Cheer on Netflix is everything I look for in a show: emotional, compelling, addicting, and so well-made. The six-episode documentary series (from the team behind another favorite, Last Chance U) takes you inside the world of competitive cheerleading at Navarro College, a small junior college in Corsicana, Texas.

Perhaps you’re telling yourself that you aren’t interested in cheerleading—and I’m here to tell you that you’re mistaken. Even if you’ve never tumbled, done a herky, or stood atop a pyramid, this show is utterly fascinating. First off, these young people are incredible athletes of the highest order, and getting to see what they put their bodies through for the sake of their sport is awe-inspiring. (Once you see a single practice, you’ll never question whether it’s a sport again.)

The Navarro squad is preparing for the National Championships, and the school has a storied history of winning under tough-but-kind coach Monica Aldama, who I kind of wish I could hire to make all my important life decisions.

You get to see lots of the whole squad, but the story focuses on a few main members (and Monica). And let me just say they will find a way into your heart almost immediately⁠—like, you will want to drive down to Texas and give them hugs. I devoured the show in a day over the weekend, and I already miss Jerry, La’Darius, Morgan, Lexie, Gabi, and even Sherbs so much. A number of them come from tough backgrounds, and Navarro has offered them a home and a safe space to be themselves, live their truth, and be a part of a family.

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