Dads Go Viral After Jumping Around For Daughters' Cheerleading Competition

Mason Joseph Zimmer
dad in the middle of cartwheel at daughter's cheer competition
TikTok | @cedarcheer

When many of us were little kids, we tended to have this adorably inflated image of our parents. Because as tough of some of our dads were, they might as well have been superheroes to us because we considered them the strongest people in the world.

And some dads are stern or stoic enough to invite that reputation, which makes it all the more heartwarming when they shed that part of themselves for the sake of their kids.

Whether they let their daughters give them a makeover or ended up doting on the family dog even more than the kids who wanted one, it's always uplifting to see their love shine through.

But sometimes these gestures can seem like as much fun for the dads participating as they are for everyone else. And that might have something to do with why one video made such a big impression beyond the community it was intended for.

Like many cheer teams, those on the cheerleading squad at Cedar High School in Utah take part in annual competitions.

dad holding up two pom poms at daughter's cheer competition
TikTok | @cedarcheer

And as one of their dads explained to Good Morning America, this event includes a segment called a jump-off in which cheerleaders determine who can execute rallying moves like aerial toe-touches the best.

This year, it seems that the team got the idea to have their dads participate as well. And while these men initially thought they'd just have to do a jumping toe touch, they soon learned they were on the hook for entire routines.

But since they didn't quite have enough notice to prepare much choreography, they were allowed to wing it to some degree.

dad in the middle of cartwheel at daughter's cheer competition
TikTok | @cedarcheer

And as we can see here, many of them took the opportunity to go all out and show everyone what they could do.

But as funny as it was when a dad struggled to maintain his balance, some were more up to the challenge than others.

As one of the dads involved said, "A lot were impressed that most of us could jump that well and a lot, I think, assumed we were all very injured by the end."

That said, it seems the dads had at least a little time to prepare because some had costume pieces ready for the occasion.

dad in skirt jumping during daughter's cheer competition
TikTok | @cedarcheer

We saw the dad with the pom poms earlier, but this one seemed to tuck his office shirt into a skirt and a pair of leggings.

As one of the fathers put it, "Some of us dressed up for the occasion, which was really great."

Not only were the results pretty fun for everyone involved, but they gave some parents a new perspective on how difficult the routines their kids practice every day are.

Another dad shared that his daughter had tried to show him what to do, but found that she was significantly more coordinated than he was.

In his words, "I realize as a father that she's pretty talented and it's pretty hard to do what she did. I can't do it but she does it really well."

h/t: Good Morning America