What Is Monica Aldama From Cheer Doing Now

You may have become a big fan of Gabi Butler or Morgan Siminaer while binging the two current seasons of Netflix's hit docuseries "Cheer." But as all true fans know, none of those stars would be where they are today without, as the cheerleaders refer to her, their queen (via Women's Health Magazine).

That queen is Monica Aldama, the head coach for the Navarro College cheerleading team that is featured on the show. And her title is fitting–Aldama has been the coach for over two decades and according to The Cut, she has won 14 Junior College Division National Championships and five Grand National Titles for Navarro College since she became head coach.

On the show, we can clearly see why she has had success in the cheerleading world. She brings her own cheerleading experience to the table, along with a strong educational background and a need for perfectionism, making Navarro one of the best-known cheer squads ever (via Women's Health). But now that Season 2 has ended and Season 3 has yet to be confirmed, fans are wondering what Aldama is doing now.

Monica Aldama may be known for her coaching skills, but the Navarro College head cheerleading coach didn't always see her future as it is today. According to The Cinemaholic, Aldama envisioned a life in New York City, leaving her hometown of Corsicana, Texas to become the CEO of a finance company.

She earned both her bachelor's degree and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas at Tyler, graduating and taking a finance job in Dallas (via The Cut). When a friend reached out about the job at Navarro, Aldama thought of it as a temporary solution to leave her current less-than-stellar job and move back to her hometown with her husband. She continued to view the job as temporary, that is until her kids were born. "We started raising our kids here, and all the dynamics just kind of fell into place where I thought, you know, maybe this is my purpose in life — to be a part of the kids' lives and be a mentor to them," she told The Cut in an interview. Over two decades later, the former cheerleader has changed the entire cheerleading program for the better–making it one of the best in the nation.

While we have seen some of our favorite "Cheer" cast members come and go, including the biggest stars like Gabi Butler, who has recently moved on from Navarro, and Morgan Siminaer, who left during the COVID-19 pandemic, one constant has always been Coach Monica Aldama.

And even though there are unknowns surrounding season 3, Aldama is still at Navarro, inspiring and teaching the next generation of Navarro cheerleaders. According to Women's Health, it doesn't seem like the head coach will be going anywhere anytime soon. While she was 25 years younger when she first became coach, the now seasoned hall-of-famer (Aldama was recently inducted into Navarro's Hall of Fame, per The Cinemaholic) knows that her job as a coach is so much more than winning competitions. "The biggest thing is learning that this is not just coaching," Aldama told Women's Health during an interview. "I wear a lot of hats. I have to be a mother figure. I have to be a disciplinarian. I have to be an advisor, a counselor, so many different things. I was young [when I started coaching at Navarro]; I didn't realize that coming in."

Being on "Cheer" has not only aided the team and showcased their strengths, it has also allowed Aldama to share her insight and experience both personally and professionally. One of the biggest opportunities to come her way since the show began was her book, "Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach."

According to Simon & Schuster, who published the book, the book is a tell-all of Aldama's life and how she created one of the best cheerleading programs in the country. Fans get insight into her marriage (according to The Cinemaholic, they actually divorced and remarried), receive tips for success, and get some inside scoop from "Cheer" that wasn't shown on television.

When promoting her book on her Instagram page, Aldama wrote "This is my story in my own words, and I hope that readers feel inspired to chase their dreams after reading." The book came out in January of 2022 and Aldama went on a book signing tour shortly after to help promote it.

Like many of the stars on "Cheer," Aldama has reached celebrity status since she appeared on the show. In 2020, she was cast on Season 29 of "Dancing with the Stars" alongside other reality TV stars like Kaitlyn Bristowe from "The Bachelorette" and Chrishell Strauss from "Selling Sunset" (via Women's Health). While Aldama and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, were ultimately eliminated, Aldama only had positive things to say about her experience on the show, even adding that leaving was good, too, because she got to return home to her team (via ET Online).

She has also found popularity on social media and through brand partnerships. As of this writing, the Navarro cheer head coach has 860k followers on Instagram, where she mainly posts cheer routines performed by her team. Her fashion was also a source of chatter on the show, and now, Aldama has her own line of stylish boots with shoe designer, Girotti.

Monica Aldama is not leaving cheer, or Navarro behind her. She helps new cheerleaders become national champions and continues to support the original team that made Navarro a household name.

Aldama will be touring with some of the biggest "Cheer" stars including Gabi Butler, Morgan Simianer, James Thomas, Maddy Brum, and Gillian Rupert as they perform stunts live for fans. The tour spans the months of June and July of 2022 and will head to places like Chicago, Boston, St. Louis, and New York City. Aldama posted about the tour on her Instagram with a picture alongside Simianer saying "Can't wait to see you this summer!"

When she is not touring, writing books, and appearing on our screens, Aldama is a loving wife and mother to her two children, Austin and Ally. According to The Cinemaholic, she may also be in the midst of planning a wedding as her daughter Ally, who is currently engaged, is said to be tying the knot in May of 2022.