Cheer Dads Unfiltered

What does it take to wear Kentucky across your chest and still know who you are when the uniform comes off? In Episode 45 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David sit down with Ryan Martin O’Connor , Head Coach of University of Kentucky Cheerleading, for an honest conversation about culture, pressure, recruiting, leadership and coaching the whole person. Ryan explains how growing up in the p...

What does “the standard” look like after the routine falls apart? In Episode 44 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David sit down with Coach Mom Kari Kratchman - a coach of 37 years and parent of two college cheerleaders—for an honest conversation about preparation, accountability, recovery and the culture athletes experience every day. Kari breaks down why the standard is not a slogan or a...

What if high expectations are not the problem? In Episode 43 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David sit down with Coach Becky Acra—a longtime cheer coach, former gym owner, Program Director at Revolution Athletics, Coaching Specialist with HeadStrong Consulting, author of Raise the Athlete, Not the Pressure, and mom of three competitive cheerleaders—for a candid conversation about pressure...

After more than 26 years in cheer, Ashlie Modabber is still finding new chapters and she is nowhere near done. Ashlie joins Tom, Geoff and David to trace a life shaped by cheer across every stage: discovering the sport as a kid, competing through high school and All Star, spending 13 years with UCA, coaching at the college level and returning to the floor with Golden State Grit in the Pro Cheer Le...

The season is officially getting real In Episode 41 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David sit down for a dads-only cheer-season check-in about the part families live through before the lights, uniforms and first competition: repetitive routine reps, stretching, conditioning, small wins, hard falls, travel logistics and figuring out how to support our daughters without making their journey...

What does tumbling progress actually look like when your athlete is stuck on a back walkover, battling a mental block or grinding through private lessons with no obvious progress? For Episode 40, Tom, Geoff and David sit down with Coach Bryce Kirkley, better known as the Tumble Whisper, to help cheer parents understand what we are actually watching from the other side of the gym. Bryce is a U.S. M...

What makes a cheer competition memorable after the two-and-a-half minutes on the mat are over? In Episode 39 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David sit down with Kevin Jones of Redline Championships for a candid look at how All Star cheer has evolved and where the competition experience could go next. Kevin brings 45 years of experience in cheer, event production, apparel and brand buildin...

What actually comes after All-Star Cheer? For a lot of cheer families, the college landscape can feel confusing. Recruiting, scholarships, combines, STUNT, traditional college cheer, National Team opportunities — there are more paths than many parents realize. So for Episode 38, we went straight to the source. Tom, Geoff, and David sit down with Lauri Harris, Executive Director of USA Cheer, and A...

Britney Gilman, owner and head coach of Supreme Cheer & Tumble in Mesa, Arizona, joins Cheer Dads Unfiltered for Season 2 Episode 4 and this one takes us inside the gym. Recorded in person at Supreme Cheer & Tumble, Britney shares how she found cheer, started coaching at a young age, built Supreme from 21 athletes into a growing program, and what it really takes to create a gym culture whe...

Hailey D'Lynn Smith joins Cheer Dads Unfiltered for Season 2 Episode 3 and this one covers a lot of ground. Hailey shares her journey through cheer, what the sport has taught her, how confidence is built over time, and what athletes really experience when expectations, pressure and personal growth all collide. Tom, Geoff and David dig into the athlete and coaching side of the sport, the lesson...

Season 2 is officially underway and the honeymoon phase of making All-Star is already over 😂 Last week, we shared where Izzy, Ruby and Everly landed. Now the teams are set, choreography is done, school is back in session... and competition season still feels forever away. This week, Tom, Geoff and David sit down for a real Cheer Dads check-in on the part of competitive cheer nobody posts about: t...

Season 2 is officially here We ended Season 1 with a cliffhanger: all three of us thought we had a pretty good idea of what the next cheer season was going to look like Turns out… we had no idea 😂 In the Season 2 premiere, we rewind the whole story and unpack how Izzy, Ruby and Everly all made the jump into All Star cheer but through three very different paths. Tom and Geoff walk through how Izzy...

Seven months ago, three dads sat down with one simple goal: learn more about the sport our daughters love We never imagined where that journey would take us 🏆 Best Cheer Podcast at the Cheer Awards 🎙️ 33 episodes ❤️ Incredible guests 🤝 Lifelong friendships 📈 Hundreds of thousands of views In our Season One Finale, we're taking a step back to reflect on everything this first season became We...

What happens when a college football player trades shoulder pads for stunts? In this episode of Cheer Dads Unfiltered we're joined by Will Hemsley of the Golden State Grit to talk about one of the most unique journeys in competitive cheer. From playing football under coaches connected to Eric Berry and Cam Newton to cheering at Navarro, Weber State and the Pro Cheer League Will shares how he f...

Skylar Graves joins Cheer Dads Unfiltered to share one of the most unique journeys we've heard yet. From 13 years in competitive gymnastics to cheering at Trinity Valley Community College, competing at Worlds with USA Stars Obsession, and becoming one of the very first professional cheer athletes with Miami Metal, Skylar opens up about the road that brought him here. We dive into: • Growing up in...

What does it really take to go from a young All-Star athlete to competing in the Professional Cheer League? This week we're joined by Alex Simonis. Back spot, former Arizona State STUNT athlete, high school coach and current member of the Atlanta Air in the Professional Cheer League. Alex shares one of the most informative conversations we've had for cheer parents, breaking down every stag...

From rodeo arenas to all star cheer competitions, Parker Kimber never expected to become one of the most recognizable cheer dads in the community. In Episode 29 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered we sit down with Parker to talk about his journey into cheer, raising a dedicated athlete, building friendships inside the cheer world and why supporting every athlete matters. We also dive into competition weekend...

Our first ever Cheer Mom has officially entered the chat This week on Cheer Dads Unfiltered we're joined by Gina Bartel, creator of Cheer Moms Anonymous and unofficial co-host of Let's Talk Cheer a longside Jason Larkins. From Pop Warner to All Star Cheer, coaching her daughter, navigating gym changes, surviving tryouts, team moms, competition weekends, Pizza Paul, Crock-Pots at Summit, an...

Hallie Green has lived nearly every level of cheerleading imaginable From starting cheer at just 3 years old, to competing with Stingrays, Cheer Athletics, Navarro College, and now Dallas Drive in the Professional Cheer League, Hallie joins the Cheer Dads to share what it really takes to reach the highest levels of the sport In this episode we discuss: ✅ Growing up in All Star cheer ✅ Competing...

In this episode of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with fellow cheer dad Joe Rodgers, founder of FullOut Energy. Like many parents, Joe found himself sitting at competitions wondering: "How did that score happen?" After years of trying to understand score sheets, deductions, rankings, and what actually separates winning teams from the rest, Joe decided to build a solution. What started as a spr...

In Episode 25 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with fellow cheer dad and founder of Cheer Dad Apparel, Hollis Hale. What started as "just another activity" for his daughter quickly became a full-blown family lifestyle. From local competitions to Youth Summit championships, Worlds, cross-country travel, and building a brand for cheer dads, Hollis shares what it's really like going all-in on th...

What do judges actually look for during a routine? How much do uniforms, execution, crowd energy, creativity and difficulty REALLY matter? In this episode of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with Judge Mimi — one of the most recognizable voices in competitive cheer judging and education online. With 20+ years of judging experience across the cheer world, Mimi breaks down: • What judges actually...

In Episode 23 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with Justin Carrier — VP of Event Experience & Operations at Varsity Spirit for a real conversation about the evolution of All Star cheer, athlete experience, behind-the-scenes event operations, Pro Cheer League and the future of the sport. Justin shares stories and insights from over 30 years in cheer as an athlete, coach, choreographer and...

This week on Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with Bill Seely — President of Varsity Spirit — for one of the biggest and most meaningful conversations we’ve had yet. We talk about the future of cheerleading, the rise of the Pro Cheer League, Team USA, Olympic possibilities, Varsity Spirit, parenting through sports, athlete development, confidence, leadership, and why cheer continues to impact fa...

What does it REALLY take to cheer in college? In Episode 21 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with Hannah Kirby — Head Cheer Coach at Taylor University — to unpack the world of collegiate cheer from the coach’s side of the mat. From recruiting and scholarships to All-Star vs school cheer, Hannah breaks down what college coaches are ACTUALLY looking for in athletes… and it’s not always what par...