Going into reading Full Out: Leadership Lessons From America’s Favourite Coach, I worried that the book might be an unbearably cheesy ode to the American Dream, full of mottoes and mantras that might work to inspire a US audience, but would seem trite and insincere to myself, a British reader.

I was not totally wrong – there is a strong folksy voice throughout, and many cheerleading mantras – but the effect proved to be both intimate and inspiring. Monica Aldama’s voice shines throughout the book, from her Texan colloquialisms and conversational tone (‘They were the clumsiest, goofiest, most endearing kids you ever did see’) to familiar mottoes and attitudes to hard work and discipline which viewers of the Netflix docuseries Cheer will be familiar with. On a couple of occasions some contemporary slang slips in, doubtless picked up from the teenagers and young adults Aldama coaches, such that we hear how ‘they have the beef with.’ I found the inclusion of a definitive article for ‘beef’ quite endearing but was thankful when the slang was nonetheless kept to a minimum.

This leads me into Full Out’s greatest strength: the intimacy of reading the personal perspective of Monica Aldama. The book reads like a private conversation with Aldama, structured into conveniently short chapters. If you have ever dreamed of being mat-talked (cheered from the sidelines) by the great Aldama herself, this is certainly the book for you. Part self-help, part autobiography, Full Out shows the emotions and turmoil which roil beneath the surface of anyone who achieves great success, and offers advice on how to overcome and reach one’s own success too.

It was also, however, a slightly frightening read. Though she is shown to be completely human and takes the reader through her upsets and difficulties, Aldama also proves herself to be an absolute powerhouse and a relentless force in the pursuit of success. I could not help but compare my own attitude to life with hers, and conclude that whilst many of her life lessons I agreed with and found useful, decisions which she makes, such as undertaking a Master course whilst coaching full time and having her first baby, are the stuff of madness, and the kind of self-sabotage that I refuse to entertain. Reading Full Out confirmed what I already knew from watching Cheer: I do not have the ability nor the desire to endure the extreme self-discipline, challenge and pain which accompanies a career in professional cheerleading, nor in any field of extreme competitiveness.

Though I was consistently surprised by the amount of stress that Aldama voluntarily put herself through, and found myself at one point wanting to scream WHY!? at yet another seemingly impossible overload of activity, it did hammer home her experience and added validity to her life lessons.

As for the life lessons themselves… they are nothing that you will not have heard before, and the whole book lacks actionable steps on how to, for example, find people who will support you every step of the way or how exactly one should push through the hard times. This sounds pretty damning, but if you enter the book with the view that it is more of a motivational TedTalk than a step-by-step guide on fixing your life, you will come away feeling inspired and convinced by the power of positive self-talk (or mat-talk, as the cheerleading lingo would have it). The short chapters and simple writing style make this an easy read, and I can see myself re-reading a chapter when I feel I need a boost of motivation.

There are a lot of cheerleading metaphors (e.g. building a successful pyramid requires the same skills as building a successful life), and the book is chronologically arranged from Aldama first being approached to film a Netflix show, to her appearance on Dancing With The Stars, therefore I would caution that if cheerleading and Monica Aldama’s life do not interest you, then you may need to give this book a pass. If, however, you are in the mood for an intimate conversation about working hard, building community, and living life ‘full out’, then this book could be exactly what you are looking for.

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