Varsity Spirit Takes A Tumble in Netflix's 'Cheer' Documentary

All was going along swell for the first five episodes of the hit Netflix cheerleading show “Cheer” as the documentary followed the trials and tribulations and (spoiler alert!) ultimate success of the competitive cheer team from tiny Navarro Junior College in rural Corsicana, TX. The boys and girls were headed to Daytona Beach, FL, for the College Nationals Competition, which they had won numerous times in the past, and after five hours of drama, spills and thrills viewers were rooting for the overdogs to succeed again.

But then Varsity Spirit, which owns and organizes the Daytona Nationals, didn’t allow the documentary camera crews into the event and the story soured somewhat with a mini-expose on the dominance of Varsity Spirit – the sister company of BSN Sports – in the insular world of competitive cheer. (Indeed, a message that “Varsity Spirit denied our crew access to College Nationals Competitons” flashed across the screen, along with the footnote that all footage of the competition was then supplied by attendees.)

That message was accompanied by comments from a couple of cheer observers, one who lamented that Varsity Spirit controlled the “whole kit and kaboodle” of cheer. Another claimed that “Varsity controls cheer,” while author Natalie Adams, who wrote a book entitled “Cheerleader: An American Icon,” opined that “Varsity Brands has been very successful in controlling the narrative of cheer.”

“Control is a strong word,” responded Varsity Spirit president Bill Seely in the documentary. “I don’t apologize for what we do. People choose Varsity Brands because we are genuinely trying to help them be successful in what they want to do,” he adds.

TeamInsightExtra reached out to Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of Varsity Brands, the parent company of Varsity Spirit and BSN Sports, who admitted that the documentary’s negative treatment of Varsity Spirit did, indeed, “have a direct correlation with the fact that we do not allow outside cameras into our facilities in order to preserve the environment for the safety of the participants — unless we can come to very specific agreement with the outside party.”

Blumenfeld did not criticize “Cheer” in any manner, and in fact says that “we do appreciate the documentary bringing an acute focus to the athleticism and skill of these young athletes. It’s been long overlooked. These young people are true competitors and teammates and are driving spirit in school throughout their community, as well as competing outside of the schoolhouse.”

On balance, he adds, “I think documentary work that features the talents and sense of pride and teamwork associated with contemporary cheerleading is a positive. It’s a great reflection of the dedication and training required to perform at this level.”

Nicole Lauchaire, senior VP–corporate communications, at Varsity Brands, also tells TeamInsightExtra that “the overall intensity that accompanied the series – from viewers, critics, fans and even the participants in the show – underscores the power of cheer and the spirit it engenders. It’s a force, for sure.”

Varsity Brands’ priority, she adds, is to harness this power of spirit across all three of its businesses – Varsity Spirit, BSN Sports and Herff-Jones – to truly make a positive impact in schools and communities.

“So, while we’re not entirely pleased with every editorial decision in the series, the essential takeaway is one that reinforces so much of what we try to do in schools across the country: showcasing commitment, pride and teamwork,” Lauchaire adds. “Our job is to channel all of that for good.”

Bottom line: Team dealers should watch “Cheer” for themselves — or at least the first and last episodes if they don’t have six hours to devote to binge watching. At its core the show provides an inside look at the world of competitive cheer and the thousands of female athletes who consider it their sport. And it also provides dealers with a look at just how much they spend on clothes, shoes, hair bows, makeup and travel in their pursuit of excellence.