Boy Cheerleaders

Director James Newton follows England's first all-boy cheerleading team in the run-up to the national championships. It's not all smooth sailing for them: as one of the mothers of the young boys says, the boys either really go for it or they mess it up. And that means life isn't always easy for them. Newton zooms in on three team members. Between training sessions, they talk about the role sports have in their lives, about their mothers, and about their fathers' absence. The team is a rock in the lives of the children and their mothers. It even plays a parenting role, with the boys learning to take criticism, cooperate with one another, persevere, and excel. Many of the mothers have troubled pasts to contend with, but it gives the boys a chance to dream. Nine-year-old Harvey sees himself as a kind of Billy Elliot - from the film about a boy from a mining family who becomes a famous ballet dancer. Harvey's coaches manage to get him an audition at the prestigious Northern Ballet Academy.