College cheer recruiting is about much more than the biggest tumbling pass or hardest stunt.

Skylar Byram Casey—Ole Miss Cheer Head Coach and Coordinator of Spirit Squads—joins Tom and Geoff to explain what college coaches notice at clinics, why versatility and body language matter, how athletes should communicate with programs, and when parents need to step back.

Skylar also shares her journey back to Ole Miss, the work of rebuilding a program’s culture, what she looks for in future athletes, and the real-life boundaries required to balance coaching, marriage and motherhood.

In this episode:

• Why versatility increases an athlete’s recruiting value
• What coaches watch when athletes think nobody is watching
• Why athletes should research programs before contacting coaches
• Why parents cannot manage the recruiting process for their athlete
• How to determine whether a college program truly fits
• Building belief, accountability and championship culture
• Coaching, motherhood and protecting family time
• The resources athletes should investigate beyond the school’s name or logo

Follow Skylar on Instagram: @coach_mamasky
Follow Ole Miss Cheer: @OleMissCheer

Cheer Dads Unfiltered: real dads, real cheer conversations.

Here For Every Count

What do college cheer coaches notice before and after an athlete’s actual turn?

Tom, Geoff and David unpack their firsthand experience at the USA Cheer Combine—the nerves in the room, the athletes who kept working when nobody seemed to be watching, the parents who helped without taking over and the coach conversations that changed how the dads think about college cheer.

The dads share why clean technique, confidence, coachability and grades matter; how young athletes can begin preparing long before recruiting starts; and why the best parent role may be the “purse dad” or “purse mom” while the athlete owns the conversation. They also catch up on the girls’ season, showcase, uniforms and what is coming next for Cheer Dads Unfiltered.

This is not an official USA Cheer recap or recruiting evaluation. It is three cheer dads sharing what they observed, learned and want other families to know.

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 public spotlight shaped her approach to pressure and why “we steer where we stare.” She shares what it means to earn Kentucky through daily choices, how she evaluates the human behind the skills during recruiting and why feelings are real but cannot dictate behavior or the next decision.

The conversation also explores athletes’ fear of failure, helping young people work through mistakes, creating self-sufficient leaders, treating accountability as being “called up,” and reminding athletes that their identity and value extend far beyond their latest performance.

For parents, coaches and athletes, this episode is a practical look at maintaining high standards without losing sight of the person inside the uniform.

• Kentucky Cheer information and recruiting: UKAthletics.com

• Official Kentucky Cheer social channels: @KentuckyCheer

• Ryan Martin O’Connor: @Ryoconnor17

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Recruiting information, program details and official contact paths are available through Kentucky Athletics and Kentucky Cheer. Ryan also welcomes athletes reaching out through Instagram and said she is happy to help steer them toward the right opportunity even when Kentucky may not ultimately be the right fit.

Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday.

Real dads. Real cheer conversations

Here for the parents. Here for the athletes. Here for every count

Connect with Ryan and Kentucky Cheer

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 trophy. It is how athletes prepare before practice, communicate with teammates, respond after mistakes and show up for the people beside them. She explains what it means to give 100% of whatever you actually have that day, why accountability is different from blame and how coaches can train routine recovery instead of simply hoping athletes bounce back after a fall.

The conversation also explores keeping the best parts of old-school coaching while adapting to today’s athletes, recognizing when an “energy sucker” is hurting the entire group, supporting alternates and great teammates, and parenting the athlete in front of you instead of forcing every child down the same path. Kari also shares what raising two college cheerleaders with very different journeys taught her about listening, trust and letting athletes own their experience.

Instagram: @kari_momzee

This episode opens in loving memory of Chamie, a beloved member of the Texas All Star Cheer family. If you would like to support Chamie’s family, please visit Honoring Chamie with Love and Support.

Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday.

Real dads. Real cheer conversations.

Here for the parents. Here for the athletes. Here for every count.

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, culture, mental toughness and the adults shaping an athlete’s experience.

Becky explains why connection comes before correction, how her two-minute rule helps coaches build trust, why athletes need room to fail safely, and how the standard can stay the same while the route changes for the athlete in front of you. We also unpack parent–coach role clarity, why parents need to let coaches coach and let the sport breathe, and how adult fear, ego, urgency and identity can become pressure an athlete was never meant to carry.

This is not a conversation about lowering the bar. It is about helping athletes build confidence, ownership and resilience while the adults around them regulate themselves, communicate earlier and remember whose journey this really is.

Becky closes with the reminder every cheer family needs: soak up the journey. The practices, car rides, hard days and small wins move faster than we think and enjoying that time together matters more than any title.

Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday.

Real dads. Real cheer conversations.

Here for the parents. Here for the athletes. Here for every count.

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 League.

Along the way, Ashlie explains why back spots are the backbone of a stunt group, how coaching taught her to loosen her grip on control and why tough love alone is no longer enough. She also opens up about recovering from knee surgery, arriving at her pro-cheer tryout in a brace and what it meant to finally put on the Grit uniform.

This is not simply a conversation about staying in cheer. It is about allowing your relationship with the sport to change—as an athlete, coach, mentor and adult—and refusing to accept someone else’s expiration date for what comes next.

In this episode:

• How Ashlie’s earliest cheer experiences became a 26-year journey
• Why back spots are overlooked leaders and the backbone of the floor
• What coaching taught her about patience, trust and letting go of control
• Tough love, empathy and the generational shift in coaching
• Preparing college athletes to represent more than themselves
• Recovering from knee surgery and trying out for pro cheer in a brace
• The emotion behind wearing the Golden State Grit uniform
• Parent-coach communication and meeting athletes where they are
• Why there is no single correct way to build a life in cheer

Follow Ashlie on Instagram: @Ashlliiieee

Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday.

Real dads. Real cheer conversations.

Here for the parents. Here for the athletes. Here for every count

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 about us

We catch up on Ruby, Everly and Izzy; why bases may be the underappreciated quarterbacks of a cheer team; Izzy recovering from a hard fall and returning with determination; and the confidence, maturity, independence and resilience the girls are building away from the mat.

Then we get into post-practice food survival, Tom and Geoff’s first Stay-to-Play hotel-booking scramble, football pain, cheer superstitions and everything coming next: the USA Cheer Combine, the first showcase and competition, and taking the girls to an Atlanta Pro Cheer League match.

This is not a formal interview. It is three dads comparing notes in real time as competition season gets closer and the family calendar gets louder.

Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday.

Real dads. Real cheer conversations.

Here for the parents. Here for the athletes. Here for every count.

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. Marine Corps combat veteran with more than two decades of gymnastics and coaching experience. His core message throughout this conversation is simple:

Progression over perfection

We get into why some athletes struggle with back walkovers, when another tumbling path may make more sense, the difference between having a skill and being ready to use it safely, mental blocks, private lessons, how to know when a coach is not helping your athlete progress, going outside your home gym for additional coaching, video feedback, parent boundaries and what it looks like to help athletes fail forward instead of carrying our frustration for them.

This is not a technical coaching clinic

It is a parent-first conversation about understanding the tumbling journey, asking better questions and helping athletes keep progressing without turning every skill into a finish line.

Huge thank you to Bryce for being willing to challenge the way three cheer dads think about tumbling and athlete development.

CONNECT WITH COACH BRYCE/TUMBLE WHISPER

Website:

https://www.tumble-whisper.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tumble.whisper/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@thetumblewhisper

Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday

Real dads. Real cheer conversations

Here for the parents

Here for the athletes

Here for every count