Cloud of Witnesses


“Cloud of Witnesses”
A Review of Cheer, Season 1 by Nick Olszyk

FCC Rating*, TV-MA
CSM Rating†, 4+
Reel Rating, Three Reels            

            Cheerleading is one of America’s most underrated sports. To be fair, I am biased. My first girlfriend was captain of her team, and my sister was a flyer. It is not simply the demanding combination of technical skill, high risk stunts, and aesthetical presentation that makes this activity unique but the spiritual significance as well. Cheer is a short docuseries on Netflix (six one-hour episodes) that follows the Navarro College cheer team as they attempt to defend their title and does an amazing job capturing this niche sport. Through their highs and lows, the audience learns what it takes to be a winner both on the mat and in Heaven.
            Navarro College is a small Texas community school in Corsicana, a town of twenty-four thousand people, where you can graduate in two years with Associate’s Degree for less than the cost of a Toyota Corolla. Yet this blip on the map has diamond in the rough; its cheer team has won fourteen national titles in the last twenty years. It’s the Harvard of cheerleading. Cheer examines the 2019 season of this illustrious group as they defend the title against their close rivals Trinity College, another small institution only forty miles away.
            The film documents numerous subjects but focuses on six central protagonists in three categories. First are the superstars: Monica (47) and Gabi (20). Monica is the head coach, a no-nonsense country gal with unlimited ambition who created this dynasty out of thin air back in 2000. She is tough on her athletes but also maternal, protecting them on and off the field. Gabi is the star of team, the most famous cheerleader in the country who began a YouTube tutorial channel before she was ten. Between practices and matches, her agents (also called mom and dad) fly her across the country for public appearances and commercial photoshoots. Despite her fame and fortune, she has a grounded attitude and often seeks solitude from her chaotic lifestyle.
            Second are the rebels, La’Darius (21) and Lexi (20). La’Darius is stunter and tumbler, one of the most talented males on the team. Unfortunately, his exceptional skill also comes with a perfectionist streak. When anyone makes the slightest mistake, he quickly chews them out, even implying one of the flyers is fat and thus hard to hold up. Lexi is best tumbler on the team who looks like she defies gravity. Yet, she hangs out with a rough crowd, which leads to several arrests and running away from home while still a minor.
            Lastly are the orphans, Jerry (18) and Morgan (22). I don’t think it’s a stretch to say these two individuals are everyone’s favorites. Jerry is the most positive member of the team who has spunk and drive but struggles being good enough to be “on mat,” meaning they will be the ones to perform at National Championship in Daytona, FL. He was raised by his mom, the guiding force in his life, who passed away from cancer shortly before filming. Morgan is shy and a bit rough in her technique, jeopardizing her place on the mat. After her father remarried, she and her brother were so hated by their new family they were forced to grow up in a trailer separate from the main house and had to find their own food.
            All sports represent the spiritual warfare humans experience daily, but there are three that, in my subjective opinion, have a special spiritual significance: long distance running, baseball, and cheerleading. St. Paul describes the church triumphant as a “cloud of witnesses,” comparing it to fans watching a race. Cheerleading captures this idea of intercessory encouragement. They lead the crowd to root for the team, inspiring them with chants, acrobatics, and playful banter. More than gymnastic prowess, they bring a sense of joy to the game and provide an aesthetic attraction that guides the audience to the action on the field. In cheerleading, looks do matter, not because wrinkles or cellulite are immoral, but because cheerleaders represent an archetypical reality.
            Monica understands the significance of the sport better than anyone. Her athletes strive for excellence inside and out. She also seems to have a sixth sense finding people who come from broken backgrounds and giving them a home. The worst sinners often become the greatest saints. The key is that Monica makes these young adults work out their problems on the mat rather than each other. La’Darius, not one to usually follow the rules, admits he “needed the discipline and structure” in his life. People thrive when given a challenge and expected to succeed. They also need the real possibility of failure. If they give Monica lip or get caught doing drugs, they are off the team no matter how good they are. Cheerleading is more than a sport, it’s a means of teaching life. Monica understands if she can reach these kids now, they will “not stray” when older.
            There’s an aspect of Texan life that, as an Oregonian, I find both astonishing and refreshing. Even though Navarro is a state funded school, the Bulldogs begin every practice with prayer…to Jesus. Dozens of students, and Monica herself, wear prominently displayed crosses. Frequently, students will be seen praying or addressing spiritual matters. Right before the final performance, a teammate tells Jerry, “Your mom is watching you from above” to smiles and nods. This is what a Christian culture looks like, where religion is a common language and the rhythm of life. This is one of the reasons the Navarro team is so successful. It’s not that prayer will necessarily win matches, but that through a life guided by God, both winning and loosing will have purpose and can be used for spiritual growth.
            There is one disappointing elephant in the room. There are two common stereotypes for cheerleaders. The first is that all female cheerleaders are ditsy, shallow, and hypersexual, which Cheer goes to great lengths to dispel. Monica’s girls are intelligent, driven, and most don’t have time for relationships. The second is that all male cheerleaders are gay. Half of the Navarro team is male and every single one, including the two male coaches, behave in a stereotypically gay manner (valley-girl speech, elaborate hand gestures, feminine mannerisms, etc). The issue is usually couched in the language of being “different” or “true to oneself” rather than homosexual behavior. Monica defends her athletes, saying she will “fight anyone,” including her pastor. Again, it is unclear whether she is referring to their personality or sexual choices. The audience is introduced to a few boyfriends of the squad but never a same-sex partner. It is telling that the one person who does admit to being explicitly gay also discusses how he was sexually abused by a male relative as a child. Teachers, coaches, and parents should have the courage to confront young people on this problem rather than sweeping it to the side. They don’t have to single kids out or insult their personality, but they should treat sodomy like any other sin that needs correction.
            As the day of the final competition approaches, tensions rise dramatically. Several athletes are injured. Jerry keeps getting put on and off mat. Lexi becomes the victim of revenge porn. The filmmakers do an amazing job ratcheting up the action through stellar editing; this is a series that is nearly impossible to watch without binging. There is elation at success, and despair at defeat. Not everyone will make it out ok, but no one will ever forget this season. Cheer is compelling, compassionate, and beautiful, a magnificent work. It can be easy to become jaded when working with minors day in and day out. Cheer reminded me that God continues to make saints of every generation.


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