Welcome back to Cheer Dads Unfiltered!

In Episode 12 the dads finally stop guessing about cheer scoring… and bring in an actual judge to break it all down.

We’re joined by Gabby Mauro, a cheer judge, educator, and routine review expert who helps teams understand how routines are really evaluated.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Does screaming “HIT ZERO” actually help?
• Do loud cheer parents affect scoring?
• What are judges REALLY looking for during a routine?
• Why do some routines place higher than others?

Gabby pulls back the curtain and gives us the real inside look at how cheer competitions are judged.

Along the way we talk about:

• Gabby’s journey in the cheer world
• How judging actually works behind the scenes
• Common scoring myths in all-star cheer
• What parents misunderstand about competitions
• Why formations and transitions matter more than you think

and of course… the dads still manage to ask the important questions about “farts and toots”

Whether you're a cheer parent, athlete, coach, or just trying to understand the chaos of competition season, this episode is packed with insights and laughs.

Huge thank you to Gabby Mauro for joining the show!

Follow Gabby:📲 Instagram: @scoresheetswithgabbymauro

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Real cheer dads. Real conversations. No filters.

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📲 Instagram: @cheerdadsunfiltered

In Episode 11 it’s just the three of us.

No guest

No script

Just real talk

We’re diving into something that doesn’t get talked about enough in competitive cheer:

Where are the dads?

Too often dads show up as the Uber. The wallet. The quiet one in the stands.

But when it comes to our sons?
We’re at every practice. Every game. Every rep.

So why is it different for our daughters?

In this episode we talk about:
• Being present vs. being engaged
• Why dads matter more than we think in this sport
• The uncomfortable dynamic of stepping into a mom-dominated space
• Leading by example inside our own gyms

If you’re a cheer dad or raising an athlete this one’s for you.

Let’s change the culture.

Check us out on Instagram and YouTube

@Cheerdadsunfiltered

In Episode 10 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with Coach Shaq. An athlete on Team Reign, a coach at USA Gym and one of the most impactful personalities in our cheer community.

What started as a conversation about a Daddy-Daughter stunt class quickly turned into something more profound.

Shaq opens up about:
• Growing up between football and cheer
• Navigating stereotypes as a Black, gay male cheerleader
• The emotional journey with his father
• Almost walking away from the sport
• Why mentorship means everything to him
• What he hopes young athletes will say about him years from now

This episode is honest, vulnerable and powerful.

If you’re a cheer parent, athlete, coach or a dad trying to show up better this one will hit.

We’re grateful to Shaq for trusting us with his story.

🎙 Watch full episodes on YouTube:@cheerdadsunfiltered

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Second comp of the season.

7am arrival. No pit. Private suite with our podcast name on the door.

and a 1.25 deduction that changed everything.

In this episode we break down:

– The early morning chaos
– Security drama and no pit reaction
– The nugget fall and what really happened
– How deductions actually work
– Third place emotions
– Why failure might be the best thing for this team
– Suite life recap
– Geoff’s first-ever Hot Takes segment

What hit us most?

The resilience.

One mistake didn’t define the routine.
One fall didn’t define the girls.
and third place didn’t define the day.

If you're a cheer parent navigating the emotional rollercoaster of competition season this one is for you.

New episodes every Thursday at 6am MST.

This episode is a special one.

After hearing from our coaches last week, we flip the mic one more time and sit down with the reason this whole journey exists....our daughters.

In Episode 8 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we talk with Izzy, Everly, and Ruby about their very first season in competitive cheer. From nerves before their first competition, to counting on the mat, to what cheer really feels like through their eyes. This one hits different.

After the girls head into practice, the dads jump back on the mic for Part 2:

• Our first on-episode Dubby unboxing

• Honest reactions (no script, no ad vibes)

• Talking comps, expectations, and what feels different heading into Jam Fest

• Life as cheer dads learning it in real time

This episode is raw, fun, emotional, and exactly what Cheer Dads Unfiltered is all about.

Whether you’re a cheer parent, a sports dad, or just figuring it out as you go you’re in the right place.

🎧 Listen, follow, and share with another cheer family.

Sponsor:

Dubby Energy

Use code **CHEERDADSUNFILTERED** for 10% off

New episodes every Thursday.

This episode is special.

In Episode 7 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we sit down with two of our daughters’ coaches, Carly and Coeen, for a real, honest and fun conversation about competitive cheer straight from the coach’s perspective.

We kick things off by getting to know them:

• How they got into cheer

• Their coaching journeys

• What it’s really like being on the other side of the mat

And yes Coeeen is a World Champion! Taking home a Worlds win in April 2023 (ring included). She had to give us the full Tom Brady/Bill Belichick treatment 😄

From there, the conversation flows into:

• What coaches actually look for at competitions

• How scoring really works (and why it can feel confusing as parents)

• Coaching pressure and supporting young athletes

• The parent–coach dynamic and how to show up the right way

• Our girls’ season, their competitions and the growth we’re seeing

This episode was recorded live at The Bookish Club in Gilbert, which made the whole thing feel even more like what this show is about! Community, connection, and real conversations. We also surprised Carly and Coeen with custom tumblers from Arizona Engraving Co., because showing appreciation matters.

This wasn’t scripted.

It wasn’t polished.

It was just five people at a coffee shop, laughing, learning, and connecting.

If you’re a cheer parent trying to understand the world your athlete is in or a coach who wants parents to truly get it this one’s for you.

📍 Follow us on Instagram & YouTube: @cheerdadsunfiltered
🎧 New episodes drop every Thursday.

Our first cheer competition was chaos. Nerves, confusion, overstimulation and not knowing what to expect.

and then our girls took the floor.

In Episode 6 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we break down everything that happened after our first ever competition. From walking into the arena completely unsure, to watching our daughters perform under the lights, to hearing the words we never thought we’d hear… national champions!!

We talk about the emotions dads don’t expect, how competitive cheer scoring actually works, why trusting the coaches matters and how this weekend changed our girls...and us.

We also share how Cheer Dads Unfiltered unexpectedly had a moment inside the cheer community after the competition.

This episode is for first-year cheer dads, parents figuring this world out and anyone who’s watched their kid work hard and finally see it pay off.

Next up: we sit down with the coaches and continue this competition run in real time

Christmas break is over and suddenly competition season is very real.

In Episode 5 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered we break down what it felt like walking back into the gym after two weeks off, the nerves the girls didn’t say out loud and the moment we realized this cheer thing just leveled up.

We talk about:

• First practice back vibes (rust vs. locked in)

• A brand new stunt was introduced two weeks before the competition

• Trusting the coaches… even when your kid is flying face first

• The emotional rollercoaster of comp week is creeping in

• The real costs parents don’t expect (tickets, parking, swag, all of it)

• Why dads showing up LOUD actually matters

• and of course… football takes, tailgate plans and dad chaos

  
  

If you’re a cheer parent heading into your first competition weekend this one’s for you.

Next episode? Competition weekend will officially be in the books.

Cheer Dads Unfiltered – Episode 4

In this episode, we hit pause before the chaos.

Recorded right after Christmas, Episode 4 is all about reflecting on the first five months of competitive cheer. From August tryouts to the doorstep of competition season.

With a rare full week off from practices, we talk through:

• What Christmas looks like when cheer sneaks into the house anyway

• How our daughters handled their first real break from cheer

• Why private lessons quietly make a massive difference

• The confidence boost that comes from small wins (hello crystal animals 🐾)

• What cheer has changed for us as dads — presence, perspective, and slowing down

• How the cheer community (and the dads upstairs 👀) formed naturally over time

We also look ahead to what’s coming fast:

• First competition nerves

• What comp season is really going to demand from families

• Our evolving role as cheer dads on competition days

• And why this next chapter is going to feel very different

This episode closes out Chapter One of Cheer Dads Unfiltered.
Starting next episode, we’re officially in real-time competition season mode — weekly episodes, raw reactions, wins, losses, and everything in between.

If you’re a cheer parent, cheer dad, or just figuring it out as you go, you’re in the right place.

🎧 New episodes drop weekly
📍 Recorded at practice, in real life, no filters

What does a real week in the life of a cheer dad actually look like?

In Episode 3 of Cheer Dads Unfiltered, we break down the controlled chaos that is competitive cheer. From pre-practice hype, post-practice crash outs and everything that happens in between.

We talk about:
• What practice nights really feel like for our girls
• Tuesday vs Thursday practice energy (very different vibes 👀)
• How cheer slowly takes over your house without you realizing it
• The time, commitment, and mental load parents don’t expect
• Christmas break, Secret Santa surprises, and more cheer dad reality

Plus… we had unexpected surprise appearances from our team moms which made this episode even more fun (and more real).

If you’re a cheer parent or about to become one this episode will feel VERY familiar.

🎧 New episodes drop every Thursday.

🎥 Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify.

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