and that bit her in the ass. But, she should have seen that shit coming. 

I couldn’t stand  La’Darius either. He seems cocky and entitled. He seemed to me that he felt everyone needed to bow down to him and listen to him as a leader all the time. 
 

one thing I meant to mention is the scoring system. It makes no sense to me that the raw score went up so much for TVCC. Granted, I never fully understood the scoring system for cheer and so much (ie, all of it) is subjective and political and personal. But, if their skill level, tumbling, etc only was eligible for 97.whatever, what did they do to make their raw score 98.whatever?  Did they change some skills?  But, I guess it doesn’t matter. I think that the first season of cheer really effected the scores. Like I said, there’s so much personal and political things that go into the scoring (which is unfair to the athletes). But, as I’ve seen first hand, if a coach is a bit controversial, the team could be punished with a lower score. I think that Monica was being punished for either her “fame” (the show, DWTS, etc), or being blamed for the members of her team who were charged with crimes, or both. I don’t think they ever were going to win unless TVCC did horribly. Look at day one when the coach told TVCC the judges wanted them to win. Because, yeah, those scores were crazy high.

[methodwriter85]

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

There must be a story there: I guess he became too consumed by serving as head coach and perhaps was told to take a step back? Then he had to take part-time jobs to survive and apparently moved in with friends to save money. And he chose to talk about how he couldn't commit to a long-time girlfriend and it was a smart decision. Now he's back to serving as one of two head coaches. An unusual trajectory.

I'm really intrigued by Khris. There's gotta be some interesting backstory there.

I can see him and Vonte locking horns a bit because judging by how Khris kinda just dominated these last two episodes I don't know if he can really be a co-head coach with Vonte unless they really come up with a system where they really split up the duties. That seems to be the plan, but I'm interested in seeing if they'll really make that work.

6 hours ago, Racj82 said:

This is why I hate the term out of character. That is just something someone had done yet. You can never fully know someone's character. Just because you can only know so much.

He or she would never!

We don't know that. Jerry was of the most beloved people to come out reality TV in years. Cosby and Michael Jackson were loved throughout the whole universe. It doesn't stop you from also being a monster.

Hate to see it but it is a sad reality.

It's just so disappointing, though. We were all rooting for Jerry and it turned out he was victimizing like a dozen underaged boys.

[TrixieTrue]

54 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

Also, I couldn't stand La'Darius last season.....and that still hasn't changed. He is such a toxic and I can't imagine being on a team with like him. Monica enabled him in her attempt to be a support for him and that bit her in the ass. But, she should have seen that shit coming. 

I liked him and felt like I understood where he was coming from and why he was the way he was. But I also wondered what the full situation with Kailee was. He said he asked her to look after his dog, she said he gave her the dog. She said he was about to knock her door down, he said he could hear her on the phone inside talking to Andy. And she still had the dog at the end of the show. 

He has persevered through some incredibly difficult situations. He holds himself to very high standards and clearly gets frustrated with other when he feels like they're not doing their part. I don't know...he'd probably benefit from therapy. Like most of us! I would too! There's no judgement when I write that. 

I did wonder why Andy didn't step in as the temporary coach. He already had an established rapport with the team. Even Kapena, and I know his reasons for not being on the team were discussed, could have been given another chance. He also had established relationships with people.    

[Nancybeth]

It seemed like Vontae's specialty is tumbling and stunts, and that because Khris is also a judge, he kind of focuses on overall presentation and choreo and cleaning things up. But I'm hoping we get a S3 with TVCC to see how it plays out!

I finally had to Google last night what happened to Andy because he just totally disappeared and I really liked him and couldn't figure out why he didn't take over for Monica during her absence. It looks like he's started his own company to do cheerleading conferences or workshops? I don't think he was full-time staff during 2020-2021, although there is a photo on his Instagram that makes it look like he was there at one point in early January.

If he wasn't around and they brought in Kallee, who had just been on the team a couple years prior, I can see how that would lead to a lot of conflict. 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Nancybeth

[methodwriter85]

Does Kap even have a degree to show for all his time at Navarro? I'm pretty sure LaDarius doesn't.

I loved Kap but wow that was stupid.

[Racj82]

1 hour ago, methodwriter85 said:

I'm really intrigued by Khris. There's gotta be some interesting backstory there.

I can see him and Vonte locking horns a bit because judging by how Khris kinda just dominated these last two episodes I don't know if he can really be a co-head coach with Vonte unless they really come up with a system where they really split up the duties. That seems to be the plan, but I'm interested in seeing if they'll really make that work.

It's just so disappointing, though. We were all rooting for Jerry and it turned out he was victimizing like a dozen underaged boys.

Definitely disappointing. It has become a meme thanks to Tyra Banks but we were all rooting for him!

[TrixieTrue]

11 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Does Kap even have to show for all his time at Navarro? I'm pretty sure LaDarius doesn't.

I loved Kap but wow that was stupid.

I think he was on the team for two years and he came back as a student trainer his third year (when he was also in the play). I remember that he was also the team tutor because he had good grades. I imagine he earned his associate's degree. 

[IntrovertRed]

5 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

It is weird. Talk about perspective. Both of the teams are really good, BUT if it's just the two of them, going all the way to Daytona to compete just seems so silly and the number of wins definitely become less impressive. Were there more Junior College Teams in this division in the past, or has it always been the two of them?

I read an article where supposedly other schools dropped down to the intermediate division to not have to compete against TVCC and Navarro.  Not sure how accurate that is, I want to say Monika was being interviewed.  Regardless, does feel kinda weird to call yourself national champions when you compete against one team, certainly less impressive.

I was bored yesterday and re-watched season 1. It was interesting to see Morgan struggling. She didn't have much experience, but Monika liked Morgan's "look", because she just looked like a Navarro cheerleader.  Seems fair.  Morgan still seems as sweet, however, and I hope she has plans for after the Cheer fame ends. I would love to know what went on with her dad that he just put her and her brother in a trailer by themselves. The dad wouldn't address it (I'm talking season 1 here) and the brother said they don't talk about emotions and pretend everything is fine.  Cuz that always ends well.

I have such conflicting feelings about La'Darius.  He clearly has some confidence and trust issues.  At one point in the first season, he almost was pulled due to his tendency to give up mid-routine. Not to mention basically bad mouthed Allie throughout the whole season 1.  Sort of like how he was bad mouthing Maddy a lot too, right?  Yes, La'Darius is quick to criticize others, but definitely because he doesn't want to get criticized first.  On the other hand, it also drove me nuts how one episode after being pulled, he was telling the group how they need to not give up and leave if they don't want to be there.

I do think maybe therapy or counseling should be a requirement for some/all of the students.  Some of them could really benefit from it.

Now have to get back to watching season 2.

Edited because I keep forgetting to mention that I've been wondering why Monika is always in pants and long-sleeve shirts, even in Daytona!  As someone who gets hot year-round if the temp is higher than 65, just watching her makes me want to get an ice pack.

Edited January 15, 2022 by KLJ

[QQQQ]

I admit I'm only half listening, but have some of these people been at this 2-year community college for 4 years? Is this where my tax dollars are going?! (Get off of my lawn, you whippersnappers!)

 

I also wish there was consistency in the pronunciation of Navarro (even amongst the students!). 

 

I've never been on an athletic team, but are the moments before all competitions always filled with members spouting the same cliches week after week? Or are some of these ramblings attempts to make good tv/get camera time? I'd lose my mind. [See Never been on an athletic team.]

Edited January 15, 2022 by QQQQ

[Whimsy]

13 hours ago, QQQQ said:

 

 

I've never been on an athletic team, but are the moments before all competitions always filled with members spouting the same cliches week after week? Or are some of these ramblings attempts to make good tv/get camera time? I'd lose my mind. [See Never been on an athletic team.]

In my experience (or rather, per my daughter), it’s always like that.

[auntiemel]

I'm only on episode 6 of season 2 right now, but I have some thoughts.

I feel like I understand the breakdown of the LaDarius and Monica situation. She told them that she was going to be gone for a few days and then she was gone for the entire semester. For most people, that wouldn't be as big a deal, but this is a kid whose mom went outside to answer the door and then never came back. That's obviously going to be triggering as hell when his "new mom" does the same thing--but this time, by choice, and starting the whole thing off with a lie.

Then, the Jerry situation happened while she was gone. Probably one of the more traumatic experiences he's had as an adult...and she wasn't even taking his calls at that point. From her perspective, it was likely nothing personal. It was probably her schedule. But I can only imagine how that must have felt like an abandonment and betrayal to him.

Then, when she did finally get back, he tried to lay out all of his frustrations to her, and from his point of view, she was largely disinterested in his feelings. I'm not saying that's objective reality...she had her own stuff going on, what with recovering from COVID, getting back into the swing of her job, and dealing with her own feelings about Jerry and the social media backlash against her, personally. But of course it's not going to read that way to him.

I'm not saying his perspective is reasonable. He needs therapy, that poor guy has been through so much trauma. I don't think he's very skilled at putting himself in other people's shoes and seeing things from their perspective. For instance, the whole Kaylee situation. He said, "I'm always so nice to her, telling her the way Monica would do things..."  He genuinely thinks he's being nice because he's forcing himself to use a "nice" tone. But he has no situational awareness about the pressure she's likely under, and how incredibly infuriating it would be to have a person constantly reminding her that someone else would be doing it better, no matter how pleasant the tone.

Then...the Jerry episode. WOW, was that a tough watch! As a survivor myself, I was really proud of the boys and their mom--the boys, for what they sacrificed to come forward, and the mom, for letting the boys take the lead on what THEY wanted to do, even though I'm sure she had her own thoughts on the best way forward.

I felt for Jerry's teammates and for Monica SO much. It is so incredibly heart-wrenching to think that you know a person, to think that you're close in a way that is soul-deep and significant...only to find out that that person has a whole other side they were hiding all along. It can make you feel like you can't trust anyone in your life, like you can't even trust the world, or your own judgement. It can make you feel like life is upside down.

I did disagree with the blonde advocate on one point--her vitriol for Monica, and saying that she should have put out a statement saying that the idea that she might have missed the signs will make her never sleep well again. I can understand those feelings...again, as a survivor myself, I went through a lengthy stage where I blamed EVERYONE connected to the situation for not seeing what was going on.

But, truthfully...it's Jerry's fault. It's ONLY Jerry's fault, and anyone that directly enabled it to go on after they were informed. And, of course, anyone that abused him when he was younger and got the cycle started. I don't agree with passing on blame to his teammates or Monica just because they didn't see it, or weren't self-flagellating enough after they found out. IMO, they shouldn't have to feel guilt for what went on, and they are entitled to the pain and grief they feel in the aftermath. And, like Gabi, they are entitled to still love him if that's how they feel, while at the same time recognizing that what he did was SO wrong and he needs to pay the consequences.

Lastly...The Weenies. I'm only on the episode where they are introduced, but so far I find them pretty annoying. I don't respond well to people whose attitude is, "I'm way too cool to follow the rules that everyone else has to follow, and that I implicitly agreed to follow by joining this team." Just...ugh.

[meatball77]

On 1/14/2022 at 8:13 AM, Whimsy said:

Showcasing these two teams is still so weird to me. I mean, they are performing really amazing routines. But they’re the only two teams in their division. I mentioned during season 1 and I’m mentioning it again because it’s just so weird. Monica winning 14 times against only one other team just isn’t as impressive as another team winning multiple times in a division that has at least four teams.  

Here’s the schedule for day 1.  Navarro and TVCC’s division is on the first page right after the lunch break. I can’t pull up just the printed list for day two, but you can use the searchable form on this page, if you’re interested. 

Actually, all of the divisions are really small. Guess I’m just used to the all-star cheer divisions where sometimes there’s double digits competing. It just seems weird to me that there aren’t more teams competing. 

It seems pretty absurd to have so much drama with being national champions when you are just beating one team.  Makes for good TV though.

There have been other reality shows that have focused on other cheer teams (HS, All Star, College), the reason this one was so popular was a large part due to the community college environment which instead of giving us rich girls with rich problems it gave us kids who were talented but from horrific background (which is the reason they didn't go to a Division 1 school).  I hated that there seemed to be no care for the future of these kids.  Instead of pushing for them to transfer to a four year school and complete their degree and improve their lives the focus is just on what is going on now and competing with the team and running out their eligibility (not to mention all the creeps who continue to hang out and make the team a large part of their lives).  The team should be a chance to really change the lives of these kids and it seemed like there was no emphasis on that.  The advanced ages of some of the kids on the team also seemed absurd.

[methodwriter85]

5 hours ago, meatball77 said:

There have been other reality shows that have focused on other cheer teams (HS, All Star, College), the reason this one was so popular was a large part due to the community college environment which instead of giving us rich girls with rich problems it gave us kids who were talented but from horrific background (which is the reason they didn't go to a Division 1 school). 

Gabi seemed like the only one on the show that came from a decently heeled family, and I couldn't help but wonder if that was because her parents were living off her because damned if they didn't come off as Stage Parents with a capital S. Also, I just really doubt that Gabi ever put in the work needed to get into a D1 school because she was basically a professional cheerleader from the time she was 12. She must have gotten decent enough grades at Navarro to be able to transfer into Weber State.

Gillian also seemed like she came from at least a middle class background, but yeah,  the bulk of these kids came from disadvantaged backgrounds and like cheerleading was the only way they were going to afford college without taking out a ton of loans. (Believe me- don't do it!) Even community college/junior college isn't all that cheap anymore. 

From a practical standpoint, it makes it a helluva lot easier to make the narrative for a reality show if you know that you will only need to follow two teams and one will be the winner. 

 

5 hours ago, auntiemel said:

But, truthfully...it's Jerry's fault. It's ONLY Jerry's fault, and anyone that directly enabled it to go on after they were informed

Word. If there's proof that Monica personally witnessed Jerry abusing a minor, or had been informed of it and still did nothing, by all means, roast her, but since there doesn't seem to be anything like that, then maybe we should put down the pitchfork.

Also, from what I've read about the case, Jerry mostly seemed to have done his predatory behavior while cheering under All Stars (which makes sense since that's where he's going to find the underaged boys) so maybe the vitriol should be aimed more towards All Stars? (Which the mother seemed to have filed several complaints with and they did nothing about it until she got the FBI involved.) 

[SourK]

I just binged season two -- partly because I wanted to talk about it without getting spoiled for the ending. :)

I thought this season was really interesting, but I also felt a lot more frustrated with the way people were behaving -- which I guess is what happens when you spend two seasons watching them instead of just one.

Both Monica and Vontae have this pattern they go through where they bully their athletes, and then the athletes get upset and cry, and then suddenly they change to Good Cop and go, "I'm not mad at you. I don't know why you're crying. Why R U upset??" as if they don't know.

It bothered me every time it happened, but the time it bugged me most was with Maddy, where they kept looping through a conversation where Monica was like, "You have to learn to accept my decisions," and Maddy was like, "I accept your decision, but I wish you would have told me privately instead of doing it in a way that made it shocking and embarrassing," and Monica was like, "You have to learn to accept my decisions."

Anyway.

I feel the guy who didn't want to smile, and I don't understand why the girls can't just wear shorts when they compete.

6 hours ago, auntiemel said:

I feel like I understand the breakdown of the LaDarius and Monica situation. She told them that she was going to be gone for a few days and then she was gone for the entire semester. For most people, that wouldn't be as big a deal, but this is a kid whose mom went outside to answer the door and then never came back. That's obviously going to be triggering as hell when his "new mom" does the same thing--but this time, by choice, and starting the whole thing off with a lie.

...

I'm not saying his perspective is reasonable. He needs therapy, that poor guy has been through so much trauma. I don't think he's very skilled at putting himself in other people's shoes and seeing things from their perspective. For instance, the whole Kaylee situation. He said, "I'm always so nice to her, telling her the way Monica would do things..."  He genuinely thinks he's being nice because he's forcing himself to use a "nice" tone.

I agree with everything you said, but especially these two points. It seemed like Monica actually did care about LaDarius and consider him a family member more than an athlete, so I don't judge her too harshly, but I can see how he would feel like she abandoned him, or like she was treating him like he was no one special when he was supposed to be special to her.

At the same time, I laughed out loud when he described how he'd been "nice" to Kaylee.

6 hours ago, auntiemel said:

I felt for Jerry's teammates and for Monica SO much. It is so incredibly heart-wrenching to think that you know a person, to think that you're close in a way that is soul-deep and significant...only to find out that that person has a whole other side they were hiding all along. It can make you feel like you can't trust anyone in your life, like you can't even trust the world, or your own judgement. It can make you feel like life is upside down.

I also appreciated that they showed how complicated the feeling is -- especially when Gabi said that she can't just magically turn off her feelings and stop caring about someone who was her friend. It would be so hard to try to process something like that.

5 hours ago, meatball77 said:

It seems pretty absurd to have so much drama with being national champions when you are just beating one team.  Makes for good TV though.

I literally didn't understand that there were only two teams until I read this thread. That's hilarious.

[MCMLXXVII]

On a shallow note, why does Monica’s hair always look so bad- like a bad home dye job, plus dry and uneven? She looked so pretty with it done in the DWTS clip.
I also hate the flat super black color Gabi and Kailee were rocking- ladies you are not Kardashians- but Monica should have the money to do better. She needs to move past the 90s French mani too for that matter.

[Guest]

I wonder if Kailee (I can't with that name) was constantly scrolling her phone instead of interacting with any of the athletes searching for an email from her agent explaining why he had her cast on this show instead of Temptation Island where it looked like she clearly belonged.

That bit of stunt casting was pretty awful.  

[novemberjenny]

On 1/14/2022 at 4:22 PM, TrixieTrue said:

did wonder why Andy didn't step in as the temporary coach. He already had an established rapport with the team. Even Kapena, and I know his reasons for not being on the team were discussed, could have been given another chance. He also had established relationships with people.    

This is addressed on the Reddit threat for this show if you’re interested. I’m not sure if we’re allowed to talk about it but since this is the only forum for the show, I’ll just take my chances lol. I’m wildly paraphrasing but apparently there is a  cheerleading Page Six-type of Twitter and one of their blind items was that a Navarro coach was sleeping with teammates. La’Darius confirmed on his twitter and people came to their own conclusions that it was Andy.

I suspect this is why Navarro got stuck with Kailee Peppers as a “coach” during fall semester when there were much better options such as Andy or Kapena. I have a feeling that the whole underage drinking mess/Andy being dismissed all happened right when Monica was on DWTS. Kailee was literally their only option. 

There was also a not-so-blind item that Dahlston is dating someone who just recently turned 18. It’s a student that he choreographed in an all-star team when he was still underage. There’s a 14 year age gap between them. Not that there’s anything wrong with an age gap but the relationship was clearly going on while the student was still underage. 

4 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Word. If there's proof that Monica personally witnessed Jerry abusing a minor, or had been informed of it and still did nothing, by all means, roast her, but since there doesn't seem to be anything like that, then maybe we should put down the pitchfork.

My issue (personally at least) isn’t with Monica or anyone’s perceived lack of action in preventing Jerry from abusing children. You’re absolutely correct in saying that Jerry’s actions are solely Jerry’s fault. My issue with Monica and Navarro in general is the fact that they keep making excuses for Jerry over and over again. Monica is a leader and an authority figure and she needs to set an example. All they’ve been doing is boo-hooing about how it made them feel and how upset they are and how they thought they knew Jerry. “But he was so nice!” They can’t stop thinking of themselves long enough to spare an ounce of sympathy for his victims. I mean it’s normal to have conflicted feelings about someone that you found out is an abuser but ugh. Gabi saying she can’t stop being friends with him. Girl you can ABSOLUTELY stop being friends with someone who sent an explicit video of himself to a minor. That’s not a gray area. 
 

Edit to say: while Jerry’s actions are his own fault, I have seen a lot of people say that All Star gyms and gymnastics gyms in general really foster a perfect environment for abuse to happen. There’s little supervision and little oversight. Abuse incidents often never get reported and when they do, they’re not taken seriously. Abusers are allowed to move gyms and move on with little consequence. There’s a fantastic doc on Netflix called “Athlete A” about the USA Gymnastics abuse scandal and they really address this in-depth.  

 

2 hours ago, MCMLXXVII said:

I also hate the flat super black color Gabi and Kailee were rocking- ladies you are not Kardashians

Gabi especially, because she has a really awful complexion and the coal black just enhances her acne. I think Monica’s hair is awful. It’s straightener fried and dry as fuck. Her hair would look so much better and healthier if she cut off like 6 inches and gave it a good deep conditioning treatment. 
 

I think Navarro and TVCC are like any rival dynasties, they trade off power years (or decades in Navarro’s case.) TVCC is on the uptick, especially with their recent win and with a younger, hungry coach. I think Navarro really let the fame monster eat them alive. Monica especially let the endless parade of interviews and media obligations get to her. 

Edited January 16, 2022 by novemberjenny

[methodwriter85]

12 minutes ago, novemberjenny said:

I suspect this is why Navarro got stuck with Kailee Peppers as a “coach” during fall semester when there were much better options such as Andy or Kapena. I have a feeling that the whole underage drinking mess/Andy being dismissed all happened right when Monica was on DWTS. Kailee was literally their only option. 

It's kind of amazing how much Navarro just absolutely collapsed on all levels during the course of 2020, but they still managed to get it together enough that they just barely lost the crown title to Trinity Valley.

[Stiggs]

So this is really all about two Texas junior college cheer teams competing once a year in Florida? And there are scholarships? I know very little of this world, and assumed there were tons of other schools they just weren’t showing us. National champions? I mean, I’m fascinated and engaged, but lordy. This series can seem like a Christopher Guest movie at times. 
 

I want a spin-off about Khris, and how a man can devote his entire life to a yearly junior college cheering competition to such an extent that he can’t commit to his lady love - and he lives with friends who sort of talk to him like he’s a child. I need to know more about Khris…

They sort of glossed over Monica getting Covid - I wonder how long she was down with it? There were a few times when she just seemed to be stunned and depressed - and wow nobody was happy about her being on DWTS. 
 

They handled the Jerry horribleness about the only way they could. He can rot in prison - I’m glad they minimized him until the one episode, because he just makes me gag now. The kids who spoke out are brave, and I hope they can find a cheer home where they feel safe. It seems to be a very special thing to the folks who love it, and I hope they get to experience that. 
 

I like to think that the team that didn’t win lost because they threw a glass bottle into the ocean like they weren’t right there in a goddamn beach area. Trashing the ocean aside, maybe their fears can cut open someone’s foot. Freakin’ tourists, man. 
 

Since Navarro has the bandshell, and Covid and all, they should have kept it local and just did their routines in a parking lot halfway between schools. 
 

OMG Cassadee - I like seeing a Toddlers and Tiaras vet doing well. 

[Guest]

On 1/14/2022 at 5:13 AM, Whimsy said:

Showcasing these two teams is still so weird to me. I mean, they are performing really amazing routines. But they’re the only two teams in their division. I mentioned during season 1 and I’m mentioning it again because it’s just so weird. Monica winning 14 times against only one other team just isn’t as impressive as another team winning multiple times in a division that has at least four teams.  

I completely agree. It’s hard to be invested at all once I realized that my local high school team faces more competition in every single competition than this team does at Nationals. Both teams could completely fall apart and one of them will still win. 

I know they’re good but it’s a lot easier to be the best when you compete once a season and only have to beat one other team. 

[HappyHanna]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I completely agree. It’s hard to be invested at all once I realized that my local high school team faces more competition in every single competition than this team does at Nationals. Both teams could completely fall apart and one of them will still win. 

I know they’re good but it’s a lot easier to be the best when you compete once a season and only have to beat one other team. 

Just dittoing to all this. I have read the argument that "Navarro has won national grand champion" or whatever (which means they have gotten the highest score of all the teams in the competition I guess), so why don't they just compete against the non-Junior college teams then? If other junior colleges can, supposedly, just pick to compete in a different category to avoid them (and TVCC) then why couldn't Navarro (and TVCC) chose to compete in a larger category?  All these two teams do is prep to compete in one competition in Florida, against each other, once a year? And in the meantime the kids basically just hang out in junior college forever and never graduate or move on to the rest of their lives. Makes good tv, I guess...

[methodwriter85]

3 hours ago, Stiggs said:

I want a spin-off about Khris, and how a man can devote his entire life to a yearly junior college cheering competition to such an extent that he can’t commit to his lady love - and he lives with friends who sort of talk to him like he’s a child. I need to know more about Khris…

If I'm being completely honest, for a moment I thought Khris and his married couple friends were like in some kind of throuple situation, but then I changed my mind for that reason- they really kind of talk to him like he's a child. Or at least, emotionally stunted as a teenager. It was weird. Khris doesn't really act like he's still 19 the way Kap basically did, but Khris seems to want to stay in the "figuring stuff out" zone. Kinda. I don't know- Khris is hard to read.

I kind of wonder if he's kinda like those high school teachers who are there because on some level they want to stay in high school forever. Just like, junior college instead. LOL. 

Quote

And in the meantime the kids basically just hang out in junior college forever and never graduate or move on to the rest of their lives.

I noticed Kap in the stands at one of their exhibitions where they show off for the home crowd, and I was just like, "Bro, seriously, move on. You can't even volunteer with them in any kind of capacity!" 

Morgan did actually graduate, so good for her. Meanwhile Gabi is taking advantage of her eligibility being stretched at a new college. (I think Gabi gets an additional two years of cheer comp eligibility by going to 4-year college, plus the Covid year being added back on. I think that means she can cheer at Nationals 2022, '23, and '24 right? I think she cheered for Navarro for '19, '20, and '21, but '20 no longer counts so I think she has three years of eligibility for Weber State. ) Jada also seems to have gone the same route. I hope both of them at least manage to get a degree. I'm not saying a degree is the be all, end all- plenty of people get degrees that they never actually use, but at the end of the day, it's an accomplishment that nobody can ever take from you.

Edited January 16, 2022 by methodwriter85

[circumvent]

I watched the first season almost by accident and was surprisingly into it. Mostly because I think what those girls do to be insanely dangerous. But I also found season one personal stories compelling - except for Gabi's. The grift on that family, it bears child exploitation. Besides, she is not even likable, too much of a diva. A for talent, I have no idea because I know nothing about cheerleading skills.

Season two is a mess. It is boring beyond tears. Some of the participants might have let the illusion of fame go up to their heads and they are not being themselves (to the extent that one can be themself in a reality show). Some of them adopted a persona for the cameras and are just playing with it. I had no idea that there was such a hoopla around them after the first season. I don't watch TV or follow celebrity stuff. But that's all an illusion and will die out. Some of them will crash hard.

The whole thing with Jerry made me incredibly uncomfortable. Not about Jerry himself. It is sad that someone could have the life he had as a child, then have the support he  - apparently, supposedly - had from his adoptive family, and still squander everything by abusing kids. What made me uncomfortable was the two boys being paraded in a reality show, faces and facts. Part of me sees this as another form of exploitation, even if the boys themselves allegedly decided to come forward publicly. Part of me sees it as brave, a way to not be victimized again, to have a voice. But it worries me that this is not a news show - as bad and sensationalist as many of those are - but a reality show that is clearly doing all they can to cash in by exposing children and young adults who have little to no emotional support to deal with some aspects of the show. If the family is getting any payment for the appearance in the show, money or in kind, I wonder if this might be used against them and benefit Jerry during his trial. To add to my conflict, since Jerry still have defenders, maybe the two kids and their supporters felt like they needed to build up their own network of support. But my feelings tilt in the direction of the move was not appropriate for this particular show.

I will probably finish the season but I hope it is the last one

[TrixieTrue]

 

On 1/13/2022 at 5:36 AM, SailorGirl said:

Still loving my girl Morgan!! 

I like Morgan, too, but watching her in her third year, and comparing her stunts to the other girls, she was not at their level. Gabi, Maddy, Gillian, all of the other girls had great technique and POINTED TOES. Side by side, Morgan was just not as good. It was also evident in her tumbling and jumps. 

It's a little unfair to judge, because we only see a very small piece of their life, but what was Morgan doing to improve her technique? A ballet class might have helped, any dance class, really. Did she do stretches daily, was she working on it on her own? Or was she fine with what she was doing because it was deemed good enough by Monica.  

[Whimsy]

6 hours ago, HappyHanna said:

Just dittoing to all this. I have read the argument that "Navarro has won national grand champion" or whatever (which means they have gotten the highest score of all the teams in the competition I guess), so why don't they just compete against the non-Junior college teams then? If other junior colleges can, supposedly, just pick to compete in a different category to avoid them (and TVCC) then why couldn't Navarro (and TVCC) chose to compete in a larger category?  All these two teams do is prep to compete in one competition in Florida, against each other, once a year? And in the meantime the kids basically just hang out in junior college forever and never graduate or move on to the rest of their lives. Makes good tv, I guess...

It was me who pointed out they won grand champs, but also me who is saying it’s weird to focus on these two teams that only compete against each other, lol. The teams that chose to compete in another division to avoid Navarro (if that’s what they did) are competing as Intermediate, not advanced. That means the stunts are it as elaborate and the tumbling not as flashy. So, Monica probably doesn’t want to do that. 

[jrzy]

On 1/12/2022 at 7:38 PM, meatball77 said:

I'm on the Jerry episode now.  Do they mention the other two Navarro cheerleaders who were arrested for child sex abuse because it was three of them!  Jerry's was specifically bad, he couldn't even stop abusing kids when he was out on bail (and he was denied bail because of that).

I'm glad they didn't just erase Jerry from the second season and instead acknowledged it and supported those two (male) victims.  Amazing for those boys for being willing to speak up, they are heroes.

I'm also wondering how many semesters some of those cheerleaders were attending Junior College and I wonder what they end up doing after.  It didn't sound like that Monica was pushing the kids to move to a four year school.

What has puzzled me about this series in general is how long can someone stay in Junior College?  I know 4 year Colleges will have 5 year plans especially for atheletes, but community college?  Would you just keep studying different material?  I just don't get it.