By Reagan Ranzer
Texas Tech Cheer Squad (Photo from Texas Tech Cheer Facebook page)
Netflix released a six-part documentary series for the show “Cheer” on Jan. 8, which includes the cheer team at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas as they prepare to compete in the College National Championship.
The National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) & National Dance Alliance (NDA) Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships is one of the biggest competitions held in Daytona Beach, Florida. Every year around April, teams are given 2 minutes and 15 seconds to showcase their skills before a panel of judges. While teams from across the nation jump at the chance to make it to the top, the fifth episode holds a familiar sight for locals.
Donning red, white, and black, Texas Tech cheerleaders make an appearance.
The twist: Navarro Junior College alumni Austin Bayles, Brooke Dumas and Mackenzie “Sherbs” Sherburn all decided to cheer for Tech after earning their 14th national championship.
Head Cheer, STUNT, & Mascot Coach Bruce Bills (Photo from Texas Tech Spirit Program website)
Bruce Bills, Tech head cheer and mascot coach, spoke about the program and why it appeals to seasoned cheer athletes.
“I think the program we have established it has taken many years to build up, also the reputation that the university has,” Bills said. “I also think that students want to come cheer for a Big 12 school a large university; I think that’s a huge draw too.”
Cheerleaders from all across the world will come to Lubbock to cheer, and transfer students are a “bonus,” Bill said, as they bring their skills and experience with them.
“Having years of experience at a junior college level, the knowledge that they have within just cheerleading is going to grow and it helps us,” Bills said. “It is a huge honor getting to coach here, it is a challenge but a good challenge to get the different experiences and viewpoints from the different junior colleges and high schools.”
The cheer program has grown by taking experience from the athletes who come in and make it work here at Tech. Keeping traditions is also a huge part all the way from the first squad in 1925 up until now, Bills said.
Austin Bayles, a junior kinesiology major from Hutto, is a cheerleader on the Co-Ed cheer squad and has dreamed of always coming to Tech. He is one of the three cheerleaders featured on the show “Cheer”.
Texas Tech’s Co-Ed Cheer Squad’s Austin Bayles (Photo from Netflix series Cheer)
“At first being filmed every day is just like a really different environment, we always talk about “oh, watch what you do, people are always watching you,” but actually having a camera in front of you and knowing everything you say and do will be published at some point,” Bayles said, and it was very stressful.”
Bayles said when he first watched the show and saw himself it was different, and he remembered exact points in time when the filming was going on as it brought back memories. He also hopes the audience notices the dedication they put into the routines and the hours of hard work and practices.
“We are really passionate about what we do, and we put in the time and the hours, and I hope the people can appreciate you know what we do as athletes,” Bayles said.
“The show shows the nitty gritty of it but on top of our obligations to being cheerleaders. What always comes first is being at the sporting events being able to support our other teams and organizations and representing this school which is our main priority.”
On top of practicing cheers for sports teams and organizations at Tech, they also put in hours for their competition team. They strive to be the best that they can be, Bayles said.
Texas Tech’s Co-Ed Cheer Squad’s Austin Bayles (Photo from Instagram)
“We have to add in the hours and times for all the practices that we want to do,” Bayles said. “You know we may have a good practice or a bad practice. Then we have to add another practice on top to get the extra reps in and the extra time in because we want to put out our best foot whenever we compete. The same way we want to put out our best foot when we are at a game, or an event or anything like that.”
Brooke Dumas, a sophomore pre-nursing major from Katy, is a cheerleader on the All-Girl cheer squad and said her family has always been Red Raider fans which is why she chose Tech.
“I had family ties here, so I’ve been wanting to come to Tech since I was really little,” Dumas said. “Whenever I started getting into cheer it helped that I knew they were really good. Also, from social media and people who I knew who came here”
Because of the show, Dumas said of fans from across the world have contacted her through social media saying she is an inspiration.
“It is hard to reply to all the messages,” Dumas said.
After getting to read some of them, they are grateful for the fans that they have, Dumas said, but aside from keeping up with fans, she also brought up the importance of time management as she juggles cheer, school, work, and more.
All-Girl Cheer Squad’s Brooke Dumas (Photo from Instagram)
“Time management you really got to plan out what your schedule is like, know what you have coming up, so it doesn’t get all crazy and jumbled up in your head,” Dumas said. “Also get a planner.”
Madison Sherburn, a junior psychology major from Wills Point, is a cheerleader on the Co-Ed cheer.
Sherburn explained her reasoning when choosing Tech and the transitions she went through.
“I had friends who went to Tech to kept telling me to come visit. Once I visited, I fell in love with the atmosphere here and it was in Texas and since I’m from Texas it was a lot closer to home,” Sherburn said. “The transition wasn’t very hard, but Tech is way different from Navarro. The practice time was the biggest adjustment, getting up and practicing at 6 a.m.”
After the show aired Sherburn was shocked on how big the show got.
“I didn’t really think that this show was going to blow up so much as it did,” Sherburn said. “I feel like the show really captured what cheerleading was about and all the hard work we put in. I really loved being on the show it was amazing honestly.”
Texas Tech Co-Ed Cheer Squad’s Mackenzie “Sherbs” Sherburn (Photo from Netflix)
Sherburn was Navarro’s top girl, in the third episode she was tossed in the air and was not caught causing her to hit the floor, dislocating her elbow. Her recovery and perseverance had fans reaching out to her.
“People noticed I still cheered after I got injured,” she said, “and they would tell me how it was inspirational that I kept going throughout my injury.”
Texas Tech Co-Ed Cheer Squad’s Mackenzie “Sherbs” Sherburn (Photo from Instagram)
Sherburn said the experience was crazy but loved how viewers were able to see the hard work and effort that goes into cheering.
Bayles said he hopes the show inspires others.
“I think people should watch the show ‘Cheer’ because I think it kind of inspires you,” Bayles said. “It is very moving to be able to watch it even knowing people in the show it moved me a ton, and I knew so many of those peoples back stories and even still seeing how far they have come and where they are now and where they get to go is super moving.”
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