[beads rattling]
- [Justin] Have you packed? - [Lexi] Yeah, a little bit.
Have you tumbled in the new uniforms? [sighs]
[Justin] Tumbled in them? Yeah, I thought it was easy.
- I really, really like them. - Well, then again,
guy uniforms are a lot different than girl uniforms.
The red one is okay. The black one...
is hard to tumble in.
[Justin] I know Navarro's superstitious about red uniforms, but...
Yeah, but we hit really good in the red one.
And you haven't hit and the pyramid's fallen every time
- you guys have worn the black one. - Yeah.
Even outside.
You're right.
There's just, like, little, like, superstitions in cheerleading.
Um, I mean, they could be the most simplest thing.
They can be the most difficult thing.
But, like, we always hold somebody's hand before a performance.
[Austin] As this team, now is our last walk to the clock tower,
'cause the next time we're outside, we're going to the Bandshell.
[Shannon] If you stand on the right side of a person
during a circle, you've gotta stand right there.
Everybody has a handshake with each other,
and you have to do it in the same order, the same exact way.
It's so many weird things, but if you mess that up
or don't do it that one time, it's like, "Oh, my God, what's gonna happen?"
[Monica] I don't even know when it started, but if we win,
we get to run into the ocean and celebrate.
So, we just started saying,
"You can't even go into the water or touch the water unless you win."
So, that's just what we've done for many, many years.
[Kapena] You're not allowed to touch the water unless you earn it.
Only champions go in that water.
If you wanna go in that water, you better hit and win.
[group shouting]
[Jerry] All the teams in Daytona do that if they win,
they just run into the ocean. It's just a tradition.
Every college person knows when you see, like, somebody wet,
that means they won.
[Kapena] You get to run and hold your team's hand.
It is such a rewarding feeling.
I think it actually makes winning that much more special.
You feel like a champion. You're soaked like a champion.
You... you're... you're a champion.
[Morgan] We won last year, but I wasn't on mat.
I didn't compete.
Like, I didn't win.
So, if we won this year, it'd be amazing
to run into the water together. [chuckles softly]
[interviewer] So, you're there for days ahead of the finals,
- and no one will go in the ocean. - Correct.
[interviewer] No one will put their toe in the ocean.
Well, not that I know of.
Maybe we lost those years if they did. [laughs]
[theme music plays]
[birds chirping]
[Cameron] I think that her bones collided in the back.
Gave her, like, a posterior,
- like, bone bruise. - [Monica] Mm-hmm.
I had one football player that had it last year,
and it took a little while.
But I think she's pretty tough, so she'll be able to fight through.
[Gabi] Do you guys have, like, Advil in here?
- [Cameron] I'm gonna give you Tylenol. - Okay.
[Cameron] Take ibuprofen afterwards.
[tape rips]
Cam, you go to... you go to Daytona, right?
[Cameron] Mm-hmm.
[Gabi] Good. [chuckles]
Keke, I know you're excited. [laughs]
[Daniel] Just wait till Daytona. Terrifying.
It's the atmosphere, and...
- [Lexi] I'm just scared. - ...it is so terrifying.
Like, you know, like, competing at NCA? Like...
- It's terrifying. - [Daniel] Like that on steroids.
Same. What about Worlds? Is it-- Have you ever been to Worlds?
- [Daniel] I've been to Worlds six times. - [Lexi] Is it like that?
- [Daniel] Daytona was the scariest. - I've heard Daytona's worse than Worlds.
[Daniel] There's nothing as bright as it.
And I had Gabi on my shoulders,
and I was looking around, looking for people,
and you could see silhouettes in the crowd,
but, like, you can't see anything.
- Nice. - Great.
[Jerry] Have you started packing?
- For Daytona? - [Jerry] Mm-hmm.
No. You know I'm gonna the day before.
- [Jerry exclaims] - Actually, the night of... the morning of.
[Jerry] Ah!
- [TT] I did it last year. - We leave in the morning.
[TT] Yeah. I did it last year. I woke up at... six,
- and we were supposed to leave at seven. - [gasps]
[Andy] Hey, pay attention. Stop.
[Monica] Y'all, look at me when I'm talking... and sit up.
Y'all, this is not...
your spring break.
We're on a business trip, and this is my job.
- I-I will sit up all night long. - [Andy] She will.
[Monica] Let me tell y'all,
I will sit up all night long in the hallway,
so when you think you can peek your little head out...
- She's like, "Hey!" - ...or have your little...
"boo thing" in your room,
- [team chuckles] - it ain't happenin'.
- [La'Darius] Dillon! - [Dillon] Why're you saying my name?
[La'Darius] 'Cause you're a slutty whore.
- [Andy] Why are you getting red? - [Monica] Let me tell you...
[team whoops and laughs]
- [La'Darius] A couple of your mans, girl! - [Monica] No, no, no. I'm still talking.
You're representing us from the time we leave
to the time we get back.
I just want to say, like, especially if you know me from last year,
like, when we went to Daytona, I am very serious.
I take everything very seriously. Like, you do not want to go up there
and just be acting stupid.
Like, be very serious
because if you're distracted, you are not gonna do what you need to.
- [Monica] Business trip. - [Andy] You've worked a year for this.
One other thing that we need to talk about.
At awards, it doesn't matter...
what place we get.
Let's just talk about any place that we get.
If you were to get second place,
you will wait,
you will go back with your trophy, and you will be smiling.
And when the winner is announced,
you will go over there and tell them congratulations, yes?
- [group] Yes, ma'am. - That is what you will do.
- Good job, y'all. I'm excited! - [Jerry] Yeah! Whoo!
[Monica] I might sleep tonight,
and I'm gonna be home before ten! I'm so excited.
[Andy] Look at that. Look at that.
- [Monica] I mean, you won't be, but I am. - You're right. It's okay.
[birds chirping]
[Gabi] We are very, very, very hungry to win.
Like, we have way too much heart,
and we have come way too far and worked way too hard
for any of us to give up.
[Morgan] If I broke my wrist or something,
I would probably still try and do the whole entire routine
with a cast on my hand.
For my team and for Monica and...
for myself.
[Lexi] I come from a gym
that doesn't really win championships that much.
And so, I really don't know what it's like to be a winner.
To be able to experience that
would be so crazy.
Like, we just finna go hit it, and I don't care.
[La'Darius] Some people that have went through the worst things
that anybody could ever imagine are here,
and they fought, and they have pushed, and they have worked their butts off
for this one chance to give it everything they got.
You're not just fighting for just that hit or just that win.
You're fighting to show the world that you are somebody.
You can go through something in your life.
You can go through it, you can be beat down,
you can be abused, you can go through anything.
But you can also get up,
and you can show them that you can walk after you have been beaten down.
You can crawl if you have to, but you gonna make it regardless.
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[Austin] So, that's the bus that is taking us to the airport.
- [cheers] - [Lexi] ♪ Ah, you don't say, ah! ♪
- Daytona! - Yeah!
- Shit. [laughs] What? - [group laughs]
Shh!
[indistinct chatter]
- [cheerleader] Get it up! - [Jerry] Oh, my God, she just did it!
[cheerleader laughs]
[excited chatter]
I'm getting tingly.
[cheerleader] Why?
- Because. [chuckles] - Don't worry, I'm here.
- [Monica] Y'all, listen! - [Andy] Hey, listen!
[Monica] Shh!
Just remember that tomorrow...
we need smart, good decisions,
good, clean cheerleading.
Make the best of every grip, every...
Whatever situation you're in,
think fast, be smart, and make it clean.
Zero-deduction routine.
We've worked through lots of crazy situations
where it's fallen, it's been crazy,
and we hopefully have learned from that, right?
That's the reason we've done so many.
And you're gonna come off the back of that stage
with your head high, no matter what, right?
- [Morgan] Yeah. - [Austin] Hey,
I just wanna say, one, I'm proud of us
because we've made it to this point finally.
But also, like, don't forget, like, we're competing against ourselves.
All we can do
is control the two minutes and 15 seconds we have on that floor.
Like La'Darius says, you look in the mirror,
and you see your competition.
Okay? Fight yourselves to be better than we've ever been before.
Let's be amazing.
[Alex] I saw a quote in Bubba Gump when we were eating.
It said, "There's only so much torture a man needs.
The rest is just showing off."
We've gone through everything we need to,
and we have the best routine
that this cheerleading industry is going to see
at this College Nationals, on this Bandshell,
in the history of Navarro Cheerleading.
We've taken our torture, we've put in our time.
Now we get to go show off to the rest of the world
and show everybody just who Navarro Cheer are
and what this team is and what we're about.
- [cheerleader] Yes! Whoo! - [group applauds]
[team cheering]
[group] Dawgs, sniff where? Pee-yew!
Yeah! Period.
Tastes like chicken! Shark bait! Hoo-ha-ha!
- Welcome to the ring of fire! - [group] The ring of fire!
[Jerry] Aw, I love you! Mwah, mwah, mwah!
- [group laughs and cheers] - [Andy] Okay, guys, pick up the blankets.
[Monica] Today, I thought I was gonna throw up.
I will be extremely nervous...
and I try to hide it from them.
I mean, like, honestly, he stays back, and I just leave.
[laughs] Like, "You got it. I- I just gotta go here and feel sick."
[Andy] You can't do anything but just, like, hope that, you know,
you've prepared them well enough to where they're just gonna do their job.
Like, when you're on the floor, as soon as the music's on, it's go time.
[Monica] You have no control--
But when you're just there sitting, and you're like... [inhales sharply]
Like, just praying and hoping that it's gonna work and it's gonna hit,
that's, like, the worst, like, feeling ever.
Because, it's like...
you can't just be like, "Stop. Come down, do it again."
- [Monica] Yeah. - Like...
- [Monica] Your whole year, right here. - You got one shot.
- Yeah. - [Monica] So...
[interviewer] All right. Good night, you guys.
- It's exciting. It's really fun. - [Monica] Good night.
[Andy] Good night? She's not gonna sleep.
[waves crashing]
[seagulls cawing]
- [indistinct chatter] - [Morgan] Everyone's like,
"The feeling of being on that Bandshell." And I'm just like, "Don't be nervous."
[Shannon] We just need to hit.
[Morgan] I'm glad your parents can be here because my grandparents can't.
- Why? I want them to come! - So, it just, like, makes me...
I know. I think it's just, like,
- too expensive for them. - Yeah.
[Shannon] Are they gonna watch at home at least?
[Morgan] They might try to. I mean,
- they don't know... - [Shannon] Try?
[Morgan]...how to work Varsity TV
- and all that. - [Shannon] Yeah.
[Kyle] What's that?
[Pam] Nah, I don't think that's what I want.
Let's see.
Is it even on here?
- [Kyle] No. - [Pam] No.
- [both laugh] - [Pam] We don't know what we're doing.
No.
Why don't we just call Gabi and ask her?
Gabi's not gonna know.
[John] They used to put cheerleading on ESPN.
Now, it's like,
unless you're actually there local and you can go to Daytona and go to watch,
y- you can't watch it anymore.
[Pam] So, what do I have to do?
[Debbie] Well, you can watch it on Varsity TV Live...
- Mm, yeah. - ...or whatever.
They have some paid thing...
[stammers]...subscription thing.
[Pam] Now, see, it's starting up now.
- Okay. All right. - [Kyle] Okay.
[man] Cheerleading became a billion-dollar industry
and a very diversified company.
I mean, Varsity controls tournaments, competitions.
Uh... they sell uniforms.
They have their own online streaming service now
that broadcasts these competitions.
[Pam] Let's see.
[Natalie] Varsity's not just one thing.
I mean, it's the whole kit and caboodle.
There is no doubt about it, Varsity controls cheerleading.
Yeah. No, I-I think that... uh, control's a strong word.
I think, for us, you know, we care about the activity.
And so, um, I understand that comment. We hear it a lot.
Um, I don't apologize for what we do.
We live in the United States, right? It's very competitive.
I think people choose Varsity brands
because we're genuinely trying to help them be successful
in what they want to do.
[Natalie] They have been very successful
in squelching other competitors.
And Varsity has been masterful at...
controlling the narrative of cheerleading.
Outside groups, uh, such as yourselves,
that are doin', you know, a- a documentary on the sport,
I know that they're not always, you know,
open to allowing you guys to get video footage
to kinda show what's happening,
which I think would be so good for the sport.
[Bill] We've developed kind of really tight guidelines
in terms of who can be allowed, uh, inside the venue
and what we don't allow.
[interviewer] Do you worry about iPhones? Is that something that concerns you?
Yeah. No, not necessarily.
The, uh... You know, everyone's got the iPhones now.
It's-- It's part of our culture, and I think that that's not as distractive
as... as kind of a big camera crew
that's, uh, runnin' around behind the scenes
and, uh, following a team throughout the... their competition event.
[waves crashing]
- [cheerleader 1] Hey! [laughs] - [cheerleader 2] Just making a vlog.
[Jerry] There's the Bandshell, right there.
- There's Shannon and Austin. - Hey!
[group] Hey!
Good morning, everybody.
We are currently getting ready.
Daytona is a very beautiful city, as you guys can see.
Hey!
- What are you excited for? - What up?
I'm excited for you to move out of my face.
- [Jerry] I just asked you a question. - And I answered it.
Okay... [laughs]
[woman retching]
[pop music playing on radio]
[cheerleader] Be right back.
[indistinct chatter]
- [Andy] Hey, is everyone here? - [cheerleaders clamoring]
Let's hit zero today, ladies!
[excited chatter]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer speaking indistinctly]
[dance music playing over speakers]
[crowd cheers]
- Let's go, Gabi! Push it! - Push! Let's go! [shouts]
[sighs]
[crowd cheering on TV]
[Shannon] Okay, this is Trinity.
- They're going up against 'em. - Ooh.
[man] This is their rivals.
[announcer] Let's hear it for Trinity!
- [crowd cheering on TV] - [girl] Yes.
[crowd cheering on phone]
[crowd cheering on monitor]
[dance music playing on speakers]
Those were nice jumps.
[Margaret] Well, that was cool.
- [Shannon] Look at that, yeah. - [man] Cool.
- [cheerleaders grunt on tablet] - [whispers indistinctly]
[man] Whoa!
- [woman gasps] - [man] Whoa!
- Was she supposed to... - Was she supposed to do that?
She was supposed to do that, but probably a little more graceful.
[dance music continues playing on speakers]
[man] Hit it! Yeah!
- [crowd cheering] - [announcer speaking indistinctly]
[man] Yeah!
I mean, look, not to be, you know... whatever.
I mean, they pretty much hit the routine,
but they-- they-- their stunts were all assisted.
Every single one of them.
I don't know, because their technique was shaky in their elite stunts.
- So, I don't know. - It looked pretty good, though.
I was gonna say, it didn't look shaky to me.
[crowd cheers]
[cheerleader 1] Let's keep that vibe we had yesterday
- when we practiced, okay? - [Austin] Do your job!
- All you gotta do is do your job. - [cheerleader 2] Let's get it!
[cheerleader 3] Let's get it!
- [team shouting] - [cheerleader 4] Let's go, y'all!
[team chatting excitedly]
[rhythmic music playing]
[team cheering and shouting]
[woman] It's okay, Jerry.
[group shouting indistinctly]
[cheerleader 5] Dillon!
[Dillon] I don't think any of us are really stressing out,
even though that was probably one of our worst warm-ups.
But we still believe
that we can make this the best thing that we've done all season.
You know?
We don't win in warm-ups. We win out there.
And, honestly, like, whatever happens, just let that be a lesson.
Like, let it go. It happened for a reason.
Brush it off and pick it up.
[group] Let's go!
[cheerleader] Right now!
[Andy] Okay, grab your stuff. Let's go.
[crowd cheering]
[Alex] Don't step in the water!
[electronic music playing]
[crowd clamoring on phone speakers]
[softly] Okay.
- [team cheering] - [cheerleader] One, two, three!
Dawgs, sniff where? Pee-yew! Yeah! Period!
Tastes like chicken. Shark bait! Hoo-ha-ha!
Welcome to the ring of fire!
The ring of fire! Yeah!
Let's go.
[cheerleaders shout]
You are everything that I wish I could be.
[Ryan] You can do this.
Look up.
Your mom's watching you.
You okay? You got this.
[cheerleader] Let's go, Navarro! Let's go!
[Andy] Let's do this.
- We can. We will. We must. - [team] We can! We will! We must!
- [Andy] We can. We will. We must. - [team] We can! We will! We must!
- We can. We will. We must. - [team] We can! We will! We must!
[Andy] Let's go. As well as you can, do your job.
[cheerleaders shouting]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] On deck will be Lindenwood University.
Now, competing in Coed Junior College,
from Corsicana, Texas,
let's hear it for Navarro College!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[team] Woof! Woof!
- [instructor] Let's go, Jerry! Come on! - [group cheers]
- She's right... Oh, she's right there. - Okay.
[crowd clamoring on phone]
[crowd cheering]
- [team shouts] - [crowd cheers]
[Monica] Do this, guys!
♪ It's a dog-eat-dog world ♪
♪ Who, who let the Dawgs out? Navarro got their paws out ♪
♪ Got the pedigree Greatest ever seen ♪
♪ Guaranteed, we goin' all out ♪
♪ Who, who we gonna smack down? 'Cause if it's a dogfight ♪
♪ We don't back down ♪
♪ We goin' up with elite jumps Your reignin' champ is back now ♪
♪ The champ is back in the red and black Yeah, gettin' me another Dawg ring ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm breaking off And I'm goin' hard ♪
- ♪ Woof! ♪ - ♪ It's a Dawg thing ♪
♪ Bulldogs ♪
♪ But there ain't no way ♪
♪ You can catch up to the Bulldogs We run the yard ♪
♪ Ain't nothin' better than Bulldogs ♪
♪ You want a war? ♪
♪ Come and step up to Bulldogs Chew 'em up ♪
♪ Bite 'em till it hurts, yeah! ♪
♪ Chew 'em up, spit 'em out Tastes like chicken ♪
♪ The Dawg bark, woof ♪
♪ Like base better jump ♪
♪ Watch out when you see 'em ♪
♪ Bulldog, jump the fence! ♪
♪ Navarro ♪
♪ This ain't no competition Hope you don't think you winnin'... ♪
- [slams loudly] - [crowd gasps]
- ♪ Yeah ♪ - ♪ Bulldogs ♪
- ♪ Don't think you winnin'... ♪ - [Margaret] Oh, no!
Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!
♪ You know we came to kill it... ♪
[announcer] Stop the routine, please. Stop the routine.
- [competition song stops abruptly] - [crowd murmuring]
[Shannon] No.
- Oh, no. - Shit!
[tense instrumental music playing]
[indistinct, echoing chatter]
[Cameron speaking indistinctly]
[Shannon] The trainer just said the injury is really bad...
- Oh, no. - Yeah, 'cause he kept spinning and...
- when he landed. - [Shannon] The trainer said that...
Will they go up?
You'll have half an hour...
We have flexibility.
We can send you guys back to the practice room.
...if he's able to go, or rework it. All right?
[Monica] Stay right here.
Monica, why don't...
[Shannon] Usually what happens if there's an injury, they stop it,
and then they start from the beginning.
[Margaret] They should be going on again later. I don't know.
- They usually-- Yeah. - They'll bring in another athlete.
So, they let 'em warm up with the alternate,
and they let 'em go through. [sighs deeply]
They won't start judging until that.
Oh, okay.
So, all that beautiful stuff y'all just put out there...
It's a go.
It's not gonna happen,
but even if a stunt fell, it wouldn't count?
No, they can't count it.
- No, they can't, right? - [Andy] They can't.
They gotta judge from the point it stopped.
- Andy, I need you to confirm for me-- - [Andy] Yes, ma'am.
They will be judging us from the point of stopping the music?
[Andy] Correct, but we still have to go full-out.
- I know, but I need you to confirm. - [Andy] Correct.
So, whatever we did so far until stopping the routine--
Which, let me say, was beautiful.
- [team claps] - It was beau-ti-ful.
[team chatters]
Okay. So, listen, while we-- Listen, while we still have our adrenaline up,
we need to get this figured out.
Uh, Alex Bouhuys filled in for Austin when his back was out,
so I feel comfortable
with him already getting some reps in there.
He knows the spacing, he knows how to hit it.
The team that you are against had some mistakes.
Okay?
They had a basket toss that came through to the feet.
I don't know what that deduction is.
And a tumble touchdown, okay?
Am I freaking out?
If Monica doesn't freak out, there's no reason to freak out.
So, Alex, how much do you think you can handle learning?
As much as you need me to.
- [competition song playing on speakers] - ♪ Guaranteed, we goin' all out ♪
♪ Who, who, we gonna smack down... ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[speaking indistinctly]
[cheerleader 1] Get her up! Get her up!
- [cheerleader 2] Good job! Hold her! - [group]...two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
[group] One, two, three, four...
- [Shannon] Come on, Allie! - [group] Let's go!
[group shouting indistinctly]
[group] Let's go!
[cheerleader 3] Let's go, let's go!
[cheerleader 4] Come on, Allie!
[group shouting]
[Monica claps]
- Thank you for doing this. - Yes, ma'am.
[competition song playing on speakers]
[Monica] That's right, y'all!
♪ I'll leave you cryin' With your tail tucked ♪
- ♪ Woof, woof! - ♪ Dawgs ♪
- Good. - [man] Everybody happy with that?
[Andy] Anyone need to do anything else?
We're good?
Grab our stuff.
[excited chatter]
[man 1] Let's go, baby, come on!
[man 2] Let's go, Jerry!
[Austin] We're gonna own that damn floor, got it?
[group] Yes!
Do not give up. You can do this.
I promise you, it will be fine.
- [base] Five, six, seven, eight! - [team] Dear God!
[base] Right here!
- God, grant us the serenity! - [team] God, grant us the serenity!
[base] To accept the things we cannot change!
[team] To accept the things we cannot change!
[base and team] And the courage to change the things that we can!
[base and team] And the wisdom to know the difference!
- [base] Amen! - [team] Amen!
[all cheer]
[base] One, two, three!
[team] Dawgs, sniff where? Pee-yew! Yeah! Period!
Tastes like chicken! Shark bait! Hoo-ha-ha!
- [Austin] Welcome to the ring of fire! - [team] The ring of fire! Yeah!
[crowd cheers]
♪ It's a dog-eat-dog world ♪
♪ Who, who let the Dawgs out? ♪
♪ Navarro got their paws out ♪
♪ Got the pedigree, greatest ever seen Guaranteed, we goin' all out ♪
♪ Who, who we gonna smack down? 'Cause if it's a dogfight ♪
♪ We don't back down We goin' up with elite jumps ♪
♪ Your reignin' champ is back now ♪
♪ Chew 'em up, spit 'em out Tastes like chicken ♪
♪ The Dawg bark, woof Like base better jump ♪
♪ Watch out when you see 'em ♪
♪ Bulldog, jump the fence! ♪
- ♪ Navarro ♪ - ♪ This ain't no competition ♪
♪ Hope you don't think you winnin' ♪
♪ You know we came to kill it Came to kill it, yeah ♪
- ♪ Bulldogs ♪ - ♪ This ain't no competition ♪
♪ Hope you don't think you winnin' ♪
♪ You know we came to kill it Came to kill it, yeah ♪
♪ If you don't know me ♪
♪ We're beasts and we like to bark ♪
♪ You don't belong here Just run away into the night ♪
♪ Back 'em up to the wall Get 'em up on the fence ♪
♪ Come on, let's break 'em off ♪
♪ They better jump the fence ♪
♪ Let's get another title ♪
♪ We takin' you home ♪
♪ You called the Dawgs out ♪
♪ We be burying and keeping the bones ♪
♪ FIOFMU ♪
♪ It's not the end of me ♪
[Austin exclaims]
♪ My legacy, now that I'm free ♪
♪ It's not the end of me ♪
♪ Break the wall And I'll break right to the sea ♪
♪ Take my enemies ♪
♪ This is not the end of me ♪
- ♪ You better take a flight ♪ - ♪ We just gave you a bite ♪
♪ Step into the doghouse ♪
♪ You want the beast? Don't bring the leash ♪
♪ Bring them Dawgs out ♪
♪ Don't play no games ♪
♪ Up in these streets Up in the doghouse ♪
- [Austin] Yes! Yes! Yes! - ♪ Don't take them Bulldogs on, woof! ♪
♪ I'll leave you cryin' With your tail tucked ♪
- ♪ Woof, woof! ♪ - ♪ Dawgs ♪
[crowd roars]
[announcer] That was Navarro College!
[applause]
[sobbing]
[announcer] Up next, in Game Day Division One,
from Charleston, South Carolina.
Let's hear it for the College of Charleston!
[excited chatter]
- [woman 1] That's right, you did it! - [crying]
[woman 2] Good job, ladies!
[Alex] Good job.
- [Monica] Thank you! - Absolutely!
[man 1] That's what I'm talkin' about!
[Monica] Yes!
- [man 2] Andy, Andy! - [Andy] Yeah?
[man 3] Just keep walkin', girl.
[man 4] Good job, y'all. That's what I'm talking about.
- [Lexi panting] - [cheerleader] Come on, baby girl.
[woman 3] That was great!
[group cheering and whooping]
- [woman 4] Navarro! - [woman 5] Let's go!
[cheerleaders crying]
[man 5] Yes! Yes!
- [woman 6] You're making me wanna cry! - [exclaims]
Stay up on that! [exclaims]
[base cheerleader] Get over here, all of you!
- [base] Say, "I believe!" - [team] I believe!
- [base] That together we will fly! - [team] That together we will fly!
- [base] And I believe - [team] And I believe
- [base] In the power of you and I! - [team] In the power of you and I!
[Morgan] I love you.
[calming piano music playing]
[Billy] You work so hard your entire life for a moment,
and some people never get that moment.
You've gotta remember, cheerleading is still subjective,
and even if you hit, you may not win.
Our sport has kind of done this...
sportsmanship rule,
where you have to hold your emotions in while they're announcing second place,
and you can't say anything until they announce first place.
It is gut-wrenching. Gut-wrenching.
- [applause] - [crowd whistles and cheers]
[upbeat music playing over speakers]
[announcer] Here we go.
In our Junior College Division, starting in second place...
In second place, with a 97.2875...
Let's hear it for...
Trinity Valley Community College!
[crowd cheers]
[announcer] And our Junior College National Champions,
with a 97.8375...
Navarro College!
[crowd cheers]
[group cheers]
Thank God!
[crowd continues cheering]
[emotional orchestral music playing]
- [Shannon sniffles] - Oh, that's awesome.
[Jerry exclaims]
[group squeals]
[team laughing and shouting]
[all exclaim and whoop]
[Jerry shouts]
[Monica laughing]
Whoo!
- Yeah! [exclaims] - Yeah!
[both giggle]
- [TT] Yes, Jerry! - Yes!
[both laugh]
- I'm proud of you. - [Allie] I love you so much.
[Gabi] I love you too.
- You okay? - Yeah.
[Jerry and La'Darius shouting]
[orchestral music swells]
[squeals] Yeah!
- [woman 1] Oh, don't you worry about me. - [woman 2] Ah!
[woman 1] I'll be as prim and ladylike as I can be.
[woman 2] You must accept with thanks.
[woman 3] Oh, she will. Right away.
Oh, come, Amy, let's look over my dress.
[bell rings]
[woman 3] Who could that be?
I'll see.
[woman 3] I shall...
[stammers]...wear my real lace frill.
[woman 2] How are you ever going to dance in those high heels there?
Good evening, Miss March.
Is this your kitten?
- Oh, yes. - I thought so.
He was playing on our back porch
when my grandfather asked me to chase him away.
[Kapena] After our performance at Daytona, I planned...
on not coming back. I planned on moving to LA
and starting to go to a school, an acting school out in LA.
I'm like, "You know what? This is my next chapter in life.
I can't wait to get started."
[woman 1] It's horrid, give it to me!
Can't! I'll have to put it back.
[Kapena] However, I must've been a vital part to this season,
because Monica and Andy asked me,
"What is it gonna take for you to come back?
'Cause we loved you helping out this year."
So... I guess I'm coming back another year!
I'm just like... "Ah, ah!"
It's been-- This is gonna be my fourth year here.
[Kapena] Okay, there's, like, a lot of different aspects of cheerleading.
There's, like, club cheer, which we call "All-Star,"
there's collegiate cheer, there's high school cheer,
and there's, like, Pop Warner and show cheer.
[Kapena] When I first came, alumni used to say,
"You spend two years wanting to get out of here,
but you're gonna spend the rest of your life trying to come back."
And I never really knew what that meant until this year.
Saying goodbye to all this, it's just...
so hard, and I don't know how I'm gonna do it.
One day I'm gonna have to do it, and I don't know how I'm gonna be able to.
[cheerleader shouts]
[Natalie] I cannot tell you the number of people, from all ages,
that when we would present about our book or find out about our research,
they would come up and say,
"You know, I used to be a cheerleader.
I know, to look at me now, you can't believe it,
but I really was. I was a cheerleader."
And often, it is because...
they no longer look like what a cheerleader is supposed to look like.
And I think, more than anything, that started speaking to us
about how powerful this idea of being a cheerleader is.
For people long after they've quit cheering.
That, for many people, it kind of personified
that, "At one time in my life, I was somebody."
You know? "I was at the top."
Many collegiate cheerleaders
will go on and become cheerleading coaches.
That's, you know, a very common path,
but the opportunity to take this to a different level
is just nonexistent.
And if you have invested your entire life only in cheerleading,
you know, that all comes to an end, and there is a sense of...
[gasps] "What do we do now?"
[dog barking in distance]
So, do you know your classes for next year, then?
[Morgan] No, I haven't set up my schedule yet.
You don't have very many to take,
- though, do you? - [Morgan] Mm-mm, no.
[Morgan] I thought about it a lot,
and I've talked to, like, my grandparents about it,
um, talked to Monica about it, and...
some of the main points of why
I feel like me staying at Navarro is what's best for me
is because I feel like I still have a lot to learn
from being at this program.
And I just can't imagine being coached by anyone besides Monica.
So, I'm like, I'm not even going to cheer anywhere else.
[Pam] Would they let you go for another associate's degree? [laughs]
I- I think I've maxed out on associates degrees.
But... can't seem to get away from it.
This is probably one of the longest places I've,
like, lived in my life,
is these two years here in Corsicana.
This is what I'm, like, used to, and this is what I'm comfortable with.
And it's, like, the consistency that I need in my life.
[Morgan] I'm just being a cheerleader right now.
[Pam] You can't...
You can't do that forever,
so you gotta figure out...
figure out what you're gonna do.
[Kyle] Start a nail salon.
- Yeah. - [Morgan, chuckling] Why a nail salon?
[Pam] Well, you do nails, tanning.
- You do nails. - [Pam] You know about that.
- [Kyle] Braid hair. Do somethin'. - [Morgan] Mm-hmm.
Well, I wanna come live with you guys forever.
[Kyle] No.
- [gasps, chuckles] - [Pam laughs, sighs]
- [Jerry] Hi, how are you? - [woman 1] Hey!
- How are you? Good to see you. - [Jerry] You look amazing. You too.
Congrats on another championship.
[Jerry] Thank you so much!
- [girls giggle] - [girl 1] Jerry!
- [girls chattering excitedly] - [girl 2 exclaims]
[Jerry exclaims and laughs]
[Darlene] Oh, well, every time Jerry gets a jacket or a ring,
that's a celebration for ICE.
I mean, he was here his whole formative years, and so,
we kinda celebrate his accomplishments.
He's such a role model for them that they're just so excited to see him.
[woman 2] Come. You can come see him.
[Darlene] He shows everyone you can come from any circumstances
and make yourself into what you wanna be.
- [papers rustling] - [Jerry] Okay.
Let me open the Louisville one...
- Okay. - And what if they--
[exclaims, laughing]
Nice!
- [Jerry] Wow! [chuckles] - Look at that!
Oh, my God!
I did not think I was gonna get a scholarship from them.
[Shannon] That's fant-- I know, that's huge.
[Jerry] That's a lot of money.
- That's a great deal. Yeah, absolutely. - [Jerry] A lot.
- Wow. Oh, my gosh. - That's awesome. Yeah.
[Shannon] He has gotten money from other schools,
but that was definitely by far the largest.
And, that was solely on his grades.
And he said that. He goes,
"That's not just money. That's because I got-- I got good grades."
I'm like, "Exactly."
He knew that he earned it.
[Jerry and Shannon laughing]
I was like...
Yes! Oh, my gosh, it was incredible.
- [clicks tongue] Oh, my God. - [Jerry] Yeah. [laughing]
- Yeah. That's crazy. - [Margaret] I know.
- I'm so excited, though. Oh, my gosh. - [Margaret] That's awesome.
Got it.
Can you guys try to get as much of the black off of her skin as possible?
- [hairdresser] Oh, yeah. - [Gabi] She actually hooks me up.
Yeah, 'cause a couple times, I don't know, you know, who it was,
but they've left her with, like, black all over her.
[hairdresser] Yeah, we won't do that again.
[Gabi] Navarro really made me realize why I chose cheerleading
and, like, why I decided to cheer.
So, I was really debating on going back to Navarro
or to stay here.
But I've been basically gone since I was 14.
I feel like I've been away from home for so long.
So, I was just like,
"Yeah, it's... it's kind of that time to, like, come home."
[John] I am still looking for a location
in El Paso.
Um, you guys have, what, about 50 in your All-Star program
and about 100 other, like, recreational athletes?
[woman on phone] Um, I have...
[John] Gabi's biggest thing that she's always done,
uh, over the last several years is these camps and clinics.
So, we've launched the first set of events.
We're doing a tour all across the country,
and thus far, it's been a huge hit.
Now, the way it works is, in order for them to attend the event,
they have to fundraise a minimum of $100.
That gains them entrance into the event.
And then from there, there are different incentive levels
when they continue to fundraise.
Does that sound like it might be something you...
[John] You know, we don't really have a lot of fears for the future.
I feel like...
my daughter has solidified her position
in the history of cheerleading,
in terms of what she's done, what she's accomplished.
And I'm not talking about her social media following,
just, you know, the Worlds titles she's won,
the Collegiate National titles,
Grand National titles that she's won.
Gabi is a warrior.
So, you know, if in two more years, or three more years, or next week,
she-- she loses her following, or it's not there anymore,
or it's not the same, um, she'll be just fine.
[trainer] Seven, six, five, four.
Three, two, double down, ten times. Go, go, go.
[Gabi] I'm so glad that I actually went to college.
[trainer] Come on!
[Gabi] Even though I've had super, super bad practices,
[panting]
but at the end of the day, like,
that is so important for people to see.
[trainer] Down. Cross.
[Gabi] 'Cause a lot of people don't see the personal stuff on social media,
and I do think it's such an important thing
for people to see that everybody is human.
[trainer] Ten, let's go.
[Gabi] Everybody has their off days.
Life is gonna throw you challenges, no matter what,
like, there always are things that can go wrong,
but even if they do go wrong, you still have to keep fighting.
- [trainer] Come on. - [breathing heavily] Okay.
[La'Darius] Where is your slap? Where's your slap at?
Every time I do not hear... [claps]
Every single time,
you're gonna condition.
Because at this point, y'all have been in little for long enough,
or you've probably, like, worked on it long enough
to know that-- what I want. You know the technique.
Do you not know the technique?
What is the first thing?
[girl 1] Stretch.
- [La'Darius] What's the next? - [girl 2] Hold the pose.
[La'Darius] Now that I know that you know,
you're gonna condition every time I do not see it.
Let's go.
He's gonna have them go back and do it again.
He's so tough.
- [woman 1] Yeah. - He is tough.
[woman 2] But he's tough and good.
[woman 3] He better stay this summer.
- [woman 4] Mm-hmm. - [woman 5] He better.
[woman 6] Were y'all here the other night? He signed the contract.
Did he?
Too bad. Upper levels have him.
[woman 7] I-I figured that!
Why are your toes not pointed?
[instructor] Right, up! Middle, middle, up! Left...
Ooh, look at this baby. She don't know what's going on.
One, two, three, hit, four,
five, six, seven, eight. One...
Really, Camen, you gonna cheat?
[La'Darius] I don't know, like, what's next for me.
[La'Darius] Uh, no, ma'am.
[La'Darius] I see myself, like, having a family.
Having the house I've always dreamed of.
It's not, like, rich lifestyle, but it's like... a comfortable lifestyle,
where I know that I will never have to struggle again.
So, I thought about being a personal trainer.
Arms.
[La'Darius] And a choreographer because that pays a lot of money too.
But if all else fails, if I can't do what I wanna do in life,
I'm going into the military.
Ooh!
I don't do water, so I would not be in the Navy or Marines.
So, either it'd be the Army, or it would be Air Force.
Because I want stability,
and it's about what I can do for my future and what I can do for my country
because I love America so much.
And it would teach me how to be more disciplined,
and that's one thing I want to learn, is how to be more disciplined.
[La'Darius] Listen to directions.
If you can't listen to directions, it's gonna be very hard to be on a team.
Teams have directions and counts.
[La'Darius] I love strictness because it just kept me on my toes,
and I respect coaches who are strict and justifiable.
I understand someone who really wants the best for you.
[La'Darius] Push! Push! Push!
Yes!
That is what I'm talkin' about, girl!
That's what happens
when you listen to somebody who know what they talking about
and stop being so rude.
[La'Darius] I definitely learned a lot being around Monica.
[La'Darius] Do it again.
I love her with everything in me. Like, I'm so glad that I got coached
by one of the toughest coaches in the world.
[woman] Are you doing your makeup?
[Lexi] Um, I'm not too sure.
I'm definitely putting glitter on somewhere.
- [woman laughs] I was being sarcastic. - [Lexi] Oh.
Gotta pick out exactly what shirt I'm gonna wear.
Either this one...
I ripped this already.
I need my grandma to sew it for me.
This one too.
But I've already worn that one a lot to raves.
It's cute, though.
[Lexi] Here's... I love this one.
I wish I would've gotten it in a smaller size,
- 'cause it's honestly-- - [woman] Why didn't you? Like...
[Lexi] Because I thought a small would be small enough.
Dude, I like the reflection of it.
[Lexi] Right? It's so dope.
[Teresa] I think that she opened up a lot more
at Navarro than she has at most teams that she's been on.
[Lexi] These are so hard to put on 'cause the holes in them are so big.
- [woman] You have to use your hand. - [Lexi] Yeah, I know.
[Teresa] We were going to...
get her a car, we were gonna do whatever we could to keep her there,
and she committed. And then, when we went to pick her up,
it was a different story.
[woman] Yeah!
I don't even know if I really like it or not.
What do you mean?
It looks good. Those are gonna reflect when you have your fanny pack on,
- so wear it. - Yeah.
You're right.
[Frances] As we were driving back,
she was kinda quiet, didn't say very much.
And I just turned to her, and I said,
"I just want to tell you that I love you and I'm very proud of you."
And she just looked at me, but she never said anything.
And it wasn't until later...
She just said she had gotten in trouble
and that she can't be a cheerleader there anymore.
[Calvin] I think they had a week of school left,
and she got pulled over. She was in a car with a couple people.
But there was some...
[sighs]...illegal stuff in the car,
and Lexi's the type of person to not snitch on anybody.
So, Lexi ended up taking the blame.
[Lexi] It's 11:11, make a wish.
- Amen. - [woman] Amen.
[inhales]
[woman] You didn't even give me enough time.
I didn't even think you actually prayed.
- Oh, I have been lately. - [woman] Or made a wish.
- [woman] Have you? - Yes. [chuckles]
I've never prayed, but lately, yeah.
- [woman] That's deep. That is very deep. - Yeah, I know. That's how life is going.
[club music playing over speakers]
[Calvin, chuckling] It does worry me that she's here.
I don't want her to fall back into that... that stage in her life where she was.
I don't want her to stick around Houston and just...
waste her skills and talent and all that.
You know, why not utilize the skills
and talent that she has to get a scholarship?
[man rapping over speakers]
[Frances] She hasn't done anything since she's left.
I keep saying, "Why don't you go to the gym?"
And, "Why don't you go..." and, I don't know, I think...
she's trying to take a little break from it.
[singing along with music]
[Frances] It's worrisome
because I don't think she knows what to do
or what's... what she wants to do.
[chuckles, voice breaking] It's emotional.
Because we've been through a lot with her.
[Lexi] Me and Monica still have a good relationship.
Um... a lot of the times,
before I do something that might be questionable,
I think, "What would Monica say?"
Even though I'm not necessarily a Navarro cheerleader anymore,
I still feel like I'm a reflection of that program.
So, honestly, asking myself that question
keeps me out of a lot of trouble.
[group chattering]
[Austin] Did you get any regular?
[Monica] The supreme is hand-tossed.
We did pretty good when I sat here last time, so that's where I'm sitting.
[Monica] I don't ever want to end anything in a bad way,
especially for someone that needs me.
I mean, that was a big part of what we talked about.
I said, "I feel like you need me still."
[club music continues playing]
[Monica] I said, "But I can't be with you in Houston.
and you can't be here with me because of your choices."
[singer on TV] ♪ Whose broad stripes And bright stars... ♪
[Monica] I said, "Look, don't you want a job
where you can buy a car if you want to go buy a car?
You can buy a house if you want to buy a house?
Don't you want a husband
that is gonna treat you like a queen...
but that works hard and has a good job,
and that can buy you the things that you want?
That y'all could have children,
and you can raise them better than you've ever had it?"
[DJ] Yo, if you wanna be a part of this family real quick,
come up to the front. Let's have some fun with this shit!
[Monica] I mean, she was crying, you know, and, like, said, "Yes. Absolutely."
I said, "Well, whatever pathway you decide to take,
it's gonna lead you there, or it's gonna lead you...
in the complete opposite direction.
And if you're not hanging out
with the right people, you'll go downhill fast."
[DJ] Let's make horrible decisions. Let's have some fun.
[dance music playing]
[Lexi] You know, most kids my age are very stressed out about, you know,
finding themselves and what they have to offer for the world.
And I know what my hobbies are, and I know what my talents are.
I just don't know yet how I wanna use them.
[Monica] There's been multiple times that I've had to let people go,
but I don't ever just shut the door and tell them
I'm done with them. I don't ever do that.
I want to help as many kids as I can.
I mean, that's the reason I do this job. That's what brings me joy.
But, you know, sometimes those kids make it through,
and sometimes they don't.
And as much as I want to give them a second chance,
if you don't uphold the rules,
then there's-- you know, why have the rules?
When you get that, um, kind of environment,
the new kids think that anything goes.
Come on, Dawgs, let's fight!
The red... I'm sorry, can I start over? [giggles]
[Kapena] Go ahead.
[cheerleader] Come on, Dawgs, let's fight!
- The red, black, and white! [claps] - [Kapena] Go ahead, Shania.
- You got it! - Good!
- [Kapena] See that? - [Monica] Yeah.
[Kapena] When you double, don't wrap your arms here.
- Your arms need to be by your side. - Okay.
[Monica] Something we can work on. [chuckles]
Those are things we teach.
Like, later.
You're looking for potential.
["Snowqueen of Texas" playing]
[Monica] Do it again.
♪ Snowqueen of Texas ♪
♪ Left Paris in a cloud of smoke ♪
- ♪ They say she may be beaten ♪ - [inaudible]
♪ But I know that she's not broke ♪
♪ She's livin' In a cool, green farmhouse ♪
♪ If you go to Houston ♪
♪ Be quiet as a mouse ♪
♪ Met a man in Beirut ♪
♪ Having her name tattooed on his arm ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh ♪
♪ A Deborah forever ♪
♪ Boots of Spanish leather ♪
♪ I never meant you any harm ♪
♪ I'm on my knees, Your Majesty ♪
♪ Snowqueen, save a cold kiss for me ♪
♪ I'm on my knees, Your Majesty ♪
- ♪ Snowqueen ♪ - ♪ Of Texas ♪
♪ Left Paris in a cloud of smoke ♪
♪ They say she may be beaten ♪
♪ But I know that she's not broke ♪
♪ She's livin' In a cool, green farmhouse ♪
♪ If you go to Houston ♪
♪ Be quiet as a mouse ♪
♪ She's mending a fairy tale ♪
♪ Reading her heart ♪
♪ A Deborah forever ♪
♪ That's a good motto ♪
♪ For some junkman's cart ♪
♪ I'm on my knees, Your Majesty ♪
- ♪ Snowqueen ♪ - ♪ Save a cold kiss for me ♪
♪ I'm on my knees, Your Majesty ♪
♪ Snowqueen ♪
♪ Save a cold kiss for me ♪