The Burlington Patriots, a Massachusetts Pop Warner Cheerleading Team (Junior Midgets), has won 11 national titles and want to win another one. Will they do it? Watch the movie and find out! 

Film makers Laura Molta and Al Ward follow the Patriots Cheerleading team over the months of preparing for their national cheerleading competitions. From the first practice of the season in August through the many long hours of grueling preparation to the final test of their skill and expertise at Nationals, this film will attract and hold your attention as you root for the home team. 

I highly recommend this riveting movie to anyone who is involved in cheerleading.  This means all cheerleaders, all cheer coaches, all cheer parents, and everyone in the cheer industry.  If you’re new to the spirit world, this is a perfect introduction to the reality of this exciting sport.  If you’re a veteran, you will appreciate the story of this team and its leaders as it moves towards its exciting finish. 

There is so much to like about this film that it is hard to know where to begin!  The cheerleaders themselves are superb athletes who dedicate countless hours perfecting their skills.  The coaches pull out all the stops to devote their time, energy and love to the girls in their quest for a title. 

If you think winning a title is just a matter of practice, then this film will be a revelation to you.  Sure, the physical and technical preparation and practice are important, but the mental preparation is what makes the difference between a championship team and a runner-up.  Co-directors Darlene Tierney and Carolyn Shannon and Coach Jennifer Currie know this well and their passion, wisdom and psychological astuteness help the team overcome setbacks and forge ahead.  Perhaps without their knowing it, these ladies are teaching valuable mental toughness skills to these girls. 

At one point, Carolyn says, “It’s a lesson in life…you don’t have power or control…” True!  One of the key principles in sport psychology is to recognize the things you can and cannot control and to devote your energy to those things you can control.  These women know this instinctively. 

Right before the National competition, one of the girls has to have an appendectomy and cannot perform. Then, the night before the big event, the team is told they have to change one of their moves.  One girl has the flu and another has a painful ovarian cyst.  What do they do?  They work fast and hard to change the routine and the girls pull it all together in a remarkable fashion. 

I found myself rooting for the Patriots, feeling the excitement and the tension as they competed.  (I even had tears in my eyes.) You can’t help but get involved in this story! 

In addition to the main story, there are special features that are like a mini-course in cheerleading.  These features include behind the scenes interviews with 10 of the top ranked Pop Warner Cheerleading teams in the country; more than 10 full length competition performances and live critiques of cheer routines by judges.  Surely the last feature alone makes this video worth buying.  Where else can you hear a judge assess a cheer team’s performance – in the moment?  

Do yourself a favor and go to www.Cheerleadingfilm.com to purchase your DVD of Blood, Sweat & Cheers!

I had the pleasure of observing the Boston University cheerleading team practice the other night.  Coach Tarryn Walsh, herself a BU grad and former cheerleader,  has put together a compelling group of 21 spirited cheerleaders – 2 men and 19 women – who cheer at BU’s men’s and women’s home basketball games. 

Cheerleading is a club sport at Boston University and this is the first time the team has men on board.  The team will be competing at NCA’s nationals in April, Coach Walsh said, and so the team is spending time now getting their routine down in preparation for the big event. 

Boston University is known for its academic rigor and cheerleaders must find time to keep up with their academics and devote time to cheer practice. We’re talking big time dedication here! 

Being a club team, the level of expertise and experience varies among the cheerleaders but everyone seemed to be having a good time and the more experienced cheerleaders were generous and respectful in offering helpful tips to those who were less experienced. Even when a routine was less than perfect, there was a great deal of laughter and camaraderie and – importantly – there was continued effort to do it again and again and again until they got it right!  I never saw anyone look disgruntled or disheartened.  It seems the team has the right attitude: it’s about fun, it’s about learning, and it’s about connection.  It’s also about taking on the challenge of moving out of your comfort zone to take a risk and work towards success. Yep – that’s the right stuff!