Netflix "Cheer" series - AIBU to find it horrifying?

[XelaM]

Just finished watching the "Cheer" Nexflix docu-show about cheerleading at Nevarra Junior College. What on earth...?! Has anyone seen this? I may have gone mad, but the training looks absolutely horrific! These kids (girls in particular) are truly risking their lives and that no one broke their neck on camera was just good luck. The number of injuries is insane and they do life-threatening stunts on concrete floor with a thin matt on top. They seem to just be told to get on with it and when girls keep getting dropped (on their heads most of the time) they simply replace them. That's not how gymnasts are trained at all! Why is this allowed? Am I missing something?

I thought this clip captured the essence of the "Cheer" show perfectly m.youtube.com/watch?v=5FKnBWUitu0

Clearly I'm not the only one who was shocked by the number of injuries

That clip is great! Not seen Dare Me. I’ll look it up

@RandomMess

The DC with difficult backgrounds are more likely to be at that type of College rather than a University.

Similar to the other Netflix offering ‘Last Chance University’ which looks at the Junior College Football league. Men in their mid twenties from very disadvantaged background at junior college programmes trying to get full scholarships to 4 year colleges. It’s an eye opener.

I watched Cheer last year - love that clip. Some of the UK universities do Cheerleading, DDs friends who had done gymnastics & dance through school enjoyed it.

Didn’t Monica appear on Dancing with the Stars? The programme hugely raised her personal profile.

Similar to the other Netflix offering ‘Last Chance University’ which looks at the Junior College Football league. Men in their mid twenties from very disadvantaged background at junior college programmes trying to get full scholarships to 4 year colleges. It’s an eye opener.

Yes. I think this is part of a bigger picture and doesn’t only relate to the US, although in the US the huge importance of high school and college sport probably exacerbates things.

The key problem is the potential for abuse when there is such an imbalance of power.

I love "Last Chance U" - especially Season 1 with Brittany as their academic mentor. But that to me had a very different feel to "Cheer". I didn't see Monica being that caring about her kids' well-being. They were all referring to her as this warm mother figure, but to me she seemed very cold. Maybe it was the editing

Wow I wasn't expecting that!

I've just binge watched this on the back of this thread. Oh. My. GOD!! I have no words, none. I do have a lot of swear words and am still to collect my jaw from the floor but...WOW!!! The bravery and trust they must all have in each other. Incredible.

@OldTinHat That was my reaction too!! The kids are incredible but the coaching and whole set-up looks very shocking to me

I remember Penn and Teller doing an episode in cheerleading ages back. Basically it wasn't classed as a 'sport' so had very little funding or safety precautions, but was very dangerous compared to most 'classified' sports. A lot of deaths and life changing injuries