The Netflix show America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has brought global attention to the DCC squad, putting the members under a brighter spotlight than before. 

After completing her rookie season, Australian cheerleader Faith Ward shared an update about her future and the harsh reality of the competition to be part of the roster squad in DCC. 

“Cameras only see two percent of what goes on,” Ward said, per Sarah Hearon of Entertainment Weekly. “There’s so much more behind the scenes. I actually was fortunate enough to get booked on the Texas Live Tour with DCC not long after that.”

She further emphasized that the Netflix show captured only a small fraction of what goes on behind the scenes of the lives of the cheerleaders.

Though she is the first New Zealand-born dancer to make it to the squad, her latest update revealed that she has yet to make the roster and is currently in the training camp.

"We're back in training camp, currently," Ward said in the same interview, per Sarah Hearon of Entertainment Weekly. "No team announcements yet, no juice for you. Unfortunately, we're still fighting. Hopefully, soon - we'll see!"

Ward revealed that she was still in training camp and remains confident in training for her second season with the squad, acknowledging the intensity of the competition and the selection process.

"I knew I owed it to myself to not just have a rookie season," Ward said. "I always wanted to come into this experience, if I was lucky enough to even get the uniform in the first place and be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader...."

Ward believes that she can try out for the second season as she gained enough "material" during her rookie season.

Regardless of the outcome, she has already embraced her individuality, even by turning a simple ponytail into a talking point among the Cowboys fans.

Faith Ward says fans took her DCC hairstyle "too deep"

Faith Ward is the only cheerleader who sports a ponytail, against the DCC's traditional look of keeping the hair out with long locks, which garnered attention even before the season aired.

"I was not expecting a hairstyle to cause so much controversy… It's not that deep," Ward said during the same Entertainment Weekly interview. "I was just as shocked as everyone else. So then, to see the craziness online, it was hard to see a lot of negativity over a hairstyle…"

Ward previously revealed Kenny Finglass, the director of the DCC squad, suggested the ponytail after comparing her look to Ariana Grande, saying she wanted an "Ariana Grande moment" on the team, according to ABC Perth.

The DCC squad returned with 30 veterans and 6 rookies for Season 3, making the process intense, as the returning veterans compete for their spots along with the rookies.

Until the official 2026 DCC squad is announced, Ward's future remains uncertain.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote