"Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach" Review

If you know me personally, you know that I love a good reality television show. Generally, the trashier the better. Bring on the dramatics! Give me a memoir by a reality tv-lebrity and I am absolutely in love! One of my more recent reality television obsessions is Netflix's 'Cheer'. Not a reader or haven't seen the show yet? I really encourage you to give it a watch. Even if you aren't a big cheerleading fan, you'll love each of the students and their stories.

"Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach" is a memoir from Navarro College's Head Cheer Coach, Monica Aldama. It was released in January of 2022.

If you would like to purchase "Full Out" you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can follow the author, Monica Aldama, on Instagram and Goodreads!

In Full Out, "the Bill Belichick of cheerleading", Coach Monica Aldama shares how she built one of the most successful and beloved cheerleading programs in the country. Her uncompromising brand of discipline and consistency goes far beyond the mat--showing how the principles of building a winning team apply to personal goals, the corporate world, parenting, and all aspects of life. There's a lot of talk these days about shortcuts and life hacks, but what really counts is commitment and integrity, helping your friends, and improving with your teammates. Coach Monica shares deeply personal stories of triumph and tragedy from divorce and remarriage to her husband, her challenges as a young mother working more than full time, and her strenuous weeks on Dancing with the Stars. She shares surprising behind-the-scenes moments from the Cheer docuseries, and insights gleaned from more than two decades of pushing students to succeed. A true force and inspiration who has captured hearts around the world, Coach Monica will show you how to take command of your talent, make the most of your potential, and find your drive to win.

"My cussing, smoking, switch-cutting Grandmother had it right. Compassionate discipline is the key to creating a world in which people, whether toddlers or felons or [Cheer] flyers, feel free to make good choices."

I listened to this as an audiobook, which was read by Monica Aldama herself. I liked that she was telling her own story and thought it worked well.

I could listen to Monica tell her story forever apparently, because I was a little sad when I finished this one. Maybe she has more than one book in her? I definitely would not be surprised if Monica does write and publish another book at some point down the road. I'll just be here waiting until she announces the next one!

It was a bit heavier on the life lessons side. While it was a bit self-helpy at times, it was never off-puttingly so. I liked how Monica intertwined these lessons with her own personal experiences.

If you are expecting a 'tell-all' memoir, that's not what this one is. You do get some behind the scenes information, but this book never relies on spilling all of the secrets.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you liked the show Cheer, are a fan of Dancing With the Stars (and/or watched Monica on the show), or just like memoirs with a dash of self help I think you should give this one a chance!

While I do usually create playlist to accompany the books that I read, I have instead opted to just provide a song rec for this memoir. My song recommendation for "Full Out" is "The Man" by Taylor Swift. I think this song is very fitting for Monica. In the show, she is often shown as being too tough or is hated for being so successful. Her male counterparts in the cheerleading field are not perceived in the same way, even if they act similarly. She is seen as being cocky while a rival coach is considered to just be confident in his own coaching abilities. This is a good song which touches on societal double standards, like the ones that Monica has faced and continues to face.

Have you read "Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach"? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

As always, thank you for reading!

XO,

Madison