Cheer Dads Unfiltered

Cheer Dads Unfiltered
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Kids & Family
  • Updated Weekly

Cheer Dads Unfiltered is a real, raw and hilarious podcast about life as a competitive cheer dad. Hosted by Tom, Geoff and David we break down everything no one warns you about once your kid joins cheer. The long nights, early mornings, gym culture, competitions, money, emotions, wins, losses and the chaos in between. From the stands to the car ride home this show is for parents, families and anyone living the cheer life who wants honest conversations, laughs and a place to feel seen. No filters. No fluff. Just real talk from dads in the thick of it

  1. 2d ago

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 42: Ashlie Modabber | 26 Years in Cheer & Why the Story Isn’t Over

    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

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 42: Ashlie Modabber | 26 Years in Cheer & Why the Story Isn’t Over

  2. Oct 1

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 41: The Season Is Getting Real | Stay-to-Play, Setbacks & Cheer Dad Chaos

    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.

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 41: The Season Is Getting Real | Stay-to-Play, Setbacks & Cheer Dad Chaos

  3. Sep 24

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 40: Coach Bryce Kirkley on Tumbling, Mental Blocks & Progression Over Perfection

    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

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 40: Coach Bryce Kirkley on Tumbling, Mental Blocks & Progression Over Perfection

  4. Sep 17

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 39: Kevin Jones on Reinventing Cheer Competitions, Restoring Creativity & the Redline Experience

    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 building. Together, we talk about what families never see behind a competition: venue planning, production, judging, scheduling, customer experience and the responsibility event producers carry for athletes, coaches, gym owners and parents. We also get into why choice between event producers matters, whether narrow divisions have weakened real competition, how an obsession with bids and Worlds can distract from an athlete’s daily experience, and when the rising cost of cheer crosses the line into excess. Kevin also shares what Redline is building next: • The new Junior Select and Senior Select Performance Divisions, designed to reward execution, creativity, choreography and overall performance without traditional level restrictions • The International Tournament Of Champions in Dublin, an invitation-only event coming to RDS Simmonscourt on May 29, 2027 • Parent-focused event experiences and the idea that the memory should be bigger than the score This is not only a conversation about Redline. It is a bigger conversation about creativity, meaningful competition, athlete-first leadership and building cheer experiences families actually remember. LEARN MORE: Redline Championships: https://redlinechampionships.com/ Junior Select and Senior Select Performance Divisions: https://redlinechampionships.com/news/junior-select-and-senior-select-performance-divisions International Tournament Of Champions — Dublin: https://redlinechampionships.com/news/international-tournament-of-champions-dublin 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

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 39: Kevin Jones on Reinventing Cheer Competitions, Restoring Creativity & the Redline Experience

  5. Sep 10

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 38: USA Cheer on College Recruiting, STUNT & the Future of Cheer

    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 Amy Haney, Director of College & High School STUNT, to help cheer parents and athletes understand what the next level actually looks like. This week we get into: • USA Cheer's role in the sport• The different paths available after All-Star Cheer• When athletes should begin thinking about college recruiting• What college coaches really look for in athletes• Why talent alone doesn't guarantee the right college opportunity• Social media and its role in recruiting• The truth about college cheer scholarships• What happens at a USA Cheer College Combine• What parents should — and shouldn't — do during recruiting• STUNT explained for parents who still don't quite get it 😂• How STUNT is expanding opportunities for collegiate athletes• The international growth and future of cheer One of our biggest takeaways from this conversation: there may be a college for everyone but not every college is for everyone Finding the right opportunity is about more than skills. It's about academics, fit, character, coachability, preparation, and finding a program where an athlete can thrive. Huge thank you to Lauri and Amy for spending time with three curious cheer dads and giving our community an incredible look behind the curtain. And yes... Tom finally understands STUNT 😂 Subscribe and follow Cheer Dads Unfiltered for new episodes every Thursday Here for the parents. Here for the athletes

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 38: USA Cheer on College Recruiting, STUNT & the Future of Cheer

  6. Sep 3

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 37: Britney Gilman on Building Supreme, Gym Culture & Cheer Parenting

    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 where athletes and families feel like they belong. Tom, Geoff and David dig into the owner and coaching side of cheer — choosing the right gym, athlete development, rushing skills, mental blocks, privates, parent involvement, communication, trust, and the balance between being competitive and protecting the athlete experience. It is a fun, honest conversation about building a program, developing athletes, supporting families, and what cheer parents often do not get to see behind the gym doors. Learn more about Supreme Cheer & Tumble and follow their journey on social. 🎙️ New episodes every Thursday. Here for the parents. Here for the athletes. Here for every count

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 37: Britney Gilman on Building Supreme, Gym Culture & Cheer Parenting

  7. Aug 27

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered - Episode 36: Hailey D’Lynn Smith: Fear, Confidence & the Future of Cheer

    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 lessons that carry far beyond the mat, and the role parents can play in supporting athletes without taking over the journey. It is a fun, honest conversation about cheer, growth, identity, confidence, coaching and the people who shape athletes along the way. 🎙️ New episodes every Thursday Here for the parents Here for the athletes Here for every count

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered - Episode 36: Hailey D’Lynn Smith: Fear, Confidence & the Future of Cheer

  8. Aug 20

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 35: The Work Starts Now | All-Star Cheer, Parenting Pressure & The August Grind

    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: the work between making the team and stepping onto the competition floor. We talk about choreography week, 20+ hour cheer weeks, new tumbling skills, flyer flexibility, balancing third grade with All-Star schedules, and watching our daughters find their places on their new teams. We also get into one of the biggest questions we've faced as sports parents: When should you advocate for your kid and when should you get out of the way and let them advocate for themselves? David shares how Everly approached her coach and earned another opportunity instead of Dad stepping in. Geoff talks about Ruby landing her back handspring and immediately eyeing the next skill. And Tom wrestles with helping Izzy handle the pressure of a two-week flexibility goal without becoming that cheer dad. Plus: ridiculous cheer expenses, squishies everywhere, bedazzled cheer shoes, school vs. sports, who will cry first at competition... and Geoff officially becomes Snacks. Because December gets the trophies, photos and bright lights. But August builds the athlete. Next week: Hailey D'Lynn Smith joins Cheer Dads Unfiltered 🎙️ New episodes every Thursday Here for the parents. Here for the athletes Here for every count

    Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 35: The Work Starts Now | All-Star Cheer, Parenting Pressure & The August Grind
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Cheer Dads Unfiltered is a real, raw and hilarious podcast about life as a competitive cheer dad. Hosted by Tom, Geoff and David we break down everything no one warns you about once your kid joins cheer. The long nights, early mornings, gym culture, competitions, money, emotions, wins, losses and the chaos in between. From the stands to the car ride home this show is for parents, families and anyone living the cheer life who wants honest conversations, laughs and a place to feel seen. No filters. No fluff. Just real talk from dads in the thick of it

Information

  • Creator
    Cheer Dads Unfiltered
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Cheer Dads Unfiltered
  • Show Website
    Cheer Dads Unfiltered

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