Ben-Gal Rookies Jill and Shelly Already Have Three Games Under Their Belts
Soon enough, Jack Frost will be nipping at their nose, but for now, goldfish are nipping at their toes. At least they were on location at their calendar shoot. Ben-Gal rookies Jill and Shelly are starting their NFL cheerleading career with an absolute explosion of activity: being on the first squad to grace the 2010 sidelines at the Hall of Fame Game, followed by their first two home games over the next twelve days! That’s three games in thirteen days, then throw in a performance at a sold-out Sunday Reds game (hours before the first home pre-season game), and you have the busy, exciting life of a 2010 Ben-Gal rookie. Shelly said after the Hall of Fame game, “Even with one game already under my belt I still sometimes can’t believe I’m an NFL cheerleader.” We appreciate that during hectic kick-off of the season, Jill and Shelly shared their experiences with UltimateCheerleaders.com prior to their first home game on August 15th.
Captain Terésha, Jill, linemate Harmony, and Shelly rock out to "Cherry Pie," their first home pre-game routine
Both Jill and Shelly began their journey to the NFL sidelines while balancing try-outs with their college studies. Shelly, originally from Hanson, Kentucky (I wonder if “MMMBop” was big there?) was in her last month finishing up her degree (graduating with honors with a Bachelor’s in Communications) when she started the one-hour drives from the University of Kentucky to Cincinnati. Commuting for boot camps and clinics every weekend (and sometimes during the week) while still in school added to the academic stress, but Shelly notes, “The fact that the veterans and coaches were willing to invest so much of their time in each of the 90 or so hopeful rookies who came to the first audition by giving us personal tips for glamour, fitness and dance style, however, made me realize that there was a bigger picture behind the Ben-Gals organization that I wanted to be a part of.”
Jill during the second quarter of the August 15th Bengals-Broncos game
For Jill, a student at Dayton’s Wright State University, cheerleading has been a huge part of her life. Originally from West Carrollton, Ohio, Jill cheered every year from first grade through high school, then two years for the Raiders of Wright State. This built up to, as Jill says, “The most special cheerleading experience was the pleasure of working for COA (Cheerleaders of America) as a cheerleading instructor, traveling the country and teaching cheerleading camps for three summers in a row!”
The last, important step for Jill and Shelly was the Ben-Gal finals, a big public gala held last May. Years of cheering prepared Jill for the event. When asked if she was nervous about the dance portion, Jill replied, “I never really get nervous when performing in front of a whole room full of people, it is my passion and the reason why I do this. So the dancing part was cake.” But the swimsuit portion and being interviewed by former Ben-Gal Melissa Scalia provided other challenges, as Jill notes, “Walking in five inch heels and getting interviewed were definitely the moments that made me the most nervous.”
Shelly (standing) during pre-game
Notifying those who made the Ben-Gals occurred later through email. For new graduate Shelly, “I felt pretty confident after the final audition. I actually took a gamble and accepted a job offer in Cincinnati that I had to relocate for before knowing if I made the team or not.” When Shelly, who was on the University of Kentucky dance squad and cheered for the Lexington Horsemen AF2 arena football team, received the Ben-Gals congratulations e-mail, she called her mom and dad as soon as she could, but the news spread, “I am from a small town, so word got around fast.”
By Christine Keeling
Lopez began cheering at 6-years-old for the Poland Little Bulldogs. She performed for two years at Poland Middle School, four years at Poland Seminary High School and three years at the University of Cincinnati.
