New York Magazine - USA (2020-03-02)

PhotographsbyHANNAHWHITAKER

MOTIVATEME

I WantThis

CheerCoachto

RunMyLife

ByAnnaSilman

likemanypeople,I have

becomeengrossedinCheer,

Netflix’snew docuseriesabout

thesuperstarsquadat Navarro

College.ButmostlyI havebecome

enthralledbyonecharacter,a

real-lifelegendwhomakesFriday

NightLights’ CoachTaylorlooklike

a rec-leaguezhlub:CoachMonica

Aldama,theBillBelichickof

cheerleadingwithperfect square

Frenchtips.“Ifyou’renotgiving

yourbest,you’regoingtohavea

problemwithMonica,” herhusband

sayswitha hauntedlookinhiseyes.

“Shedoesn’t putupwithweakness.”

Clearly, hertacticswork,because

Monica’s kidswoulddoanything

forher.As oneofhercheerleaders

sayswhenMonicaaskshertotry an

incrediblydangeroustossforthe

firsttime,“Peoplehavebrokentheir

necksdoingthis,butMonicaneeds

metodoit,soI’lljust doit ...I would

takea bullet forher.” Frankly,same.

If onlyI hada Monicatorunmy

life.I canimaginehowmuchbetter

I wouldbeatprettymuch

everything.MaybeI wouldn’t have

givenuppianoafterfourlessons.

MaybeI wouldbeabletorunmore

thanhalfa milewithoutmy

internalorgansbreakingdown.

I wouldcertainlyworkoutandfloss

andremembertomakemy bed

every morning,because,asMonica

says,“Howcanyouexpecttobe

successfulif youdon’t organizeyour

life?”Somedays,I wishMonica

couldstandnexttomewhile

I write,lookingdisapprovingly

downatherbejeweledAppleWatch

asI struggletocrafta paragraph

thatwillearnherrespect. Doyou

thinkshe’d carethat I wasout

drinkinglastnightandhavea

hangoverandamstrugglingtoput

togethera strongclosingsentence?

No,shewouldnot.I may notknow

muchaboutcheerleading,but

I knowMonicawouldscreamat me

tobethebestversionofmyself,and

personally,that’sallI want.If I have

totumbleoutofmydeskchair

andbreakmynecktoachieve

greatness,sobeit.

›

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CELINE by Hedi Slimane

boot, at celine.com.

Four Great

Shoes

FINER THINGS

Graphic heels, sandals,

boots, and pumps

wewant right now.

BOTTEGA VENETA pump, at

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PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF NETFLIX (CHEER)

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