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 parents think.

We get into:

• The truth about college cheer recruiting
• NAIA vs NCAA explained
• What separates athletes at the next level
• Why attitude matters more than talent
• Social media mistakes athletes make
• The role parents SHOULD (and shouldn’t) play
• All-Star vs school cheer debate
• Cheer culture, team dynamics & leadership
• How Hannah built Taylor University’s program
• Why cheer can open doors far beyond the sport

Plus:

Tom tries to enroll at Taylor University, Geoff relives his football days from “1901” and Hannah officially calls out hand-in-hands as overrated 😂

Whether you’re a cheer parent, athlete, coach, or just trying to understand the road to college cheer this episode is packed with insight, laughs, and real perspective.

🎧 Listen now and send this to a cheer parent who needs to hear it

#CheerDadsUnfiltered #CollegeCheer #Cheerleading #AllStarCheer #TaylorUniversity #CheerParents #NAIA #NCAA #CheerPodcast #YouthSports

This week on Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with Cody from Cheer Dad Life — a 10+ year cheer dad veteran and author of The Cheer Dad’s Survival Guide: All Star Cheer Edition.

We get REAL about:

💸 The famous “$1,000 cheer weekend”
📣 The biggest mistakes new cheer parents make
📈 Why parents rush progression too fast
🏆 Winning vs development
🧠 Raising confident athletes through cheer
👨‍👧 The emotional side of being a cheer parent

This episode is packed with perspective, laughs, hard truths, and relatable moments every cheer family will understand.

Whether you're brand new to all star cheer or years deep into the chaos… this one will hit home.

📘 Check out Cody’s book:
“The Cheer Dad’s Survival Guide: All Star Cheer Edition”

Follow Cody / Cheer Dad Life:
Instagram: @cheerdadlife

🎙️ Cheer Dads Unfiltered

Real dads. Real cheer conversations.

This one’s different.

We sat down with Roger Schonder — co-founder of Stingrays, Team Manager for Atlanta Air (Pro Cheer League), and a 30+ year veteran of all-star cheer — to break down what’s REALLY happening behind the scenes.

From tryouts… to Worlds… to the future of the sport.

If you’re a cheer parent, this episode will change how you see everything.

We cover:

• The biggest misconceptions parents have about cheer
• What actually determines team selection (it’s not what you think)
• The reality of Worlds-level competition
• How the Pro Cheer League is changing the game
• Why development matters more than winning
• What separates elite programs like Stingrays

This is one of those episodes you send to every cheer parent you know.

🎧 Listen now and see cheer differently.

📲 Follow us:

Instagram: @cheerdadsunfiltered
Spotify: Cheer Dads Unfiltered
YouTube: Subscribe for weekly episodes

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