[title]
If you were there for every demanding practice and heart-pounding moment of Netflix's Cheer docu-series and you want to learn how to do some flips and chants yourself, New York City has a few groups where you can get your cheer on.
The show follows cheerleaders of Navarro College in Texas, who face injuries, personal sacrifice, setbacks and triumphs as they vie for the National Championship title. It's a show you easily get sucked into, where before you know it, you're fully invested in the lives of these athletes.
If you have cheerleading experience and want to join a team, Cheer New York and Gotham Cheer have programs you can try out for.
Cheer New York is an all-volunteer team that raises money for locally-based LGBTQ charities through its New York Spirit Fund. The team is often seen performing in the NYC Pride March.
The team accepts beginners as well, if you're good at round-offs but not necessarily able to do handsprings or tumbling passes. It also encourages members of all genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities and body shapes to join so that the team is as diverse as the city it reps.
You can learn more about tryouts at cheernewyork.org.
View this post on InstagramWho is getting pumped for the weekend? Happy Friday from #CheerNewYork! ❤️ Photo by @jbimaginative
Gotham Cheer, another volunteer squad, also advocates for LGBTQ issues, HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging conditions through its community fund. They not only march in parades but they offer booking for other events such as parties, galas, races and other sporting events.
If you're not into joining another team, you can meet up with other former cheerleaders via a Meetup Group. Strangers from New York City are looking for companionship on the mat.
But, if you need to try your hand at tumbling and build up your cheer arsenal, these gyms have you covered:
Chelsea Piers (Chelsea) – Head to the west side for beginner, intermediate and even advanced classes for adults. With classes year-round, the adult gymnastics class offers basic tumbling drills (rolls and handstands) and separates the beginners and the intermediate students. A single class is $32.
Aviator Sports (Floyd Bennett Field) – For every skill level, this class for teens and adults is a good way to try gymnastic moves or get tumbling again. Students are taught how to use the vault, the high bars, the rings, the foam pit and the trampolines as well as the fundamentals needed to work the floor. A single class is $18.
Sokol NY (Upper East Side) – Another one for all skill levels, this class is taught by Charles. "Chaz" Meabon, who is a National Cheerleading Champion and was a member of the Erie Flairs Mens Competitive team. He currently teaches two classes a week at the center. One class a week for a year is $600 or you can purchase five classes for $125.
Park City Gymnastics (North Flushing) – As a gymnastics and tumbling class for adults, there's no expectation of expert skill here. Class times are determined on interest and can be taught in the evenings if need be. A single class is $40.
So if Cheer has you smitten, there are plenty of options to act on your obsession.
What’s life really like in New York today? Take the Time Out Index survey and tell us all about it.