College “cheer” On Netflix: It’s A Hit

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Agree and feel pushing through injuries is an issue in most sports not just Cheer. I remember watching Kerri Strug tear 2 ligaments in her ankle vaulting and nail her next vault. She was viewed as a hero.

EXACTLY. That was my main problem with that article that that blogger wrote. She vilifies Monica for pushing her athletes to perform while injured, but completely neglects to acknowledge the toxic culture that made that the norm among all sports — including college football which she claims to follow closely — so she could crap all over a successful female coach. The whole thing REEKS of internalised misogyny. It’s okay if men push their athletes, but if women do it then it’s dangerous. Because obviously women don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to sports. Because they’re women.

The more this show’s popularity increases — and with it, the outrage about how the athletes train — the more visible the double standard becomes. Athletes train through injuries all the time, men and women alike. Whenever I see another criticism about it in the wake of Cheer, my reaction is always, “Yeah... and?” It was always that way in my experience. I watched my male friends play football with half a dozen broken fingers. I watched my dancer friend sit through song/pom practice with a badly injured back so she could “save up” her skills for the comp the next weekend. I tumbled through my individual routine a few weeks after abdominal surgery which felt like I was going to rip my stitches out and spill my guts all over the mat. And that was just how it was. Nobody questioned it — not the athletes, not the parents, not anyone. Unless you had a broken bone (and it’d better be a big bone), you played/performed. Maybe that was wrong. IDK. But it’s been the norm for awhile now. And I have to think that at least SOME of the naysayers decrying Monica have at least been tangentially aware of that on some level, either through playing sports as kids themselves or watching college/pro sports. So when they act surprised that this is the norm for cheer as well and get all upset about it, I have to think that they’re really only upset that a woman is doing it. Because that’s the primary difference between cheer and other sports: cheer is dominated by women. And that, apparently, is unforgivable.

 

[quitthedrama]

EXACTLY. That was my main problem with that article that that blogger wrote. She vilifies Monica for pushing her athletes to perform while injured, but completely neglects to acknowledge the toxic culture that made that the norm among all sports — including college football which she claims to follow closely — so she could crap all over a successful female coach. The whole thing REEKS of internalised misogyny. It’s okay if men push their athletes, but if women do it then it’s dangerous. Because obviously women don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to sports. Because they’re women.

The more this show’s popularity increases — and with it, the outrage about how the athletes train — the more visible the double standard becomes. Athletes train through injuries all the time, men and women alike. Whenever I see another criticism about it in the wake of Cheer, my reaction is always, “Yeah... and?” It was always that way in my experience. I watched my male friends play football with half a dozen broken fingers. I watched my dancer friend sit through song/pom practice with a badly injured back so she could “save up” her skills for the comp the next weekend. I tumbled through my individual routine a few weeks after abdominal surgery which felt like I was going to rip my stitches out and spill my guts all over the mat. And that was just how it was. Nobody questioned it — not the athletes, not the parents, not anyone. Unless you had a broken bone (and it’d better be a big bone), you played/performed. Maybe that was wrong. IDK. But it’s been the norm for awhile now. And I have to think that at least SOME of the naysayers decrying Monica have at least been tangentially aware of that on some level, either through playing sports as kids themselves or watching college/pro sports. So when they act surprised that this is the norm for cheer as well and get all upset about it, I have to think that they’re really only upset that a woman is doing it. Because that’s the primary difference between cheer and other sports: cheer is dominated by women. And that, apparently, is unforgivable.

I can assure you that most colleges do not train like this in any sports. Concussion protocol is a huge thing now, even in professional sports. I didn't interpret this article the same way you did but maybe that's because my kids cheer for a university and I am familiar with not only how their sport is run but also those of the other sports on campus.

 

[Keep_Believing]

That was the Olympics though. And I know this is going to sound way, way more insulting then I mean it to, but cheerleading isn't the Olympics. Even World's is not the Olympics. Yes, it's important to those who are competing there but unlike Kerri Strug who has a net worth of roughly $4 million dollars thanks to her journey to and through the Olympics, the average cheerleader pushing through injuries is not going to see that sort of pay out for their hard work.

That was just one example. I agree injuries should be taken serious. Just pointing out how athletes in general are rewarded for pushing through injuries.

 

[DonnaM]

And I think part of the reason why Cheer is getting the Pearl clutching is that the idea of "playing through the pain" is a sign of a sport, but there is real reluctance to see cheer as a sport (fed by Varsity).

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

That was the Olympics though. And I know this is going to sound way, way more insulting then I mean it to, but cheerleading isn't the Olympics. Even World's is not the Olympics. Yes, it's important to those who are competing there but unlike Kerri Strug who has a net worth of roughly $4 million dollars thanks to her journey to and through the Olympics, the average cheerleader pushing through injuries is not going to see that sort of pay out for their hard work.

I started to post this exact statement...thanks for taking one for the team.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I can assure you that most colleges do not train like this in any sports. Concussion protocol is a huge thing now, even in professional sports. I didn't interpret this article the same way you did but maybe that's because my kids cheer for a university and I am familiar with not only how their sport is run but also those of the other sports on campus.

Not just concussion protocol, rule changes in general:

Coach discussing new rule designed to make football safer - “these players are getting soft, but that’s the game and now we have to teach our players what targeting is and how to not get a penalty.”

Coach discussing new rule designed to make cheer safer - “this is bullshit! How the hell are we supposed to compete if we can’t do a ball - X - double - slippity dippity basket toss anymore?”

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I can assure you that most colleges do not train like this in any sports. Concussion protocol is a huge thing now, even in professional sports. I didn't interpret this article the same way you did but maybe that's because my kids cheer for a university and I am familiar with not only how their sport is run but also those of the other sports on campus.

It’s good to hear that other college sports don’t train this way. Admittedly it’s been awhile since I was adjacent to them. Nonetheless, the thing I keep coming back to is when we see some 19 y/o kid get the snot knocked out of him on a football field to the point where medical staff is involved, then cheer him on when he keeps playing a few minutes later. This kid was writhing in pain a little bit ago. He has not just magically healed himself. You’d have to be completely out of touch with reality not to know that he’s clearly playing while injured. And it’s not only allowed, but encouraged. But then people get upset when they see girls do the same thing in “Cheer?”

So that’s what gets me. People laud football for pushing their athletes, but crap on cheer for it. You’re closer to college-level sports than I am, so maybe you can tell me if I’m misinterpreting some things. But from where I’m sitting, it’s always been the case. Yes, we’ve made strides, but this trend of pushing injured athletes is still very much a part of sports culture... one that is lauded in a male-dominated arena but scorned in female-dominated one.

 

[SL&AM]

It’s good to hear that other college sports don’t train this way. Admittedly it’s been awhile since I was adjacent to them. Nonetheless, the thing I keep coming back to is when we see some 19 y/o kid get the snot knocked out of him on a football field to the point where medical staff is involved, then cheer him on when he keeps playing a few minutes later. This kid was writhing in pain a little bit ago. He has not just magically healed himself. You’d have to be completely out of touch with reality not to know that he’s clearly playing while injured. And it’s not only allowed, but encouraged. But then people get upset when they see girls do the same thing in “Cheer?”

So that’s what gets me. People laud football for pushing their athletes, but crap on cheer for it. You’re closer to college-level sports than I am, so maybe you can tell me if I’m misinterpreting some things. But from where I’m sitting, it’s always been the case. Yes, we’ve made strides, but this trend of pushing injured athletes is still very much a part of sports culture... one that is lauded in a male-dominated arena but scorned in female-dominated one.

Not that I like pulling from Netflix documentaries, but some of Aaron Hernandez' former teammates were fairly open about what they experienced playing football at the college level. One of the guys, an incoming freshman, was convinced all of the juniors/seniors were taking steroids because they all stood in a line with their pants down getting shots. In reality, they were all getting cortisone shots for the pain.

I think it's important to acknowledge that sports are getting safer, but they still have a long way to go before everyone gets to where they need to be.

No joke, one of older's friends was training for a half marathon (13.1 miles). Older's coach is very anti-kids running half and full marathons, but older's friends mom signed her up anyway. Friend went to a running group and got whacked by a door being opened suddenly. Friend had a swollen knee and was limping less than 2 weeks before the half marathon. Friends mom still brought her to track practice and expected her to do the daily training. Coach sent friend home and told mom to let her rest and heal. For reference, older is 11 and this friend is a peer.

My point is, it's not just a society problem it's also a parent one. Even I am guilty of posting about the time oldest went to choreography doped up on Zofran because she woke up with a stomach bug. So, I think it has to come from 'us' (parents in general) to teach our athletes to use their voices when something isn't right. Wet n' Wild edition of World's is a good example of this...multiple athletes, among multiple teams knew the floor wasn't right but none of them felt empowered enough to speak up in the moment. The very next year, a hole was discovered and the WCSS girls did not sit quietly until it was fixed. If we teach our kids that sacrificing their bodies and adult health isn't worth it, I think it will help...not fix the problem, but help.

And I totally admit that I may be a little sensitive on this topic right now. If we're not FB friends my littlest just suffered a compression fracture in her spine so accidents and injury prevention are very much in the forefront of my mind right now.

 

[Keep_Believing]

And I totally admit that I may be a little sensitive on this topic right now. If we're not FB friends my littlest just suffered a compression fracture in her spine so accidents and injury prevention are very much in the forefront of my mind right now.

All of your post are well written and have good points. You come off as honest and informed, not sensitive.

I am so sorry. Prayers for your daughter.

 

[MyGirlCheers]

And I totally admit that I may be a little sensitive on this topic right now. If we're not FB friends my littlest just suffered a compression fracture in her spine so accidents and injury prevention are very much in the forefront of my mind right now.

Former CP suffered compression fractures of T5 and T6 in second grade from an accident in PE. Feel free to pm me if you want to talk. I hope your little heals quickly!

 

[UCFKnights07]

oh look varsity finally allowed a navarro video with music. Kinda shady with the timing of releasing it, clearly trying to cash in on youtube views now that the show is blowing up.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Not that I like pulling from Netflix documentaries, but some of Aaron Hernandez' former teammates were fairly open about what they experienced playing football at the college level. One of the guys, an incoming freshman, was convinced all of the juniors/seniors were taking steroids because they all stood in a line with their pants down getting shots. In reality, they were all getting cortisone shots for the pain.

I think it's important to acknowledge that sports are getting safer, but they still have a long way to go before everyone gets to where they need to be.

No joke, one of older's friends was training for a half marathon (13.1 miles). Older's coach is very anti-kids running half and full marathons, but older's friends mom signed her up anyway. Friend went to a running group and got whacked by a door being opened suddenly. Friend had a swollen knee and was limping less than 2 weeks before the half marathon. Friends mom still brought her to track practice and expected her to do the daily training. Coach sent friend home and told mom to let her rest and heal. For reference, older is 11 and this friend is a peer.

My point is, it's not just a society problem it's also a parent one. Even I am guilty of posting about the time oldest went to choreography doped up on Zofran because she woke up with a stomach bug. So, I think it has to come from 'us' (parents in general) to teach our athletes to use their voices when something isn't right. Wet n' Wild edition of World's is a good example of this...multiple athletes, among multiple teams knew the floor wasn't right but none of them felt empowered enough to speak up in the moment. The very next year, a hole was discovered and the WCSS girls did not sit quietly until it was fixed. If we teach our kids that sacrificing their bodies and adult health isn't worth it, I think it will help...not fix the problem, but help.

And I totally admit that I may be a little sensitive on this topic right now. If we're not FB friends my littlest just suffered a compression fracture in her spine so accidents and injury prevention are very much in the forefront of my mind right now.

You don’t sound sensitive. It’s a serious issue. And one I think we’re all still adapting to. I’m the first one to admit that I would push athletes harder if I could because that’s how I was taught both by my parents and coaches. One thing I’m trying to work on is having more patience for injuries that aren’t hands down “serious” because I performed with pulled hams, bad wrists, and twisted shoulders all the time. And I’m still learning that even though my experience says that injured kids could still perform, it doesn’t mean they should. It’s been a weird adjustment because on the whole, my cheer career was successful. So it’s easy for me to feel that my way is best — even if it includes pushing injured kids — because that’s what I did and it worked for me. And even though time has shown me that parts of my career were not ideally executed, it’s still a mindset I have to consciously remove myself from in the wake of everything we now know about sports injuries.

 

[CoachTamara]

You don’t sound sensitive. It’s a serious issue. And one I think we’re all still adapting to. I’m the first one to admit that I would push athletes harder if I could because that’s how I was taught both by my parents and coaches. One thing I’m trying to work on is having more patience for injuries that aren’t hands down “serious” because I performed with pulled hams, bad wrists, and twisted shoulders all the time. And I’m still learning that even though my experience says that injured kids could still perfor

YES. So much this!

I feel like we would be BFF in real life. Please come coach with me. :D

 

[UCFKnights07]

I think athletes at the professional or olympic level arent necessarily pushed by adults to compete injured. But after god knows how many years of training for these moments they arent just going to throw in the towel. Just the same college athletes tend to push the limits but i dont think its all because the coach yelled at them to do so at that point..
If were gonna change the mentality on how we handle injuries it needs to start at a young age with kids, I mean how many times are kids told to suck it up and stop crying at the littliest of things, were all mostly taught inadvertently at a young age to suck it up.
My point is, is that I wouldnt put all the blame on the coaches for not pulling an athlete at every given sign of injury. Not saying its right or wrong but how many times have you been injured and not said a word to no one as a kid or teen. I know I have at least a handful of times...

 

[DonnaM]

As someone who has a kid who ended up sitting out this season to rehab, the idea of pushing through pain needs to change for the younger kids. Realistically, if my CP had been willing to even take a break during conditioning last summer, she wouldn't have had the enforced break this year-and now she feels she cannot go back mid-season, because her team has a bid, she hasn't tumbled in months, and she could cost them points. The coaches and teammates saying she's welcome doesn't make a difference-she truly feels that because she had to take a break and didn't keep going that she can NEVER go back to cheer. She feels guilty because so many people do compete and practice injured.

And I am concerned about illness as well. We have one middle school with over 250 confirmed flu cases-and I have been teaching less than half my music students every week this semester. Their team has a NHSCC bid (and trains at our gym). I am 100% sure that there are kids who have flu symptoms who are coming to cheer practice because of Nationals and don't feel they can miss.