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In the Netflix docuseries, America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Victoria Kalina, a fourth-year veteran of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) and a breakout star, opened up about all the reasons that led her to leave the cheerleading group.
Mental health problems, anorexia, and the pressure of sustaining squad standards made Victoria leave Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC).
In the docuseries, Kalina bravely discusses her battle with depression and eating disorders, marking the first time she has publicly addressed these issues. The series currently has seven episodes and can be exclusively streamed on Netflix. The official synopsis of the show on IMDb reads:
Follows the 2023-24 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad their auditions and training camp and finally the ending of the Cowboys season predictably ended in the NFC Wild Card Round."
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Victoria explains why she left the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on America's Sweethearts
A combination of several interconnected issues, predominantly mental health challenges and the pressure to maintain a public image, led to Victoria’s exit from DCC. All through America's Sweethearts, Kalina talks openly about her battles with depression which often turned into unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating disorders.
“My depression turns into this bad cycle,” she says.
She explains on America's Sweethearts how these issues impacted her capacity to perform according to the physical expectations of DCC.
Kalina began wrestling with mental illness early in her cheer career. The CMT show Making the Team captured this moment when she tried out for the squad but failed to make it in.
At only 18 years old, Kalina struggled through training camp stressfully.
“Being in the stressful environment of training camp kind of made it worse,” she remembers on America's Sweethearts.
This rejection plus its ensuing effect on self-esteem laid a foundation for continued struggle against depression as well as body dysmorphia.
The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated Kalina’s issues. The lockdown period disrupted her routine and left her feeling disconnected from her passion for dance.
“After COVID year, after lockdown and everything, I didn’t feel like my dancing was up to par, my body wasn’t up to par, and I just felt very out of it,” she said on America's Sweethearts.
It was during this time of seclusion that Kalina took a year off from DCC to work on her mental health by undergoing therapy and addressing the underlying causes.
The impact of Kalina's decision on her mental health
Therapy played a pivotal role in Victoria’s decision to leave DCC. During her break, she discovered some important things about herself, which included the need for words of affirmation and suppressing emotions.
“I’ve learned that I’m a words-of-affirmation person. I’ve also learned that I do not like to feel my feelings,” she explains.
Kalina’s legacy and unreserved bravery
Kalina, who loves cheerleading and DCC, had started realizing that joining the squad back may not be her best idea. It was clear from talks with Kelli Finglass, the director of DCC, and Judy Trammell, as a choreographer that they will not select her as a group leader if she comes back for her fifth and final year.
With this additional news coupled with an ongoing mental health journey, it was quite challenging for Kalina to decide to step away from cheerleading.
“I decided to hang up my pom poms,” she states on Americas Sweethearts. “Yes I could prove them wrong and yes I’d love to but there is no need.”
Victoria Kalina’s bravery throughout America's Sweethearts has left lasting impressions among viewers and the larger community of cheerleaders. In addressing issues on mental health and body image, Victoria has been instrumental in highlighting some of the challenges faced by professional cheerleaders today.
Kalina's journey with the DCC was filled with highs and lows, from the excitement of making the team to the heartbreak of being cut, and the eventual decision to leave.
