Hundreds Attend Eagles Cheerleader Tryouts

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Mar 29, 2009
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)

The Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders hosted their open call audition Saturday morning and nearly 400 women attended.

In hopes of becoming one of the 38 elite cheer squad members, prospective cheerleaders were taught a short dance routine which they then preformed in front of a panel of judges.

The contestants were judged based on their dancing ability, physical fitness, beauty and showmanship, not to mention Eagles pride.

The demanding audition process went on for nearly four hours as the field of hopeful ladies was cut in half after the first round of judging and again to only 100.

The remaining 100 cheerleaders will participate in the final audition which is open to the public, held April 21, 2009 at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia.

[Click here for photos]

Meet the Ducks’ Power Play girls

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They are key component to the hockey-game experience and Honda Center entertainment.
Marcia C. Smith
Columnist
The Orange County Register

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ANAHEIM– The Ducks have their own version official cheerleaders – or chill leaders – and they don’t carry much in the way of pom-poms or even the weather-appropriate parkas.

Much like the cheer and dance teams of other professional sports teams, you can probably guess that the Ducks’ Power Players are young women, most in their early 20s, who are pleasantly perky, tastefully coiffed, minimally clothed, thin but healthy and, OK, hot enough to melt the ice.

Perhaps merely mentioning the attractive, man-catching qualities of the Power Players puts me in a faceoff with an ardent feminist. But their beauty – as well as their ability to ice skate, be kind to strangers and charm crowds – is part of how they landed this $13-an-hour seasonal job. (They get free parking too.)

Don’t hate them because their easy on the eyes in a sport in which the players have crooked noses, missing teeth and a scar where a left eyebrow use to be.

The Power Players have become part of the hockey-game experience, arena entertainment and the Ducks extended family. They have their own uniforms, their own dressing room (which they share with Wild Wing and the National Anthem singer), their own fans and fan mail, and their own page on the Ducks Web site.

“We’re part of the team,” said Lindsey, 22, a fifth-grade teacher in Orange County. “Probably the biggest misconception about us is that a lot of people think being a Power Player is our only job.”

Being a Power Player is a part-time job, whose shifts average about five hours every night the Ducks play a home game at the Honda Center. Ten “girls” – that’s their preferred label over the more workplace-neutral “ladies,” “women,” “females” or “Xena: Warrior Princesses” – work each game, with six helping maintain the ice and four roaming the bowl to interact with fans for in-game trivia contests and corporate promotions that are seen on the arena’s Diamond Vision scoreboard television.

The best skaters of each night’s crew are the ones fans see skate onto the ice during each timeout. While players are gliding back to the their benches, the Power Players stream from the Zamboni’s tunnel and scatter across the rink. One girl pushes an orange cart and five hold the shovels they’ll use to sweep and scoop up the ice that piles up around the goals, along the red lines and in front of the benches.

“We’ve got 90 seconds to get on and off the ice,” said Lindsey, in her third season with the 14-member squad. “I feel comfortable on skates because I grew up figure skating. But the first time I was out there, I was nervous in front of 15,000 people and worried that I would fall or drop the shovel or something.”

This is basically house/igloo cleaning, while wearing snug, black, low-cut halter tops with half-sleeves, thin black pants glittered by rhinestones and their own hockey skates. Even though they’re shoveling, they don’t get gloves.

But it’s not like they’re digging ditches, so nobody complains about sore backs from heavy lifting or callused palm. And not one of them feels like a sex kitten on skates.

“We’re all hockey fans, so it’s fun work, not labor, even though are uniforms are kind of, uh, form fitting,” said Jenn, 22, an Orange County physical therapist who pursuing a master’s degree in her field. “I played hockey for 11 years and four years in college (St. Mary’s University of Minnesota) and sometimes, I just want to get out there on the ice, grab a stick and try to score a goal.”

Jenn had no problem with last summer’s tryout at Anaheim ICE. About 30 turned out to compete for 14 spots to be ice candy. There was an application, an interview and a skating test in which judges rated each prospect on speed, balance, starting and stopping and on-ice personality.

“We couldn’t have them get on the ice if they looked like Bambi in tryouts,” said Sarah Montecinos, the Ducks’ entertainment coordinator who sets the Power Players schedule for games and community appearances. “All the girls can skate, but we put the best skaters on the ice.”

Though the Power Players aren’t using this gig to launch careers into acting, modeling or becoming a Laker or Charger Girl, they get more than navel exposure during games. The arena’s in-house TV cameras go to shots of the Power Players cheering and clapping after the Ducks’ goals or big plays. They also get some face time when, during timeouts and intermissions, they ask fans trivia questions to win prizes.

“Some fans know us by name,” said Lindsey. “They’re really sweet. We talk but we never get personal. It’s all professional.”

The Power Players have non-fraternization clauses in their contracts, limiting their personal interaction with Ducks players. They also use only their first names and give limited details about their off-ice lives for privacy reasons. For example, Lindsey can say she’s a schoolteacher and that she lives on Earth.

There’s more to these girls than their manicured outsides. They’ve got insides and non-hockey goals that aren’t all about rainbows and ponies. Nearly all the Power Players have a bachelor’s degree.

Alex wants a Ph.D. in art history and a career as a museum curator. Treana aspires to go into sports medicine. Tara wants to become a broadcast journalist. Amanda, a former figure skater, works as a phlebotomy technician, which means she draws blood with needles not high sticks. Laura has a master’s in history. Daniella, who is studying psychology, loves watching fights in hockey and wants to be a marriage counselor.

“This is one of the best jobs you can have if you’re a hockey fan,” said first-season Power Player Jenn, who holds a degree in biology. “I get to watch the game up close.”

Standing in the Zamboni tunnel awaiting the next timeout during the Ducks game last week against Vancouver, the Power Players embraced themselves and huddled close to keep themselves warm before their next shift.Then the door swung open and out the Power Players skated, legs gliding, shovels swinging and smiles frozen.

Baltimore Lady Mariners

I spent Sunday afternoon at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena where the AIFA Baltimore Mariners hosted and defeated the visiting Reading Express.

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The 2009 Lady Mariners consist of 14 dancers: six veterans and eight rookies.

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The Lady Mariners are in their second season under the direction of Audra Weaver. Audra tells me the squad has been quite busy, with two calendar release parties and the dancers are also the official ring girls at the Baltimore Boxing Club.

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This Saturday the Lady Mariners will make the trip to Harrisburg when the Mariners face the Harrisburg Stampede. There is a dance off scheduled between the Lady Mariners and the Harrisburg Stampede Dance Team.

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I thought “Medieval Times” was a fictional place from that Jim Carrey movie. I had no idea it was real.

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Many thanks to Audra, the Mariners management and the Lady Mariners.

[Baltimore Lady Mariners]

[Lady Mariners on MySpace]

[Lady Mariners two-piece uniforms by The Line Up]

2009 Outrider Auditions Underway

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Calgary Stampeders: A group of 70 women were high-stepping, twirling and whirling at Cardel Place on Sunday, March 15 for the 2009 Calgary Stampeders Outriders Dance and Cheer Team auditions.

“The 2009 Outrider auditions were a huge success,” said Outriders team manager Kelli Labonte. “I am very pleased with all the talented and energetic ladies that attended this year. I am looking forward to the 2009 Outrider Dance/Cheer Team performing at all Stampeder home games throughout the season and hosting the 2009 Grey Cup here in Calgary. Thank you to all of the ladies who made it out on Sunday.”

Approximately 40 of the hopefuls will be called back for an interview as the process of assembling the 2009 Outriders squad continues.

The judging panel on audition day included Outrider alumni, Blake Burnette of Devitt and Forand Contracting, Country 105 radio’s Dan Carson and Stampeders players Mike Labinjo, Fabio Filice, Sandro DeAngelis and Jeff Pilon.

Video
Photo gallery

Former Patriots Cheerlader Alysha Castonguay is Miss Rhode Island USA

From MissRhodeIslandUSA.com

Alysha is a 2005 graduate of Woonsocket High School where she graduated with honors excelling in theatre arts, gymnastics, and cheerleading. From 2005-2006, she attended the University of Rhode Island. Alysha majored in Elementary Education and was a cheerleader for the university’s football and basketball teams.

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In spring of 2006, Alysha had the opportunity to audition for a professional cheerleading team. She was honored to be selected to the exclusive team of 24 women. The stunning brunette’s exceptional career as a professional model and cheerleader provided her with several opportunities to travel the world and model for nationally recognized publications. Alysha’s cheerleading/modeling career provided her with a hands on opportunity to fulfill many unique roles. Alysha has been a leader, role model, ambassador, and volunteer. She has traveled around New England making appearances for charitable organizations as well as corporate events. She was also selected as one of six women to travel overseas on the OSG (Operation Seasons Greetings) tour to entertain and meet with U.S. military troops stationed in Germany, Turkey, England and Iraq.

In April of 2007, a remarkable opportunity surfaced allowing Alysha and her mother to fulfill a lifelong family dream of owning and operating an all-star cheerleading gym for inner-city youth. The gym which is family oriented caters to children and emphasizes the philosophy that one can achieve anything with a good attitude, hard work, determination and teamwork. Through fundraising, the tuition for the team members is defrayed allowing the members the chance to be a part of a competitive cheerleading team and experience the joy of competition at both the local and national levels. Since opening only two years ago, the gym has grown from two teams to six! Their ultimate goal would be to expand the gym to additional locations along the east coast. Alysha is also a financial consultant representative for Bank of America.

In her free time, Alysha enjoys singing, spending time with her family and dogs (Molly and Pom-Pom), and watching her brother play baseball.

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The 2009 Miss USA Pageant airs Sunday, April 19th on NBC.

[Miss Rhode Island USA]

Arena Dance Pros

For 12 years Adrienne Della was the captain and coach of the Philadelphia 76ers Dancers. She recently started a dance company with her long time dance friend, Tori Closson. They do workshops all over the country teaching dancers how to audition for pro dance teams. They just filmed an instructional video which is now in editing.

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[Arena Dance Pros]

Jets Announce Flight Crew Audition Details

The New York Jets announced open auditions for the 2009 New York Jets Flight Crew. Twenty-two spots will be up for grabs in this second year of open auditions for the cheerleading squad. This unique opportunity to be a part of a New York football franchise starts May 2 with the preliminary round of auditions.

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The audition application fee is $25. All persons interested in auditioning for the team must have submitted an application on or before April 29 to participate in the first round Saturday, May 2, at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Florham Park, N.J.

Download the 2009 Flight Crew Application now!

“We are excited to once again hold open auditions for our Jets Flight Crew,” said Matt Higgins, Jets executive vice president of business operations. “This is a tremendous opportunity to become part of an elite NFL cheerleading squad, performing in front of thousands of fans at the stadium and millions more watching at home. We encourage anyone to try out if they believe they have the athleticism, the energy and the will to join the Flight Crew.”

The first round of auditions on May 2 will take place at Fairleigh Dickinson’s Ferguson Athletic Courts at 285 Madison Avenue, Florham Park, NJ 07932. The semifinal round of auditions will take place the following day, May 3, also at the Fairleigh Dickinson location.

The finals will be held on May 9 at Pacha New York at 618 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036.

Prep classes will be conducted by Flight Crew director Denise Garvey along with other current Flight Crew members before official auditions for the team take place. The prep classes will teach aspiring team members Flight Crew routines designed to help applicants prepare for the auditions. Details about the prep classes will be available in the coming weeks at www.newyorkjets.com.

[New York Jets Flight Crew]