Cheerleader Nation: Nightmares Before Nationals
Episode 6 Recap by Teri Campbell
April 8, 2006
Another episode of the Cheerleader Nation begins and they are nearing the National Cheerleading Championship. After last week I have to wonder if the girls will start taking this competition seriously. Saleem is back and perhaps things will start to shape up.
Ashley is really struggling with the barrel roll. Kaitlyn lets us know that no other team will use this stunt and that is what will separate Dunbar from the rest. So here we go again with Saleem and Donna. Donna is all soft and wants to give Ashley more time….she is a senior…pulling her will break her heart..yadda yadda yadda! Saleem understand it but he is out to produce a winning squad. He'll give her a few more days but if she doesn't hit it, he's gonna try out some girls from the red team. After Saleem lays down the law THEN Donna agrees that if they have to replace someone, they will. Then here comes Ayrica with her wisdom beyond years. She says, "I don't care about your excuses, I don't care why you can't hit it, you need to hit it." She is right when she says that one girl falls, one girl brings down the team and one girl breaks the legacy at Dunbar. Ashley cries and Ayrica basically tells her to suck it up.
Only 10 days until Nationals. Ryan is really feeling having the coach also being her mom. Ayrica and her dad take a moment in the morning together to do some sweeping. Ayrica is sad that her dad and she don't communicate, despite the fact that he is so involved in her cheerleading. Back at practice we see that Amanda's group is struggling to hit their stunt, just like Ashley's group. Saleem tries to talk to Amanda but she begins to make excuses and Saleem tries to reach her. Some of the other girls say she is hot and cold on hitting her stunts. Terri, her mom, comes and checks in and Saleem tells her that if Amanda is mad then she will try things, but she always seems to take the easy route. Terri goes and has a heart to heart with Amanda. Does Amanda listen? She talks to her friend about how her mom wants her to do better, but now that mom has said something she doesn't want to do it. She is *so* 14.
Then Donna and Ryan have it out about Ryan's one bad grade. Donna says that if Ryan doesn't pass, she will no longer see her boyfriend. Too bad she wasn't that strict with the squad. Then back to Amanda and her troubles with school. She is not doing too well in Espanol. Now, I only go to Mexico once a year but even I could understand the teacher (and no, I didn't read the subtitles.) I am worried for her.
Kaitlyn's mom, Teresa, tries to inform us viewers about what goes into being a cheer mom. Kaitlin knows that she tries, but she doesn't always know what the girls want. Jan, Megan and Alexa's mom helps out buying gifts for Nationals.
We see the girls go to cheer at a Girls Basketball game. We watch the lack luster cheers and the off beat tucks and then it's time for them to do the oh-so-new cheer of 2bits 4 bits 6 bits a dollar???????? They head for a stunt and Chelsea falls to the ground!! They take her to the trainer to see maybe what he can see. From what I can see both her knees are BRIGHT pink. But he says that she will live and still will compete at Nationals. Chelsea rejoins the team, if only from the sidelines, and we find Donna wondering what's up with Chelsea. She fell at Regionals, and now she falls at a game, will she be up to hitting it at Nationals? I'm not sure if that is what she should be worrying about at THIS particular moment.
To increase the team bond Donna takes them to a homeless shelter to help out. Some of the girls were a bit scared but realized that these people were just like them. It also reaffirmed the fact that these girls are very lucky and made them realize, and value, what they do and don't have.
Teresa wants to give the senior girls their "Senior Gifts" at the National Kickoff party but Saleem wants to wait until the end of the year banquet. Teresa is not pleased with that answer. Saleem needs them to think of themselves as a team, and not as Senior/Junior/Sophomores/Freshman. The change, from before Nations to after nationals to receive the Senior Gifts needs to take place and this year is the year to make that change.
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