Pro Cheer Field Trip: Chivas USA

Back row: Megan, Mandi, Emi, Amy, Nicole, Alheli, Erica, Liz, Kelley, and Laura
Front row: Ariel, Ashley, Monique, Serena, Tiffany, and Jebbell

Y’all know I loves me some ChivaGirls, so I went ahead and invited myself to a game last month. As usual, I took a bunch of photos, and you can see them here.

Game day is a lot of fun. At the end, I always wonder where the time went.

It was an action-packed evening as usual. When I arrived, the girls were rehearsing the halftime performance. This was a big rehearsal because cheer and dance teams from local high schools were going to perform alongside the ChivaGirls at halftime. The ChivaGirls would dance in the middle of the field, and the kids would take the four corners. I believe there was also a 5th group performing somewhere behind the ChivaGirls. Some teams danced, some did stunting and tumbling. Some did all of the above.

ChivaGirl Laura was standing in for the Team Director for this game. I don’t know how Laura was chosen to be the Boss Applesauce – I suspect someone volunteered her – but she had everything under control. Rehearsal went quickly. For me, anyway – Ha!

Rehearsal

After rehearsal the girls headed down to the locker room) to don their ChivaGear.

Sidebar: When I first found out about the ChivaGirls, about 5 years ago, they wore these red and white striped dresses that were really…um…not my favorite. My first thought was “Okay what is UP with the stripes? What’s that about?” I’d never seen a team in stripes like that. I worried that maybe they had other costumes, in other patterns. I pictured red and white leopard print. Red and white camo. Red and white lightning bolts. Honestly, I’d never seen stripes on anyone other than the ref. (Or someone pretending to be the ref.)

Stripes!

More stripes!

Now that I’ve been to a game, seen the team and the fans, I get it.
Chivas is all about stripes. Stripes are their thing.



When Aimee took over as Director of the ChivaGirls, the stripey dresses went right out the window. I have to give her and Angela King (costume designer) major props for figuring out a cute way to incorporate the stripes without making the girls look like hospital volunteers. Or dancing candy canes. Or convicts.


Better…much better.

Anywho…

Pretty soon, it was time to head back out. Half of the team went to ChivaTown to meet and greet the fans. Chiva Town is a big concourse area where they have live music, giveaway booths, an all sorts of entertainment before the game. The meet & greet is something the ChivaGirls do at every game, and it’s one of the things that makes it fun for fans. The girls are very approachable. You don’t have to be a VIP or have special seats to meet them. Men, women, and children alike are excited to meet the ChivaGirls, get an autograph, and take a photo.

(Liz autographs a t-shirt)

The other half of the team hosted a Q&A session with the kids performing at halftime.

(Q & A)

I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what the questions were. I gather the conversation was more along the lines of “what’s it like to perform in the pros” as opposed to “what do you guys think – is Britney back for real, or is she still wackadoodle?” After the Q&A, the girls joined the rest of the team at Chiva Town.

Occasionally, the ChivaGirls perform onstage at ChivaTown. Prior to their performance, they all smooshed into a teeny weeney vip box above the tennis arena to rehearse. The good news was that they were performing in two groups, so they ook turns rehearsing. If all of those girls had to dance at the same time in that little room, for sure someone would’ve taken a go-go boot to the chin.

(Group 2’s walkthrough)

The performances at ChivaTown were fun to watch. Alheli introduced the first group. And then nothing happened. No music. Nothing So Alheli came back and talked some more until they got the sound worked out. After the first group, Kelley introduced the second group and they danced their routine. The crowd cheered loudly for both performances.


(Group 1)

(Group 2)

Then it was back to the locker room for a hot minute, and up to the tunnel for pre-game. When it was time, the ChivaGirls went out on the field in two lines. There were some announcements, introduction of the soccer (ahem “football”) team, and the Canadian and US National Anthems. (The game was CD Chivas USA v. Toronto FC. Hence, the Canadian anthem. Not like they played it just for giggles.)



Once the game started, the girls formed two lines again for the Walkaround. I’m sure there’s a name for it, but I don’t know what it is. Anyway, both lines walk around the perimeter of the field (one line goes clockwise, the other counterclockwise). They wave, sign autographs and help get the crowd hyped up and cheering. (Which isn’t hard to do. Chivas fans are extremely loyal and extremely loud! I present as proof, Exhibit A and Exhibit B.)



After that, it was back to the locker room. Sandra, Mandi, and Dalila changed back into their street clothes. I never go the story on what that was about. Mandi was injured, so I understood why she wasn’t performing. Sandra got to put on the headphones and talk to the guy in the sound booth. Dalila was…I’m not sure what that Dalila was up to.


(Mandi, Dalila, and Sandra. This still has not been explained to my satisfaction.)

It seemed like we were only in the locker room for ten minutes, and then it was time to get ready for the halftime performance. Soccer games are much shorter than NFL or NBA games. Halftime is there before you know it. There’s a big “backstage” area behind the tunnel, and the girls gathered there to warm up, stretch, and run through the dance a couple of times.



Then bada-boom, bada-bing, it was showtime. The girls ran out and did their thing at centerfield. I’m not sure how the highschoolers did. I wasn’t really watching them. The ChivaGirls are really talented dancers, so it’s fun to watch them perform. In terms of skill, talent, presentation, and showmanship, they are definitely on par with the other pro teams around here. (Which is probably why those other teams *cough*ChargersClippersLakers*cough* steal a couple of ChivaGirls every year.)

Sidebar: As I was just saying, other times like to dip into the ChivaGirls talent pool. This year, Ariel is moving on to the Clippers, and Erica is moving on to the Laker Girls. Ariel looks the same, but the Lakers have transformed Erica from a blonde to a brunette. I had to look at her a couple of times before I recognized her.


The original Erica

The new Erica (with Tiffany)

I mention this because this left Laura as the lonely only blonde on the field. Mandi is the only other blonde on the team, but since she was sitting out, Laura was IT on this particular evening.
She stood out like a gold nugget in a coal mine.
Like a hog at a turkey trot.
Like a goth at a pep rally.
Like a…whatever. You know what I’m saying.



Alls I’m sayin’ is there is a definite blonde deficit on this team. I’m not one to give out unsolicited advice, but personally, if I planned to audition for the ChivaGirls next year, I would seriously consider going blonde. (And when I say “I,” I really mean “you.” I’d look gawd-awful with yellow hair.)

Afterward, it was back to the locker room.

Sometimes, after halftime, the ChivaGirls visit the VIP suites. Not this week, though. Since they didn’t have to do any VIP visits, they all changed clothes and packed up to go home.

Let’s recap, the girls arrive at 4pm. Everything after that is a blur:
Rehearsal – practice field
Change clothes/get spiffed up – locker room
Meet & Greet – Chiva Town
Q&A – tennis arena
Rehearse for Chiva Town performance – tennis suite
Chiva Town performances – concourse
Freshen up – locker room
Pregame & walkaround – on field
Halftime instructions/reminders – locker room
Halftime rehearsal – tunnel
Halftime performance – on field
Change clothes – locker room
Make like a banana and split.

That’s right – you heard me. Sayonara. Adios. Peace out.

In the NFL and NBA, the dance teams perform on the field or during breaks in the game. They stay all the way to the end of the game. Things are different in the MLS. ChivaGirls don’t perform after halftime, so they don’t have to stay through the end. They get to leave while the game is going on, traffic is light, and it’s smooth sailing out of the parking lot. Sweet! I don’t remember what time we all left but I think it was between 8pm and 9pm, so it wasn’t a late night. And they’re paid a salary for it. Hey, nice work, if you can get it!