'Cheer': Inside the World of High-Pressure Competitive Cheerleading

They've got spirit, yes, they do, they've got spirit and a scary high vertical leap, a hard-core demand for perfection and the very real threat of broken bones. Yes, a smile and some pom-poms are no... See More

They've got spirit, yes, they do, they've got spirit and a scary high vertical leap, a hard-core demand for perfection and the very real threat of broken bones. Yes, a smile and some pom-poms are no longer enough to call yourself an elite cheerleader in this country much to the delight of some parents and the dismay of many others. To better understand the demands of going out for cheer squad these days abc's amy robach met one brutally tough coach. Carry me out, kill me now. Do you want me to write you a memo for that. Don't smile at me, kid, because I'm so not laughing. I'm over it. Reporter: Tough talking coach patty ann has been coachicoachimpetitive cheerleading for 30 years. You're thinking about the scorpion and you haven't even completed the hide. Reporter: She uses these tactics to coach these girls to the top of their sport. All you have to do is double and double, bust her ass and she'll never let go of your toe again. Reporter: For those watching at home they're watching and thinking, this woman is unnecessarily tough. I am an extremely aggressive coach. Reporter: You'll yell at them? Absolutely. Reporter: Tough love. Very tough love. At the end of the day, my kids know I love them. When I step on this mat I've got a job to do. Their parents are paying for a service. Yes. Reporter: In patty ann's gym in kennel brook, new jersey, there are plenty of rules like no cell phones and no facebook when the girls travel even to communicate with their moms and dads. We are not allowed to talk to them. We are not allowed to have any contact with them what soever that's even when we're at the competition with them. Even a prisoner gets a phone call. Reporter: And these parents who pay over $1800 a year to have their girls coached, well, they are even kept in the dark literally when it comes to watching the girls practice. I wish we could peek a little bit. Reporter: How do you feel about that? Spending all this money and dedicating all this time and you don't know what's happening? I'm paying all this money and I want to occasionally see what I'm getting for that dwindling checkbook. Three, four, five, six. Reporter: But behind that curtain patty uses a sharp tongue and take no prisoners a winning team. Is this going to affect me? Good, then get rid of that and let's go. Don't spit blood on the mat. I know when it's serious and when it's not. When I see that it's just a split lip, go wash your mouth out. We got work to do. Jackie, you're too tired to go out again? Reporter: Do you ever think to yourself when you go home at night I was a little too tough? Absolutely, absolutely, there are days I go home and I say to myself I wish I would have handled that differently. Reporter: The girls compete year round and practice three days a week until as late as 9:00 p.M. Let's go. Reporter: And while the falls from lifts like this one do hurt it's the harsh talk from patty ann that sometimes brings this emto tears. What's the pressure like? It's a lot of pressure especially competition season, patty ann has no patience. She wants when she wants when she wants it. Reporter: She made you cry. Yeah, 24 seconds ago. Reporter: Sue sylvester may have perfected the tv version of a brash cheerleading coach on "glee." I have completely lost interest in ladies. I blame you. Reporter: But coach patty ann is the real deal and now showcases her strict traditional coaching on the new reality show aptly called clear cheer on cmt. ♪ Reporter: Lost on the team are few and far between and competition to stay on the team is fierce. If you miss a trick, if somebody walks in that door the night before I get on a plane, I'm taking your spot. Reporter: And her cheer team say they know what's behind that hard exterior. Think that if you're going to have a successful organization and you're going to be on top you have to get in their face and then be able to control them, bring them back in and show them that you love them. Reporter: How important are these girls to you? They're kids. I get that. My job is to make them into this spectacular, strong woman. What happens when you become one of patty ann's little -- what do you want to call them -- little soldiers, so to speak? They become organized. They know how to prioritize. They know how to set goals. They're on time for everything. Reporter: The girls may be focused personally and athletically but at what cost? I'm getting that a lot of people may look at this and say, these girls are very young and this is way too much pressure. What do you say to that? Don't judge me. Don't judge thes kids. Who is anyone to say that what we're doing or how we're doing it is wrong. Reporter: For "nightline" I'm amy robach, kenilworth, new jersey.