Television Review: Cheerleader Nation

By Lucy Maher

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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this series includes scenes in which mothers and their teenage daughters argue, as well as scenes in which the teens push the boundaries their parents have set for them. Some of the girls on the show have boyfriends, and in some episodes there is dirty dancing and accusations of cheating.

Families can talk about how teens can successfully juggle extracurricular activities while keeping their grades up. How can you effectively manage your time in high school? Issues involving sports, competition, and ambition also come into play. How do you know when you've crossed the line in pursuit of a goal? Do parents put too much pressure on their kids to succeed?

CHEERLEADER NATION follows a group of super-competitive teenagers vying for spots on Lexington, Kentucky's Dunbar High School varsity cheerleading squad in the hopes of helping the school get to its third straight national championship. Leading the group is tough-but-sensitive coach Donna Martin who guides the girls through tryouts, daily practice, and, ultimately, the United Cheerleading Association National championships. Real-life dramas unfold as each girl faces her own personal challenges. (Examples include Martin’s daughter, Ryan, who makes the team and finds herself struggling to gain her mom’s approval on and off the court, and Katie, Dunbar's star soccer player who, as a senior, gives up the sport for cheerleading.)

Teens and their parents will be enthralled by each hour-long episode, which gives them a rare glimpse into the lives of seemingly regular -- though extremely athletic -- teenagers navigating their way through high school. The girls on the show deal with managing friendships and romances while pursuing their goal and keeping up their grades, and come across as sincere in their attempt to "have it all."

But while the teens on the show are painted as "everygirls," they are anything but. All are extremely attractive, with nary a hair out of place, and all seem to come from affluent families where no need goes unmet. The only real issue these girls apparently have to deal with is overbearing moms who have just as much invested in their daughters' cheerleading skills as the girls do. Still, families who watch the show together will find much to talk about and will be highly entertained, if nothing else.