Educational Media Reviews Online

This award winning documentary looks at cheerleading in American culture. The focus of the film is the Los Gatos Tigers in their quest for a national championship. This short film includes interviews with several of the young girls, their parents, their coaches and team members they are cheering for.

The narrator describes how cheerleading began in the late 1880’s as an all-male activity and eventually progressed to include girls and young women. There is discussion about the persona of cheerleaders and how they are viewed in society. It’s an interesting look at cheerleading as a sport.

The Los Gatos Tigers make it to the regional championships and then to the national championships in Orlando, Florida. There is excellent footage of the competition itself. Unfortunately, the team fails to place in the tournament and their disappointment is reflected through their emotional reaction. The coaches remain adamant that the kids should consider themselves winners just by virtue of having made it that far into the competition.

This film is recommended for library collections that include topics such as sports and women’s studies.