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
44 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
44Episodes
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.
New • Episode 44
The Standard Shows Up After the Fall
EP 44October 22, 20261 hr 30 mins
Coach Mom Kari Kratchman, a coach of 37 years and parent of two college cheerleaders, on preparation, accountability without blame, training routine recovery and the culture athletes live every day.
Latest From the Mat
New episodes every week
EP 43·Coaches
Episode 43: Raise the Athlete, Not the Pressure with Coach Becky Acra | S2E10 | CDU
High standards and emotional safety are not opposites. In Episode 43 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom, Geoff and David sit down with Coach Becky Acra — long-time coach, former gym owner, Program Director at Revolution Athletics, Coaching Specialist at HeadStrong Consulting, author of Raise the Athlete, Not the Pressure and mom of three competitive cheerleaders. Becky makes the case that athletes develop best when the adults around them protect connection, adapt the pathway without lowering the standard, and keep performance from becoming identity. The conversation covers connecting before you correct and the two-minute reset rule, building safe-to-fail environments without lowering standards, reading an athlete’s green, yellow and red states as everyday coaching language, what mental toughness actually is — preparation, communication, response to mistakes and showing up for teammates — why adults have to regulate themselves first, parent-coach role clarity and why there’s no second coach in the car, and letting sports breathe: avoiding comparisons and enjoying the journey.
EP 42·Pro Cheer
Episode 42: Ashlie Modabber | 26 Years in Cheer & Why the Story Isn’t Over | S2E9 | CDU
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 professional-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.
EP 41·Cheer Dads
Episode 41: The Season Is Getting Real | Stay-to-Play & Cheer Dad Chaos | S2E8 | CDU
THE SEASON IS GETTING REAL AND CHEER-FAMILY LIFE IS GETTING LOUDER. In Episode 41 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, Tom Slocum, Geoff and David sit down for a dads-only check-in on the part of competition season families experience before the first showcase: repetitive routine reps, stretching, conditioning, falls, progress, travel logistics and learning how to support our daughters without making their journey about us.
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.