Real Conversations
Honest discussions with coaches, athletes, judges, business leaders, and parents shaping the future of cheer.
SEASON 2 IS LIVE — NEW EPISODES WEEKLY
REAL DADS
REAL CHEER
REAL
CONVERSATIONS
Three dads navigating the world of competitive cheer through the eyes of our daughters
One unfiltered episode at a time
EST. JAN 2026
Recognition
Winner · Best Podcast or Webinar2026 Cheer Awards
Chosen by both the Cheer Awards judging panel and community vote.
In just six months after launching Cheer Dads Unfiltered, our community helped us earn the 2026 Cheer Award for Best Podcast or Webinar.
This recognition belongs to every parent, athlete, coach, guest, sponsor and listener who has believed in our mission to bring authentic conversations and honest stories to the cheer community.
We're incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey.
"Built by cheer dads. Chosen by the cheer community"
2026 Cheer Awards Winner
38 EPISODES • SEASON 2 LIVE
Industry Leaders Featured
Featured By & Recognized In
- Cheer Awards
- Cheer Daily
Why Us
Why Cheer Dads Unfiltered?
Award-Winning Podcast
Winner of the 2026 Cheer Award for Best Podcast or Webinar.
Built for the Cheer Community
Created by dads who simply wanted to better understand the sport and support their daughters.
2M+Total Views
247K+Accounts Reached
36K+Engagements
3.1K+Podcast Plays
38Episodes
The Hosts
Meet the Dads
Three dads navigating the world of competitive cheer one conversation at a time
FOUNDER · PRODUCER · EDITOR · HOST
TOM
The storyteller of the group
Always asking questions, connecting dots, and helping parents better understand the cheer world.
HEART, HUMOR, AND DAD PERSPECTIVE
GEOFF
The relatable cheer dad
Says what everyone else is thinking and keeps the conversations fun. The dad-in-the-bleachers voice every parent recognizes.
THE ANALYTICAL DAD
DAVID
Always looking for the details
Score sheets, systems, and strategies — David breaks down the technical side of cheer so the rest of us actually understand what we're watching.
The Guest List
Voices shaping the cheer community
BILL SEELY
PRESIDENT • VARSITY SPIRIT
JUSTIN CARRIER
VP OF EVENT EXPERIENCE • VARSITY SPIRIT
HALLIE GREEN
PRO CHEERLEADER • DALLAS DRIVE
ROGER SCHONDER
TEAM MANAGER • ATLANTA AIR
HANNAH KIRBY
HEAD CHEER COACH • TAYLOR UNIVERSITY
JUDGE MIMI
CHEER JUDGE • 20+ YEARS
GABBY MAURO
CHEER JUDGE • ALL-STAR CHEER
ALEX SIMONIS
ATLANTA AIR • PRO CHEER LEAGUE
Social Proof
Who We've Sat Down With
Cheer Dads Unfiltered brings together voices from every corner of the cheer community. The people building the sport and the families living it.
Season 2 · Episode 1 · New Episode
Episode 38: USA Cheer Explains College Recruiting, STUNT & What Comes Next | S2E5 | CDU
EP 38August 13, 20261 hr 41 mins
Season 1 was us discovering the cheer world. Season 2 is us living inside of it — tryouts, Prep vs All Star, travel decisions and where all three girls landed.
Latest From the Mat
New episodes every week
EP 37·Coaches
Episode 37: Britney Gilman | What Cheer Parents Don’t See Behind the Gym Doors | S2E4 | CDU
Britney Gilman, owner and head coach of Supreme Cheer & Tumble in Mesa, Arizona, joins the Cheer Dads Unfiltered crew for an in-person conversation inside the gym she built. Britney shares her journey from discovering cheer and coaching at a young age to building Supreme from 21 athletes into a growing competitive program. The episode explores what cheer parents do not always see behind the scenes — running a gym, building culture, developing athletes, managing parent relationships, handling mental blocks, knowing when to push and when to slow down, and creating an environment where athletes and families genuinely feel like they belong.
EP 36·Pro Cheer
Episode 36: Hailey D’Lynn Smith on Fear, Confidence & the Future of Cheer | Season 2 Episode 3 | CDU
Hailey D’Lynn Smith has accomplished more in cheer than most athletes could ever imagine, but this conversation goes way beyond rings, titles and accolades. In Season 2 Episode 3, Tom, Geoff and David talk with Hailey — introduced on the show as the most decorated partner stunter of all time — about the mindset behind the résumé. We get into adversity, confidence, fear, sacrifice, injuries and mental blocks, the sports-psychology tools she leans on including visualization, how parents can actually support an athlete who is scared, and the lesson she keeps coming back to: never quit on a bad day. Hailey also talks about Alpha Mentorship and why she coaches the next generation, her experience in the Pro Cheer League with Miami Metal, and her personal hopes for where the sport goes next — including her perspective on cheer someday having an Olympic stage and athletes being able to live off their hard work.
EP 35·Cheer Dads
Episode 35: The Part of All-Star Cheer Nobody Posts About | Season 2 Episode 2 | CDU
Making the All-Star team was the exciting part. Now the work starts. In Season 2 Episode 2 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David are back at the table talking about the part of competitive cheer that doesn't always make the highlight reel. There are no trophies in August. No jackets. No first-place announcements. Instead, our daughters are balancing school, choreography, tumbling, flexibility, conditioning, new skills and hours of practice — months before their first competition. We get into what happens after the excitement of making All-Star wears off, choreography week and the preseason grind, Everly advocating for herself directly with her coach, when parents should and shouldn't intervene, Ruby landing her back handspring and immediately chasing what's next, Izzy navigating flyer flexibility goals, how much pressure is healthy for 8- or 9-year-old athletes, balancing third grade and competitive cheer, teaching kids to love the work instead of only the winning, and the ridiculous expenses and Dad-life moments along the way. The biggest lesson: let the coaches coach. Support the work. Competition season gets the photos. August builds the athlete.
Community
We're Learning Alongside You
We're not coaches. We're not judges. We're not industry insiders. We're three dads learning alongside our daughters and sharing the journey with families everywhere
Our Network
Trusted by the Cheer Community
Proudly collaborating with the people, organizations
and brands helping move competitive cheer forward
Brands We Love
Featured Partners
Visit Dubby Energy Brand We LoveDubby Energy
Visit Cheer Dad Apparel Brand We LoveCheer Dad Apparel
Visit CHEER DAD Brand We LoveCHEER DAD
Visit Janke & Co. Brand We LoveJanke & Co.
Visit Fullout Energy Brand We LoveFullout Energy
Programs Shaping The Sport
Organizations & Programs
Visit Varsity Spirit OrganizationVarsity Spirit
Visit Pro Cheer League OrganizationPro Cheer League
Visit Taylor University OrganizationTaylor University
Visit Stingrays All Stars OrganizationStingrays All Stars
Visit USA Youth Fitness Center OrganizationUSA Youth Fitness Center
Community Partners
Friends of CDU
Visit My Cheerleading Box Community PartnerMy Cheerleading Box
Visit Cheer Duck Athletics Community PartnerCheer Duck Athletics
Visit Arizona Engraving Co. Community PartnerArizona Engraving Co.AE
Join the Bleachers
Weekly conversations, new episodes, behind-the-scenes moments, guest announcements and everything we're learning as cheer dads.