Cheerleading: Women, Sports, and Dallas
I watched America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and I haven't stopped talking about it since.
In the fourth grade, I decided I wanted to try out cheerleading. This was one of the more expensive samplings of organized after-school activities that I took part in trying to find what I liked. I don’t exactly remember why I picked cheerleading, but I suspect it was when a best friend was also participating.
Even at a young age, I knew that cheerleading held a certain status for girls, something not found in many other extracurriculars. Though I only made it through one year, my older self wishes I would have stuck to it a little longer (though I also feel that way about soccer and piano and track). I was intimidated, like most of the things I newly tried, and I wasn’t instantly good at it and became self-conscious practicing to where I would just get too worked up to effectively practice.
I do remember some of the routines and cheers, even hanging out with some of my fellow squadmates was a relatively positive experience. And I really loved my little uniform. There is power in a cheerleading uniform and no one can tell me differently. Writing this now is probably the most I’ve thought about my short lived experience with cheerleading, but I was reminded of it while watching Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
If you haven’t watched yet (and I highly recommend that you do), the seven-episode docuseries follows the 2023 season: tryouts, training camp, and games. Most of the episodes focus on the auditions and training camp as the women compete and prepare to join the most iconic cheerleading brand and team. The remaining episodes give a glimpse into the still interesting, but less competitive excitement of actually being in season and on the team.
You get quite intimate looks of the many cheerleaders and many of them you really start to root for to achieve their dream. To name a few whose stories are shared: There’s Kelcey, who is our kind, graceful cheer capitan. Reece, who’s southern charm, cutesy voice, and love for Jesus pegs her as a near perfect example of the christian young woman. Anisha, a 31-year-old orthodontist, probably the oldest candidate, but gives the impression of being the nicest. And then there’s Victoria, a 4-year veteran who grew up with Kelli, the director of DCC, and who’s mom also was a DCC. Her storyline often focuses on the odds of loving DCC and actually being part of DCC, a key theme I think for many.
Nothing is more clear to me than how badly these potential DC Cheerleaders want to be part of the team. They are driven and passionate. They are professional athletes, even if some may disagree cheerleading is a sport you will believe otherwise after this. The stamina and perfection demanded of them, even in just trying out for the team is daunting, pressuring for more and more and perfect every minute they are in front of the elusive judges of their fates. Which brings me to the leadership of DCC: Director Kelli Finglass, her right hand, Judy Trammel, and Charlotte Jones the Cowboys’ Chief Brand Officer.
I feel conflicted about the women leadership of DCC. You always expect more from them, because shouldn’t they understand the working woman’s issues more than anyone else? Yet, I find myself constantly disappointed in so much of what they do and definitely the things they say. They are aware of what they ask of these women, but they are euphemistic about it, thereby enforcing the double-standards or just plain ridiculous and harmful standards expected of women, not just in the cheerleading world. Though Kelli and Judy were cheerleaders themselves, they seem complicit and caring in continuing toxic behaviors. But it’s Charlotte who’s comments on pay have been infuriating the internet.
Charlotte, as noted in the docuseries, is the most powerful woman in football, working for the most powerful sports brand in the world (it’s valued at $9 billion currently), and she herself is valued at $1.34 billion. Commenting on the cheerleader pay:
“There’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders, and as it should be—they’re not paid a lot. But the facts are they actually don’t come here for the money. They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them. They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in the field of dance to get to perform at an elite level. It is about being a part of something bigger than themselves. It is about a sisterhood that they were able to form, about relationships that they have for the rest of their life. They have a chance to feel like they are valued, that they are special and that they are making a difference. When the women come here, they find their passion and they find their purpose.”
It is not shocking, and yet devastating to hear. It’s hard to see another example of rich people having the position and power to make a difference, and then writing it off. Another example of women not being able to be paid fairly for their labor. Clearly, the cheerleaders are important and a huge face of the brand, but in typical fashion of work provided by women, it’s their privilege to be brand ambassadors but not fairly compensated. Most of the women, if not all, have full time day jobs to supplement their work (they are nurses, financial advisors, dance/fitness instructors, etc.). The cheerleaders have been noted to be paid about $15 - $20 or about $75k a year for their work. For more context, the lowest paid football played on the DC team is over $800k.
Ok, so we can’t pay the cheerleaders properly. But surely we can create a positive environment for women at work? Maybe, probably not?
There is a lot of discussion on appearance. Properly fueling yourself is important to keep up with practice, but also no alterations are available for your uniform for the potentially 5 years you are with the team. You can be a really good dancer, but also you could just be too short for the right look and thereby cut from the team. Victoria admits to struggling with an eating disorder.
In the first round of judging potential candidates, a “diverse cast” of judges looks at the girls. A male health and wellness influencer is quoted as saying “There’s a little bit more weight in the face” as a reason to not push a candidate forward. Another judge, a celebrity dancer and choreographer, said “I think sometimes it comes down to typecasting.” When asked to clarify what typecasting means, she said, “Look.”
And yes, as if warping back to an early 2000’s episode of infamous reality show America’s Next Top Model, there is a makeover episode. Granted, it was significantly more mild, but as if in homage to reality shows past, one girl, Kelly, undergoes a drastic hair change only to be cut from the squad that week. Can a woman’s appearance ever be enough.
It’s dizzying and discomforting to see a 2024 women’s athletic team struggle with issues that are widely criticized as being wrong ways of going about things in our society. It’s disheartening to see microaggressions when the only options are white barbies for women of color on the team (this is 2024, right?). And I don’t even think I can begin to address the “God Loves Dallas” of it all.
The women wrestle with all of this. I think they are extremely aware of the environment they are in. The prestige is alluring, and the fact that really there are not many careers of dance probably doesn’t help. It’s iconic. It’s electric. Some of the women gave the impression that it was the greatest time of their lives, wondering what could ever top that. Like many things in life, it is so bittersweet.
The thing is that there are a lot of negatives in the DCC and cheerleading world at large. They represent and experience problems that women all over face. But as I watched, I still felt like this is amazing, like women are truly amazing. The things that they work hard on, the beauty that each possesses, and the untainted and unstoppable passion they have for performance is unmatched. I loved it. I ate this show up. It was empowering. I think they have such grace and coolness. I felt like the women there were, more or less, there for their teammates. It’s ultra competitive, but they cry and sob for their friends that don’t make it. They rave about how wonderful the other women are.
Most of all, I love to see young adults be so insanely passionate, so crazed in the best way about achieving their dream, that you can’t help but cheer (ha) for them. And then when they didn't make it, nearly every single one promised to be back next year, to give it another go and try their hardest to make the team next year. They want it that bad. It’s a drive that I admire deeply.
Yes, the DCC and many female-focused fields contain insane amounts of contradictions, unmeetable expectations, and are swimming in problems. There is so much to be improved. Still, I remain optimistic that we as a society will keep evolving to make these environments better, somehow. Because we need these things in our world and as women. We need to have passion and be fairly rewarded. The arts deserve recognition, women deserve so, so, so much better.