I was at baseball, softball, just kinda watching over the game,
making sure nobody was getting injured,
and I get a call from cheer about somebody being down.
And so, I have to run from the baseball complex over here
to, assess an injury.
It's crazy. Crazy.
I don't know what Coach is gonna do to replace her.
You know, because she did everything.
She was such a big influence on the team.
She was... She had a major part in...
everything that was done on mat.
It just happens that
sometimes an injury occurs where they have to fill that spot
within... a month before competition.
So, others are coming in and, you know, they may be great, hard workers,
but their technique, you know,
is not as great as somebody else on the team.
The cheerleaders put in so much time,
and it just takes a toll on the body.
They tumble on a very hard floor.
You know, just an athletic mat under a hardwood floor.
So, a lot of shin splints,
a lot of rolled ankles, sprained ankles. You know, we have people on that team
with SLAP tears in their labrum that are still participating,
grade III AC separation,
rotator cuff tears,
patellar tendonitis, patellar tendon tears,
head injuries.
And we can see more, and I hope not.
I pray to God not.
I can't handle any more injuries right now.
I texted Sherbs today.
She never texted me back,
but then again, she's, like, really, really loopy right now still, so--
She probably slept all day.
Gabi told me that she's really sad.
I can imagine. It's-- It's her last year here, and she's out.
I mean...
Sherbs is Sherbs. Like, she's...
She was a huge part of the routine.
Huge part of the routine.
People get injured. I mean, not just in cheerleading.
Like, there's people who get injured in every single other sport in the world,
and you have to make it work.
The best teams are the ones who can make it work.
So, is everybody healthy?
Well, did I tell you that Sherbs dislocated her elbow?
- Really? - Yeah.
We were working on the pyramid, and she fell,
and it... it was bad.
What was she in the pyramid?
- Top girl. - Really?
She was basket, top girl, pyramid, flyer.
- Lord. - She was in everything.
- Look. ER. - Poor thing.
Bless her heart.
What are you gonna do?
The doctor said I'm gonna be out for eight to ten weeks,
and it's just a long process, and it's pretty painful still.
Whenever it happened, I just looked down, and I didn't see anyone there,
and I was like, "No. This is about to be bad."
And I guess... I think I just closed my eyes
and, like, just put my arm out.
But-- Which you're not really supposed to do in cheerleading,
that's what they always tell you, but...
And it was very scary, not seeing anyone there.
And my particular part, it is hard to replace.
'Cause, I mean, it takes a lot for someone to...
step up and actually, like, be able to do the routine.
My gosh.
It was so hard to get up this morning.
I didn't sleep at all, and I kept having, like...
When I was asleep, I was, like, dreaming about the pyramid and stuff.
We need to get a good video of a full-out.
- I mean... - Yeah.
- It's just that... - Yeah, we have to.
We normally try to pick a number of full-outs that we do.
A goal to attain.
We're gonna try to get to 41 this year.
41 for... If you flip the numbers around,
it would be 14, and we're going for our 14th national title,
so, fingers crossed on that one.
But I hate that we had to replace people.
It does set us back in some practices. We can't go full-out
because we have to make sure that they know what they're doing
and that we're safe.
We have to take advantage of every practice that we have
and do the most full-outs we can
because there's really not much time.
And you can feel the pressure at practices.
Okay, everybody look at me and listen. Like, really listen. Um...
I don't want you leaving the mat or the side of the mat
to go to the bathroom, to go to the laundry room,
to do anything without asking me first.
We happen to do the pyramid,
and your job is to spot,
and I don't realize that you're not out here,
then someone can get hurt.
When Sherbs fell, there was a lot of factors in that.
It's not always one person's fault.
I mean, it's a team effort.
Everyone has to be held accountable for everyone on the team.
So, we have a lot to do today, so I need everyone to be positive,
um, encouraging, and, just patient.
Obviously I've already talked to some people.
Allie's gonna do Sherbs's part.
So, what we'll do is readjust some things,
and then teach her the pyramid.
And I want Morgan to try the basket tosses and see where we're at.
Okay? So, go to the beginning.
So, now that Sherbs is out,
I don't have another girl that can do every single one of those parts.
We have to put both Allie and Morgan on the mat.
Okay, let's try the pyramid with Allie's side.
Let's go, Allie!
Do this for Sherbs! Y'all got this!
One, two, three, four, five, seven, eight.
One, three, five, seven, eight.
Good job, guys.
Y'all, please don't scream if something goes wrong.
It's, like, way scarier.
Spotters, be active.
Look at everyone now. Where were you last night?
You're supposed to catch like this.
We are.
No, I saw you grab her arm.
I catch like this.
Keep the comments to yourself.
Positivity.
Ay, ay, ay, señorita.
It's all right. We're learning.
One, two, three, four, five, seven, eight.
One, two, three, four, five...
...seven and easy.
Her hips are loose.
- You notice that? - Yeah.
Come down.
Allie! Girl!
Allie, don't turn your hip out.
Don't let your hip come over when you bring your leg up.
Don't let it come over.
I mean, it's g-- it's good.
- Are you good? - Yeah.
Hey, y'all work on your stunts for a minute.
Ready? One, five, six, seven, eight.
One, two, three, four, five, seven, and...
One, three, easy... five, seven, and...
One, two, three, four, five, seven... One...
God.
...five, seven, and one, two...
You know, she can be a little bit nervous and emotional,
but she has a little bit better technique than Morgan,
so I wanna give her a try and see if she could handle it.
Morgan has come a long way, but she's a little bit, you know, raw.
Most of the people, especially that come to this program,
are on All-Star teams, so they're cheerleading pretty much 24/7.
So, you know, she didn't have the opportunities
like a lot of the other kids.
Come on, y'all.
Perform it!
- Take it out. There you go. - Yes!
Hey, that double was cute.
- Thank you. - That was so much better.
Can one person, like, count everyone in?
Will just has no stamina.
He looks like he's dying, and he barely does anything.
I mean, I know he has to hold that pyramid up, but...
I gotta get in shape.
I gotta start doing elliptical or something.
I'm pushing.
Jerry was definitely considered for a spot, and still might be.
'Cause I don't know, like, you know, Will's had some issues.
He's had a hurt shoulder, a hurt knee.
His stamina's not the best, based on,
you know, some things that I've seen.
Shit!
- My back usually never hurts. - It was just on that stunt.
Last week, when Will got hurt,
there were several guys trying to jump in and do that stunt with Jade.
They wanted to prove themselves. "I can do this. Put me in, Coach."
You know? And... I didn't see Jerry doing that.
- Let's go. - I think he's being too nice,
and th-- and that's just his personality. He's not gonna, you know,
be the one that jumps in front of someone else,
when he should be.
Gotta, you know, gotta earn your spot. You gotta think about yourself.
I wouldn't say I didn't do my best,
but I feel like I could've did a little bit better
when it came to me and my stunts.
But I did what I could, and I feel like I didn't--
I just didn't have what she was lookin' for.
I just-- I want her to give explanations.
Jer, I really want you to go ask her.
- I'm not gonna. - You should.
If I ask her, that's me basically, like--
Well, it would mean finding out what you need to work on.
Because...
...not to be rude, in a way, when I say this--
- What are you saying? - But, like, second year.
- This is the second year. - Yeah, it is.
So you deserve to know what you need to work on.
Yeah, that is true.
So, just word it in a way, like, "So, like, what do I need to work on?"
Yeah. If I put it like that, yeah.
Yeah, I'mma go talk to her one of these days.
let's go ahead and go to baskets
'cause Morgan needs to practice on this new group.
Yeah!
Rest in peace.
Let's go.
It's my time to die.
Seven, eight. One, three...
When Sherbs got hurt...
- Sorry. - Are you okay?
...I had to learn baskets.
- Breathe. - Hip, hip.
But it's kind of scary because baskets are
one of the most dangerous things we can do, I feel like,
because there's been times where people have landed on their neck
- and broke their neck from doing baskets. - Three, up!
- Five, six. - That one was scary.
But, for me, I just was like, "You know what?
Monica needs me to do it, so I'm just gonna step up and just do it."
Come on, Morgan. Squeeze your butt.
It's crazy what we do if you think about it, like...
Whoever thought of taking two people...
...and a back spot and chucking someone into the air
and seeing how many times they can spin, how many times they can flip?
That person is psychotic.
But yeah, I'm the crazy person because I'm the one that does it.
That was much better.
My only critique is you pike a little on that ball-X full
'cause you're twisting like that.
- One more. - Smile, Morgan!
I pulled Morgan to the side and I said, "Morgan,
do you think you can do it?" And she said, "Yes."
And she came in and learned it within a few tries.
Five, six, hold. One. Get her up!
Yes, Morgan! That was good.
Before she came to Navarro,
she knew nothing. She knew nothing.
And, I mean, when I say she has come so far,
she has come so far. You know, she's eager to please.
- Five, six, seven. - That looks better.
It's getting better every time.
Okay, y'all. Let's do the pyramid.
Yeah! Five, six, seven, eight.
Allie! Five, seven.
One...
Hey, let's just do this side a few times.
Y- Y'all catch her. She's gonna go that way.
One...
And... five. Five, six, seven, eight.
- One, two, three, four, five-- - Whoo!
Shit.
Are you okay? Are you hurt?
Are you okay?
Come here.
Your ankle?
Are you okay?
Can you do it or not?
Just give her a second, Kapena.
Hey, y'all. Work on your stunts for a minute.
Are you hurt or hurting?
I'm just frustrated.
Stop getting frustrated because this is not the time for it, okay?
You can be hard on yourself, but you gotta pick yourself back up.
We're all trying to warm up, and if you get into this down mood,
it's gonna affect everybody else. So, you do have to step up.
Everyone's gonna make mistakes, but no one's gonna cry about it, okay?
You're bigger and better than that.
Girl!
She-- She can only take so much,
and then she starts, you know?
But you know what? We have no other choices.
- I-I mean... - I mean...
What about Kassidy?
Didn't she break her arm on the same thing?
Her PT told her she can do hand-in-hands, I mean...
We'll pray for her.
I was just sitting here, my mind was thinking,
- I could put Morgan on the pyramid. - Yeah.
- We can try it tonight. - We can, I don't care.
I'm open to what's gonna make it work.
Yeah.
We gotta go to Daytona, like, in, like, three and a half weeks,
so you don't have time to be playing games.
No games played.
I have the highest expectation for us this year, because...
I don't like to lose. Like, that is just not something I wanna do.
I'll say it again, and I've said it a thousand times,
but y'all can't give away points.
You get to a point of full-outs
where you're really knowing how to push through
and not let a deduction happen.
It doesn't have to be perfect,
but we don't want to give away points.
If you're not being smart about the decisions you make,
you could lose the whole championship.
So, I'm so glad that Monica uses her math brain for this team.
When it comes to putting together a routine
or getting judged in a routine,
she knows exactly what numbers we need to get the score we want.
For us to score in that upper range,
we have to do at least one stunt section with all the stunts unassisted.
It's very smart cheerleading that needs to happen,
because that way you can train yourself for the score sheet.
Our score sheet is divided into technique and difficulty,
so your difficulty points are gonna come from the skills that you're doing.
Are you able to let go
so that we can get that unassisted point for that?
So, if the first one I can grab and let go,
then we get our coed points for that section,
and the next part, the double down, has to be unassisted.
So, we just have to play the game right.
One, two, three.
It's all a game of strategy.
If there's any team that's gonna beat us,
it's gonna be Trinity Valley, as far as score-wise.
It's-- It's gotten pretty competitive with just the two schools.
Our division has gotten to the point
where we have to beat Navarro, or Navarro has to beat us.
But at end of the day, as long as we go and do a zero, hit a zero routine,
that's all we really care about.
You know, we have a rubric. You can do these skills,
but now at this level, everybody's doing the same skills.
So, it isn't about the skills, it's about who hits.
When you hit zero, that means that you have made it
from the beginning to the end without mistakes
that would take points off.
Y'all hit four out of ten. Not very good.
Tumbling falls, stunt falls, pyramid falls.
After all the full-outs, I go back to the videos, and I look
at every little thing
and I look at every single person that missed a skill
or whatever wasn't thrown, and I write it down.
Eventually, that list should get smaller and smaller and smaller,
to where I don't have to write anything because it's that good.
This is why you go to bed at 7:00 a.m.
- Who, me? - Yes.
So?
The expectation for this team is like,
you have to do good, you have to hit. You have to.
I have-- I don't want any other excuse other than you're hitting.
They have to execute a flawless routine,
with great technique and great energy,
or they are not going to win.
That is how competitive it is,
and that is how unforgiving the sport is when mistakes are made.
Did you talk to her yet?
- No. - Are you gonna?
- Probably not. - Why not?
- Because I don't-- That's scary because... - Why?
I mean, I could.
Like...
I low-key could do it now,
because we not even saying that she isn't doing that.
We ain't even doing nothing yet.
Just be like, "You know I'm working with Delaney,
but is there anything I really, really need to work on with my stunts?"
Even though it's not gonna be the stunts.
- Well, yeah. - Just, like, technique-wise.
Okay. Yeah, I could-- I could do that now. When she goes to the back.
Let's go catch her.
Monica!
Um, I wanted to know, um...
is there something that I can, um, work on to improve on?
Okay, so, I'm a little bit worried about Will's,
number one, stamina, making it through the routine,
and number two, his shoulder,
because as you can see, he's already... We're putting a lot on him right now.
So, can you make sure you're getting reps in with Jade?
- Yes. - Because we will have to do
a lot of pyramid work over the next couple of weeks.
Yes.
And then, the time that we have will be designated for, like,
Will and Jade working together. So, I need you to go in,
outside of practice, and put in a lot of reps
because if you don't put reps in with Jade,
then you're not gonna be ready to jump in that spot.
Okay?
- Okay. I can do that. - Okay?
- Perfect. - Thank you for letting me know.
Morgan.
Would you be comfortable if we tried you in the pyramid?
- Is that too much on your plate? - Yeah, I can do it.
I just need to learn the counts
- for it, though. Like... - Okay.
Well, I don't know.
I'm... I'm not 100% confident in
how I feel about all of Allie's parts right now,
so it takes a little pressure off of her, which I think she needs...
- Yeah. - ...at this point. So...
Yeah, I can do it.
I mean, I-I think...
- You've jumped in on everything else. - Anything you need, I got you, girl.
So, I mean, that was my first thought is, "I can just put Morgan in."
- Yeah. I got you. - So...
And I've already told her,
so... so that she was prepared
- when she got here. - Yeah.
I just feel like sometimes, like, I don't believe in myself.
So, it's, like, I get emotional. I don't know why.
I guess it was just so overwhelming,
and I just think that Morgan can handle that
better than I could.
- Just lean a little. - I need to know the times.
'Cause you need to get from the middle. Then put your foot on this line.
Your bottom foot.
Straight up. Belly. Ding, ding, ding.
I think I can manage.
What made you come to this decision?
Because you saw... today.
Girl, that's bothering me.
- It's... It's too much for her. - Yeah.
Five, seven. One...
It's just that we've switched twice.
I'm pretty sure the pressure is gonna be on.
Well, I asked her beforehand.
I said, "Was it too much?" And, of course, she said no, but...
I was gonna ask.
Is Sherbs good?
- No. Out for eight to ten weeks. - Yeah.
It'll be fine. She'll pick up quickly.
Okay.
Well, let's give it a whirl.
- One, two, three, five, seven. - Wait!
Seven. One.
- Three, five, six, seven. - Let's go.
I can grab your wrist, too, right?
- Five, down, seven. - Eight, one, two, three, four...
Do it again.
Three, five, six, seven.
Up. One, two, three, five, and seven.
And one, two, three, over, five, six, seven.
One of the biggest things that you learn
really quickly about cheerleading is you kind of have to be fearless.
Everything that we do is, you know,
high-risk.
That one was scary!
And Morgan is determined. That's a good word for her.
I mean, you give her a challenge,
and she wants to be the best that she can be,
so she's always gonna be the first one to jump in and try.
I was put in this spot for a reason,
and things were added for specific reasons.
Like, Monica trusts me.
If Monica believes in me enough to put me in,
then I should be able to trust myself.
- Two, three, five, six, seven. - Come on. Hold. Let's go!
I would do anything for that woman.
I would take a bullet for her.
My watch said breathe. I should probably breathe.
Ready? Done.
I'm good. You all right?
- Yeah. Just a little tired. - Proud of you.
Yeah, very proud of you.
Once I get a few more reps in, I'm good.
- We shall do that right now. - Well, yeah, okay.
You ready? Tell me when you're ready.
In, like, 30 seconds.
Then we're good. My-- My watch said to breathe too.
- Thirty, 29, 28. - Now she's counting!
Okay, quick water break, and then I'm back.
Go get water.
Lex, did you see Cameron yesterday?
No, I didn't.
- I went to eat, and then I-- - What about today?
- I will go today. - My God. Okay.
You still haven't seen him. So, you have no idea what kind of...
Keke!
Have you looked at her ankle?
So, she came to me, she got stepped on the first time.
I was like, "Okay. Just ice it as much as possible."
Didn't do that.
Got stepped on again, it's gonna start getting worse.
How often she should be icing?
As many times--
- Like multiple times a day? - I was icing yesterday.
Like, how many minutes?
- Fifteen minutes. - Fifteen.
- But the biggest thing is... - I have ice in my dorm.
- ...it's up to her to do it. - I know, but she needs guidance,
because more than just being told, she needs a plan of action.
- She knows me. - Then, like... Yes, I know her too well.
Like, that's why I need to know what the plan is,
so that I can make sure she's doing it.
We're choreographing a whole routine around you, so I need to know, like,
if-- if you're gonna be able to do it or not.
You're in charge of your own body,
so you have to initiate, like, taking care of it.
Do I need to text you later and remind you?
Can you go set some alarms on your phone?
- Yes, I can set alarms. - Right now.
Lexi, alarms!
- Focus! - Alarms! Let me see 'em.
So, I'm probably gonna be done eating around 5:30, six,
so when I get back, ice it at 6:30.
When too much is on my plate,
I tend to just let it all, like, fall through.
That would be 15 minutes.
- Right? Okay. - Yeah.
But also, like,
the more busy I am, the less I tend to, you know, make bad decisions.
Over here, like, I've started to appreciate...
like, being busy...
because I know what it's like to not have anything going for me.
All right, Stephen, you're going to be stoked.
She's so excited!
You're gonna be stoked. Look at this!
It's going to be her first time having worms.
Yeah, I don't know if she's gonna know what to do with them.
I feel like she likes roaches better.
All right.
My God!
Um, whenever their neck, like, pops out and gets dark it means, like,
they're either being, like, territorial or, like, they're...
...stressed out.
Pinch, poke, you owe me a Coke.
She's like my twin.
We both have a lot of the same personality.
That's why we butt heads so much.
- How about I just drop it in there? - Wait, no!
- Make sure that it's-- - I know, I know.
I was a gymnast, and then I did cheerleading,
and I put 'em into it thinking, you know,
"Maybe she'll like the same thing that I liked."
I would teach her how to do tumbling,
and I would practice stunting with her in the pool.
And then when I started taking her to my friend's gym,
I couldn't get her out of that place.
We called her a gym rat.
She worked hard at it. She wanted to be the best.
God, she used to do it in the backyard.
She'd say, "Look, Grandma. Come here, I want to show you something."
And I would close my eyes most of the time
because I was so afraid she was gonna fall on her head.
She's not afraid to try something.
I've always tried to tell Lexi, "Just don't get hurt,"
because Lexi's not afraid of anything, you know?
That's the problem with Lexi, she's not afraid of anything.
Heads up!
What's up, problem child?
- Why you gotta call me that? - 'Cause you are.
Come on, man, you're looking rough.
- Let's go tumble. - What? I just took a shower.
Don't stand around. Go.
That was an ugly full.
- You're not pulling your toes or anything. - It was. That was ghetto.
Come on, backyard tumbler.
I think the reason why me and Lexi kind of got along
is 'cause her childhood is kind of like my childhood.
'Cause I was a little rough around the edges when I came to Navarro,
and I was talented, but I had an attitude, and...
Monica had to take me down a notch.
Do a nice easy two to full. Just stretch it out.
I told Lexi from the very beginning that,
"You are a very, very talented girl.
This could take you a long way
if you just put it in the right direction."
She told me that she wants to do something more with her life,
and that's when I really decided that I was gonna help Lexi get to Navarro
and do whatever it took, because she's told me all about her past,
and that's why I wanted her to get away from it, so...
When the divorce happened, she took it the hardest.
You know, for the longest time, I was in a depression,
so I wasn't there for my kids like I feel like I should've been.
We just tried to do the best we could
to show her our love.
But sometimes it's not enough.
You know? So...
Freshman year, I'd probably say that was the worst year.
She was skipping school.
I'd drop her off, and she would leave.
Sometimes I wouldn't even know where she was.
She'd have these older kids come up and pick her up from school.
And then Lexi ran away.
She was gone for a while.
She went to live with some people. I didn't know where she was.
By her junior year, she quit school.
She just, like, it was... extremely hard.
I kind of, like, lost myself for a little bit.
I wasn't in school, I wasn't in cheer.
I wasn't even working.
And I was just going down a really bad path.
I was always, like, getting hurt somehow or...
always, like... just living a risky life.
What? Is that my scar?
Yeah.
I wonder if I, like, cracked my skull.
The stuff this child's put me through.
I have, like, a trail of all the pictures of things that's happened.
Yeah. All of the times that I've been injured.
She really keeps a log of, like, every time that I've been in the hospital.
This was the windshield that her head went through.
Yeah, my head did that.
- That's-- - Yeah, wear a seat belt.
That was back February.
God. That was so bad.
And I was like, Mom,
I just got off the phone with a police officer,
and, um, I need to go, um, get... I need to go write a statement."
Whenever things would piss me off, I would fight people.
I've been in jail before,
and I ended up getting an assault charge.
I think her mom wanted to be there for Lexi and help her,
but I think she needed a little bit of help due to...
how wild and out of control Lexi was at the time.
You know, it's not every day your 17-year-old daughter
is beating up somebody in the backyard.
I was just as lost as she was.
I didn't know how to handle somebody...
I didn't know how to handle her.
Lexi, calm it down.
You're, like, trying to punch and punch.
The worst part about it was just...
seeing my mom and my grandma get hurt
over the lifestyle I was living.
So, that's when I knew, like, I had to do something.
I called Monica.
I was like, "Monica, I've got this girl for you.
She's a little rough around the edges."
But what I did for Lexi is what Monica did for me.
She kind of kept me on the straight and narrow.
Come on, superstar.
Sometimes it's an outsider that gets through to your kid.
And I don't care who it is, 'cause I can say it
till I'm blue in the face, someone else says it to her...
I- I don't care, I just want to see her succeed.
Monica wanted to sign her up. I said, "How you gonna do that?
You have to get your education."
And, well, she got her GED. She actually tested college-level.
Even though she had missed two years of school almost.
Go on!
Push it up!
We were so happy
that she eventually decided to go down that path
'cause that's what we've been fighting for,
that's what we've been pushing for.
She wants something different for her life.
She doesn't want what she had before.
And I'm hoping that that will happen.
It's like a one-in-a-million chance that, like, I would've ended up here.
Okay. Yes, Lexi!
I'm finally out of that hole,
and it feels good. Like, really good.
And my family... is really proud of me.
Hold!
- Move it, go! - Good, y'all.
- Guys! - Yeah!
I'm standing right here. I'm like, "What is he doing?"
Girl, some people out here are panting like they doing something.
You don't pant when you stunt?
Yeah you do, don't lie.
Are you mad because somebody's calling you the fuck out
because all you do is stunt, and you barely can do that?
You better check yourself, baby, before you check a bad bitch like me.
- I said, why are you panting?
Worry about yourself.
You better be worried about hitting this stunt
before you get replaced by Jerry.
How about you hit your stunt before you talk shit?
Girl, you're arguing with the wrong bitch. The wrong bitch.
Or, you're gonna get slapped. Bye-bye.
I'm waiting on my ride!
Boom!
She did not have to punch her like that. Get her!
Why did they even bring them to there? Wait, wait, wait. Look.
So you wanna fight?
They love pushing water out of people's hands.
They just love it. Like, that's all they can do, you know.
What did you say?
That's annoying 'cause that's all they can do.
Nobody likes having water thrown at them.
- No, I never said-- - Don't ever disrespect them.
- Do not ever disrespect them. - I never said that was the issue.
Okay, but you're making it seem like they can't fight.
I never said they couldn't fight. I'm on their side.
You trying to have an issue with me--
I'm listening to you before I slap you in your face.
Jerry, you know what?
We watch Bad Girls Club a lot.
My God.
I know sometimes, um...
sometime--
...sometimes we use little quotes from it.
We sometimes play fight.
We play fight a lot. I'm not gonna lie. We play fight a lot.
Boom, boom, boom,
- boom, boom, boom! - Dude, the way...
Boom!
Just the demeanor of, like, being bad and knowing who you are,
like, you bring that to cheer and bring it to the floor and perform it.
You're just like... like, "I'm that bad girl."
Like, "I'm that person."
Get it, Jerry! Yeah!!
Oy! Hey, hey, hey!
Yes!
Cheerleading is an outlet for every type of boy
that didn't feel like they had a sport,
but now they have a place to be who they are.
- Hey, hey! - Work it!
Work it!
That's where Monica's so good.
You know, she's not Bible-beating,
but she's got such a great foundation
and upholds the truth,
not being judgmental,
has always stood up for those kids that were different,
given them a place, an outlet in life.
Yes, I'm religious, and I would say I'm more conservative.
And I might be a little bit old-school with values and stuff like that,
but I get angry.
I will debate you up one side and down the other
if you talk about my boys. I will.
I don't understand how people can be so cruel
about someone they don't even know.
And not only that they don't even know,
but they have probably never even been around
or tried to form a relationship with someone that is gay.
Actually, I'll be honest. I- I've had a long conversation
with my pastor at the church that I'm a member of about it.
And I won't budge about my beliefs at all.
I'm not doin' it.
You know, those are my kids.
I'll... I'll fight tooth and nail for them.
Even beyond that, the troubled kids. I mean,
I'm there to be your advocate, and I'm there to make you a better person.
Definitely probably got that from my dad.
- Hey, Dad. - Hey.
- So, how are you feeling today? - We're doing good.
We're okay.
Did your nurse come by today?
- No. - No, not today?
- No. Monday. - Yesterday? Monday, okay.
I talked to her this morning, told her to come get, my medicine.
Billy, Papaw, that's what we call him,
was superintendent of the rail plant here in Corsicana.
They refurbished train wheels.
He was responsible for a Chicago plant
and an-- an Alabama plant.
Highly successful guy.
Everybody loved that guy.
I mean, he would give you the shirt off of his back, man.
He-- He was so committed to-- to helpin' people.
But he was a hard-ass, buddy, let me tell you.
I think she got a lot of what she is now from him.
All the hard work that, you know, he put in over the years,
you know, she absorbed all that. I know she did.
...and then you went, for the master's.
Whatever you wanted to do, we done it. Good.
- Yeah, we did. - He went the extra mile,
and that's, I think, what she's done.
Do hard work, more than what's expected,
and, you know,
I guess, the good things will come.
With that thought in mind, I mean, you can see that with the cheer team.
W- W, I-I...
N- N!
Win!
Cheerleaders, I think, kind of represent
this kind of eternal American optimism.
Part of what you would do when you would go to an NCA camp,
you would learn cheers and chants and all of that,
but there would be this whole hour
in which you would kind of learn all the things about
what a cheerleader is supposed to be.
Character, enthusiasm,
winning or losing, you're a leader.
You are at the top of the social hierarchy,
and so, therefore, you have this great responsibility
to live up to those standards.
It's hard work. It's a lot of responsibility.
You learn the rules, and you make them work for you.
Reality is, you're gonna be held to a standard
where you have to be on time, you have to be trying your hardest,
you have to be a good teammate with a positive attitude.
A lot of those lessons are life. Like, you're gonna go to your first job,
and you might not like your boss,
but you've learned how to deal with either a hard coach or a hard teammate,
and it's making them successful in life.
So, how can you expect to be successful if you don't organize your life?
No one's gonna do it for you.
I wanna teach them self-accountability.
There's a lot of self-accountability missing in the world today.
These kids just... they're not thinking about long-term.
I need to figure out my plan for next year.
Well, surely you have, like, an idea of some schools
you could at least apply to.
- No? Like, nothing? You got nothing? - No. Blank slate.
How are you gonna pay the bills?
And you're gonna have insurance, you're gonna have retirement,
you're gonna have, you know, hours that would work with a family
if you're a female and you want to be a mother.
My gosh.
But they don't think about these things
because no one's probably ever had a conversation with them about it.
Thank you, Monica. See you at practice.
See you in a minute.
She is very special as a coach because she's a very competitive person
and she looks to, like, be the best at everything she does.
She's a hard worker, to say the least.
The hard work and the sacrifice that y'all put in all year long,
take that into life after cheerleading
because if you work hard in anything you do,
you will be rewarded, you will be successful in life.
Bulldogs, let's fight!
Red, black, and white!
Bulldogs, let's fight!
Red, black, and white!
She wants to make them see that they can really do anything
if they just work for it.
Hey, y'all, listen. Come in and listen.
Will... Will's gonna get an X-ray on his arm,
so, we're gonna put Jerry in the routine for today.
And then, we'll see how this turns out.
But we are gonna go full-out today.
So, let's go to the beginning and just walk through everything.
- Let's be productive. - Jerry, you got it.
Come on, Jerry.
I don't know what she's gonna do, but she might consider
letting me stay, like, over this, like, time period of him not being in.
She might let me stay on the mat. And so, yeah.
I'm on the mat.
For... for now, at least.
Trust each other.
Hi, Jerry. Welcome.
Let's welcome Jerry to the Bad Girls Club!
Welcome to the Bad Girls Club.
I know you're a replacement, but you're gonna see why.
It's hard to be, like, happy-happy,
because it comes at the price of, like,
- somebody else being, like, injured. - Three deep breaths.
One, two, three.
But, yeah, it means a lot to me to be on the mat.
Like, this is incredible.
- You know. - Last one.
I just hope that she sees,
like, how much work that I'm about to put in
to, like, keep me on.
But, at the end of the day,
it's, like, we're one team, and we win together and we lose together.
So, it is what it is,
and I'm gonna be happy for whatever happens.
That was good. You knew everything you were supposed to do.
- Yes, Jerry! - Okay.
Did you expect anything less?
Do you expect anything less of him?
I think mine is dead.
It's not turning on. I don't really know what-- what's wrong with it, but...
Okay, I'll get you another one.
I'm so tired.
My God.
Kapena...
- Where are you? - I'm over here.
I've been, like, looking for you everywhere.
I said the back room on the right.
- I thought you meant that corner. - That's left.
- Okay. - This is right.
What class are you here for? You're here for two.
Two?
- I think Monica talked to me-- - I dropped Intro to Computing.
Okay.
I haven't been going to that class,
because Monica said once it's dropped, I don't have to go to it anymore.
Okay, well, then.
Do your solar systems.
Man.
What the f...?
It's not even letting me get into the laptop.
I have enough going on right now.
What's your grade in that class?
I think it's, like, a 50.
I can help you bump up to a B.
Like, literally, if you do it right now, like, I'll bump you up to a B.
All right.
My gosh. This is not loading.
Why does today suck so much?
You had a rough morning?
Yeah, someone's been posting my private information on Twitter.
I don't even know this person either.
Like, posting your, like, phone number?
Worse.
- Good. - Yeah.
I was just on my computer or something,
and I started getting all these notifications on my phone,
and I was like, "Who is this?"
All I know is she's best friends with a girl that I used to fight.
I don't know how, and I don't know where she got...
private content of me...
that really shouldn't be seen by other people.
And it's... it's old pictures,
and I was really young too.
I was like 16, 17.
What I don't want to do is take this to the police,
'cause I know it's gonna be a lot of questions,
and I'm embarrassed.
It's, like, something, like, really personal
that was put out there on the Internet,
so, like, I really didn't want anyone to know.
Like, I didn't even tell my mom about it.
I don't really like talking to police officers,
because every time I have talked to them, it's not the most pleasant.
A lot of the times, they like to put the blame on you.
So, I don't know who to call.
I'm finally away from all of the risky stuff
I used to do back in Houston.
Fighting people when you're angry isn't something a mature person does,
but, um, there was one time I had, like, the most gruesome fight I've ever been in
because I actually blacked out that time.
And she had to get... fake teeth. She had a broken nose.
I'm not trying to go back to jail, I'm not trying to get another charge,
but it's, like, so hard not to feed into that
because, like, the-- the inner child in me, it's just screaming, like,
"Make her pay.
Make her, like, deal with this."
I worry about her.
I don't want her to fall back into that stage in her life where she was.
She was not afraid of violence. She would hold her ground.
And that's one thing I've always tried to tell Lexi.
I was like, "It's okay to walk away.
You don't have to stand your ground every time."
Monica holds them to a higher standard
than many coaches hold their kids.
There's definitely a zero tolerance with some... some things.
You're always representing Navarro. Always.
So don't do anything dumb,
like... get in a public fight.
She's made the rules so clear
that when a kid makes a mistake,
that it's not a shock to them that they're gonna be off the team.
I didn't put in all this work for her to fall back into her old ways.
- Hey. - Good morning, beautiful.
We could price it out and see how much two different bows are,
or we could do just our plain solid red bow...
- with this one and do something... more. - Something different.
- Well... I know, right? - Decisions, decisions.
Can you put it on?
- I haven't tried on this one yet. - Okay, try it on.
Yeah, put it on. That way we can see.
I should've brushed my hair this morning, but it's fine.
- Did you just roll out of bed? - Yep. I do that every morning.
I'm very proud of Morgan.
I think she definitely has gained a lot of confidence,
and she's exceeded my expectations of what she could do, too, so...
I'm really proud of her.
Some people just stand out based on the look that they have.
You can already tell from the minute you see them,
they would be a great person to represent your program,
a great ambassador.
We have a lot of roles in cheerleading, you know,
I mean, we're expected to be perfect.
People just expect you to look well-groomed at all times.
People sometimes are surprised
when they see them at practice and they're like, ""
you know, "that's not what I expected."
Here's last year's.
I feel like a beautiful uniform is gonna make it look better.
You want help?
But the score sheet's not laid out
to be affected by that at all.
You can just rip it out, honestly.
A lot of it is a technical and a-- a difficulty top score,
but there is the overall impression and,
you know, just the inherent human nature that we have.
I mean, it could, you know, possibly improve the score,
but we want to feel like we look our very best out there.
So much of it is mental.
We have to overcome our own weaknesses,
and questioning ourselves, and, "Are we good enough?"
And, you know,
there's nothing better than feeling like you look as good as your routine does.
You could just do the rhinestones on the outline of the black.
Let us see this.
That looks good. The handwriting's good.
Yeah, "grace with humility."
- Wait, did you just get that? - Yesterday.
This one hurt way worse than my spine, for sure.
And my spine--
Did it hurt worse than microblading, though?
- 'Cause, girl... - No.
That was the worst pain I've ever had.
Like, a tear came out of my eye--
She asked, and I was like, "No, it's fine."
And I don't cry. Like, I was like...
It's okay. Beauty is pain.
Low-key...
it's crazy how cold it is out here.
Wrap the blanket around you, sweetie.
Gabi, you're gonna come forward so your knees
- are on the edge of this. And then-- - So, you just want the bag?
Psst, psst. Scoot your knees back.
Yes, right here. Yep.
When I initially thought of casting this commercial,
I immediately thought of Gabi Butler.
Go. Go, Gabi.
One, because she's an amazing cheerleader.
I mean, she's one of the best on the planet.
And two, because the kids really look up to her.
So, I thought this would be a great marketing opportunity,
not really just for us, but for her too. You know?
If we-- we're very, like, on top of our stuff,
I don't think it's gonna be that long.
- I think-- - Let's just throw one double.
All right, so it's nine... We're starting at nine.
Let's try to end, like, at ten
or 10:30.
'Cause I feel like if we-- if we just listen to them,
and d-do exactly what they say, like, it shouldn't take that long.
Yeah, 'cause the setup and everything is probably, like--
- You guys ready? - Yeah.
- I'm ready. - Okay.
We can get this part done if y'all will sit on the barrel. Good.
This is it. One, two.
Good, guys. This is awesome. This is a billboard.
Kind of l-lean into him a little bit.
- Perfect. - Yes. Yes!
I think that this is gonna really get,
like, a lot of, like, a lot of hits.
It could be, like, a million or...
'Cause there's a lot of cheerleaders too, so it could even be more than that.
You guys do that high-fashion calm face really well.
You guys look good! This is super high fashion.
It's extremely hard to keep up with everything
because we've been basically in practice every single day
for five hours, and then I had to do this for Rebel.
But I feel like it opens a lot of doors for me.
It's just a good opportunity to keep your name, like, out there and relevant.
- No, no, no, don't walk! - Sorry.
Because the shoes, they can't dirty up
I feel like a dog!
My family's attitude, and one I've always shared with Gabi,
is that big window that's like, "Hey, here's your moment,"
those don't come around, you know, every day.
You have to capitalize on that opportunity,
because it's not always open in life.
A lot of kids that pursue this sport
have probably started when they were very young.
You will probably, like, have reached your peak performance and talent
around 12 and ends at 18.
I'm ready to go.
You can see people go to college, and once they've graduated,
that's about it of their career.
They're like, "Okay, my body's done."
They'll just retire the sport completely.
I don't even wanna know what time it is.
I mean, I didn't know it was gonna go this long.
I feel like this kind of stuff really does,
like, give me good opportunities to, like, maybe go into other things.
Because I'm really nervous and also, like, kind of scared
for what I'm gonna do after cheerleading,
because it's been a part of my life since I was little,
and I, like, can't really imagine what I'm gonna do without it.
But there's, like, some days that I wake up
and I'm like, "My gosh.
I literally can't feel my body 'cause it hurts so bad."
Hello?
How was it last night?
Obviously it was freezing.
I didn't get back till, yeah,
around three in the morning, and then I went to bed at five,
because I went to go get food,
because I hadn't really eaten much that whole day.
Okay, well, first of all, don't badmouth anything about that
because they only accommodated you and your time,
and that's why it went so late.
Yeah.
Did you have them take any pictures of you
for the poster for your tour?
Remember what you're-- what you're known for.
You know? So if you can, I know that your back is hurting,
but if you can, do a picture with the spikes.
- Yeah. - Do a picture with a bow and--
Well, I could do a bow, not-- not... not the needle.
- My back is not... - Have you been stretching?
I mean... sort of, yeah.
Have you been eating clean?
Um, I mean, yeah,
for the most part, I've been eating pretty clean.
Eggs aren't clean. That's dairy.
If you eat jackfruit,
that can actually hold your stomach for ten to 12 hours with no other food.
- Did you know that? - No, but...
with the amount of work that we do over here,
I'm probably not gonna eat like that all the time.
Well, I love you, and we're in the movies so don't call me,
but I do need to talk to you a little bit later.
Remember, by the time College Nationals comes,
I need to know what you're doing next year.
So, you need to start thinking about that now,
because it's gonna be here, like, tomorrow.
- Okay. - Okay. I love you.
I had the weirdest dreams last night.
Someone was like,
"If you don't make me a protein shake, I'm gonna kill you."
I'm like, "My God!"
I'm not gonna complain today. I'm gonna do my shit,
and if I have to cry in the bathroom by myself, I'm doing it.
I wouldn't recommend getting spray tans back-to-back,
like, day after day. I worked at the Planet Tan in Fort Worth.
But I wouldn't-- Since you're so fair, I wouldn't do anything above a medium,
or you're gonna be orange.
There's a thing called G-Gentleman, and it smells so nice.
It's weird. Just, like, it's a tanning lotion for men,
so it's not super, like, cologne-y.
It smells like, um, the mahogany teakwood lotion
from Bath and Body Works. Is that what it is?
Recently, I guess a girl that doesn't like me found it
and put it on Twitter.
I don't know what to do.
Why would a person, like, do that? Can't you report it on Twitter?
- I did. - You did?
But I don't want it to stop at that.
That's a lot to deal with.
Every full-out is an opportunity to learn.
When you are in the routine and you are in that pyramid,
I know it's hard, trust me, I feel it too,
but fight through it, okay? We can do this.
- Hey, Lexi. Smile. - Let's be a family.
NC! NC! NC!
- Don't stop! - NC! NC!
Let's go, you guys!
Come on, one! Push!
What happened? How did Gabi not make it?
Gabi's shoulder stand fell, so then everything just fell after that.
Don't beat yourself down.
It just really, like, upsets me because I know that people are, like,
talking about me not being able to do it, and it really just, like, I...
I don't know.
So, who cares?
I just like, really want to quit.
Well, you're not gonna quit 'cause you're too strong for that,
so there's no reason to even feel like that.
You know you're not gonna quit. You're not that type of person.
And ready.
She needs a moment.
Y'all, go to your baskets. Y'all, get quiet.
Go to your baskets, and work on your basket
on your own for a few minutes,
and then we're almost out of time, so we're gonna go full-out again.
You know, it may just be cheerleading,
and maybe people don't realize what we put into it,
but these are college kids.
They're-- Every day,
there might be someone going through something,
whether it's a breakup with a boyfriend or a girlfriend
or, you know, just something's going on in their life.
You know, this world, this day and age,
just, you know, lots of crazy stuff going on.
And, you know, I put a lot of myself into these kids,
and, you know, in a lot of different roles,
not just as a coach.
And I learned from-- from early on,
you know, how I can kind of motivate people
and encourage them.
Come on, Jade!
This is the atmosphere that we have,
and we try to really build on that.
Try to remember your arm.
Kapena, shh!
Don't say another word. Good, Allie!
When you're on a team, you have to be a good teammate.
You know that you have to give each other that encouragement.
Lifting each other up. I mean, that's our job.
That's why cheerleaders were invented.
These are my kids, you know, and I love them...
with all my heart, and...
I- I don't want them to ever feel like that they're not safe with me,
because they will always be safe with me.
You okay?
What's wrong?
I just... I don't want to get into it right now.
Are you going to be okay today? You need to, you know...
I don't know. I might need your advice later.