The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an NFL Cheerleader

saints cheerleaders Think you have what it takes to become part of the esteemed NFL cheerleaders squad? Since 1960, NFL cheerleaders have played an important role in America’s most popular sport of football. They allow a team more media coverage, local support, and popularity through games, photo shoots, appearances, and charity events. Becoming part of the NFL cheerleaders squad is extremely competitive as literally hundreds of people will try out for a small number of open positions. There are many various factors that play into a person’s ability to successfully fill a spot including dance skills, personality, and style.

“How do I become an NFL cheerleader?”

The first step you want to take is to call or visit the website of the NFL cheerleaders squad that you are interested in. There are many different teams and ideally you would try out for the team located nearest to where you live. Find out when auditions are and what the schedule is like so that you can prepare yourself in advance. A typical agenda of an NFL cheerleaders tryout can be found at the Sea Gals Tryouts Website

Every NFL cheerleaders squad has a slightly different style so you may want to study their dances and moves by watching them in games and other appearances if possible. Sometimes, there are even Youtube videos of NFL cheerleaders performing their routine. Any exposure you can get with the squad will work to your advantage as you can learn more about them first hand. Sometimes, squads will offer classes or competitions which can only add to your learning experience.

Do Looks Matter?

NFL cheerleaders play a big part in the public image of football teams so they must present themselves in an ideal fashion. Some squads try to go for a certain look so just try be aware if there is a preferred look. If there is, then work towards attaining that preferred image so you can better your chances of getting into the squad of your choice. Longer hair is popular among NFL cheerleaders so try not to chop it short or you may risk getting cut out of auditions before you are able to show your true potential. Experiment with different hair stylists over the course of a year to get the ideal look when it comes to tryouts.

If you feel that your looks may not be up to par with NFL cheerleaders, then consider getting a makeover from a reputable makeup artist. Let them know you want the look that is worthy of NFL cheerleaders so they can work on you accordingly. Go waterproof on the makeup and don’t go overboard. You’re here to try out for the NFL cheerleaders, not the dancing clowns parade.

Work out in a way that will allow you to work towards a well-proportioned body so that you can look great in NFL cheerleaders attire.

Go through a “dress rehearsal” routine and see how well your hair, makeup, and tryout clothes hold up.

Pick your clothes for the tryouts in advance, whether they are interview clothes or workout attire. Make sure they are clothes that you feel comfortable wearing and are flattering enough for NFL cheerleaders style. You may want to wear a theme of colors everyday such as a red top and black pants everyday so that the judges will have an easier time remembering what you look like. There are hundreds of people waiting to become NFL cheerleaders so make sure you take every little step to stand out above the crowd.

Dance

In addition to looking good, you have to have the dance skills to be able to perform your duty as part of the NFL cheerleaders. During the auditions, the staff will have you perform some rigorous dance routines in order to ensure that you have what it takes. Prepare yourself to learn dances such as a kickline as well as a jazz routine. Also, you want to be sure you can undergo the “Kick the Hat” test successfully. Other factors that judges will consider are figure, energy, ability to do splits and high kicks, as well as poise. Freestyle and kickline routines are common so you must be able to learn these quickly. NFL cheerleaders can’t afford to buckle under pressure as they go through quite a few routines on a daily basis. Remember to smile during tryouts, and if you make a mistake, roll with it to show the judges that you can handle the pressure no matter the circumstances.

Interview

An interview can make or break a judge’s decision even when you have both the looks and the dance skills down. First appearances are everything so prepare yourself to wear a professional, yet stylish, suit. Anticipate the questions that will be asked in the interview. In this case, the topics can be various including those of your background, your interest in the squad, flexibility in relocating and scheduling, your knowledge of the demands of typical NFL cheerleaders, your goals, current events, and the squad’s history as well as the NFL’s. Rehearse your knowledge and answers to potential questions so that when it comes time, you’ll feel comfortable talking about topics you’ve already gone over in your head. Do a mock interview with a friend to get feedback on how well you handle yourself during an interview. Interviews with the media can be twice as rough so the squad wants to make sure you can represent them in a capable manner. To see how NFL cheerleaders handle interviews, watch this video of the Dallas Cowgirls

Finalists may also have to submit a personal essay and/or a three minute individual talent presentation to your own music. For the presentation, you may sing, dance, or do both as long as it portrays some talent and creativity.

What to Bring

Dance attire
Interview attire (if applicable)
Drivers license / passport
Water bottle
Towel
Lunch and snacks
Make-up
Curling Iron

Squad Policies and What to Expect

Squads often have policies in order to protect the team’s public image.

NFL cheerleaders are rarely allowed any contact with the football players. One misconception is that NFL cheerleaders engage in flirtatious and potentially worse behavior with players. However, the squad’s policy of disallowing contact with players is usually enforced to protect the team’s image as well as the players’.

Once hired, NFL cheerleaders are not allowed to model, act, or take any commercial work outside the squad appearances.

No drinking or smoking is allowed during cheerleading activities.

No one wants to see an out-of-shape cheerleader in a revealing uniform. That’s why NFL cheerleaders must continue to stay fit throughout the course of their career.

Expect to practice with the squad about four hours a day.

How much do cheerleaders get paid in the NFL? NFL cheerleaders are not known for making a lot of money on the job. The pay scale may range from $15 to $50 a game.

In order to ensure that you’re able to support yourself outside of the low cheerleading pay, some squads may ask that candidates hold another job, attend school, or hold responsibilities as a full-time mom.

It’s not easy to meet the demands of being part of the NFL cheerleaders squad. You have to be 99% committed in order to keep up with the high demands. NFL cheerleaders have to make appearances outside of games for paid events, charity events, camps, interviews, and anything else that may require their presence. Though there is not much in terms of monetary compensation, the doors of opportunity really open up for NFL cheerleaders in terms of life experiences and other types of paid work. How would you like to have “part of the NFL cheerleaders” on your resume?

Some girls may perform their best and do better than 99% of the other candidates but yet still get cut from the NFL cheerleaders tryouts. For this reason, a lot of girls audition year after year before they actually make the squad. If you don’t make it this year, try again the next. You can always take the experience of being in a tryout with you into the next audition. During these auditions, don’t forget to have fun. The judges like to see you put up a great, sociable attitude. Plus, it helps to relieve some of the stress of being in an audition.

Listed below are some additional resources that you might find useful in your preparation. We wish you the best of luck in becoming part of the NFL cheerleaders!

Tags: cheerleader, cheerleaders, nfl cheerleaders

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