“Goldfish Nipping at Their Toes”: Rookies Jill and Shelly Soak Up the Start of Their Ben-Gal Voyage

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

Jill’s reaction to receiving notice that she soon would be on the sidelines of Paul Brown Stadium was disbelief. Jill remembers, “As I opened the e-mail, my mouth dropped. I quickly closed out of the e-mail and re-opened it about three times before I believed the reason why it said ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ at the top in big letters was because I MADE the team!” Jill contacted her mom first to tell her the big news.

As the season neared, it was time for the Ben-Gal’s calendar shoot. For Jill and Shelly, their location was the same place, standing in a goldfish pond, which was quite memorable because, as Jill tells, “It was actually a funny shoot because there were fish in the water eating away at my feet as we were shooting!” Jill added, “The calendar shoot was so fun! I was in the backyard of a beautiful house in Kentucky sitting in a pond surrounded by gorgeous plants.” Shelly recounts, “Our coach, Deanna, took one for the team and stood in the water behind us holding up a huge picnic umbrella to keep the sun glare out of the pictures.” Besides the image of knee-deep Deanna holding a huge umbrella, Shelly notes, “Goldfish were tickling our legs and feet the whole time which made it difficult to keep a straight face. I didn’t mind it though; we had a great time getting ready and shooting!”

For this group of Ben-Gal rookies, their first pre-season game was in Canton, for the Hall of Fame game between the Bengals and Cowboys (whom I understand may also have a cheerleading squad). This unusual road trip for the entire Ben-Gals squad surely was a memorable weekend. Shelly recalls, “The bus ride to Canton was entertaining to say the least! Our team is full of personality and energy even when it is only us around and no fans are in sight. We played games and goofed off, just like any bus full of girls would do.”

One of activities in Canton that the Ben-Gals participated in was to meet fans at sponsored tailgate events. As Jill noted, “It was awesome to meet so many fans from all different backgrounds, ages, races. Each one of them makes you feel like you are doing something so special, it is the greatest feeling.” Shelly said, “I was surprised because it was not just Bengals and Cowboys fans that came to watch the game.” She continued, “There were fans from every NFL team that had a player being inducted into the Hall of Fame and everyone wanted our picture; not just the Bengals fans. It was like no other football game I have ever been to.”

So for a nationally televised game, the rookie Ben-Gals stepped onto the turf to perform at their first NFL game, ever! At the point of stepping onto the field, all nerves washed away from these confident performers. Shelly says, “I was so nervous the night before and the morning of practice. But as soon as they announced us and it was time for the ‘real deal,’ a wave of calmness overcame me and I felt like I was right where I belonged. It was so surreal.” Same for Jill, “When I first stepped onto the field in front of thousands of people, all my nerves quickly escaped and I realized what I have been working so hard for.” The wait was over, their hard work fulfilled. In that single instant, Jill and Shelly transformed truly into Ben-Gals. It is something they will be part of for life, from now moving forward; a life forever impacted by being part of a sorority of select performers.

The bus ride home ended the memorable Hall of Fame weekend. I wondered if they were physically spent and sore after this first game. For Jill, “After the game I was too exhausted to think about being sore! I slept the whole ride home!” For Shelly, the new tools of the trade took a toll, “I definitely had to prop my feet up on the bus ride home, my brand new white boots were not broken in yet!” Ahh, if she only had a lovely goldfish pond in which to rest her weary feet.

This stage of life just began, but the memories from this extraordinary Ben-Gal rookie season are already filling the pages of Jill and Shelly’s life. Shelly says, “It is definitely one of the hardest things I have ever worked for in my life, but it is also one of the most rewarding. I recently went to an event for the Foster Child Enrichment Council to raise money for foster children to have school supplies, attend field trips and even go to their proms. There was a sign up when I arrived that said ‘Picture with a Ben-Gal $2.’ I felt bad for even letting people pay money just to have their picture taken with me. But 100% of the profit went toward the charity so I was happy to help. We had a huge success selling pictures, raffle tickets and with the silent auction!”

Jill echoes the sentiments, “As for cheering on the squad, the experience has been unbelievable! So much more than I’ve expected, and I love it!” I wondered what it was like for a rookie Ben-Gal to be asked for autographs, and Jill replied, “Wow, to be asked for my autograph is just surreal. I often forget why they would want MY autograph. I feel that every person is just as special in their own way, whether they are cheering in the NFL or working as an employee at a Chuck E. Cheese’s , as I did for about five years. So often when they ask for my autograph, I want to ask for theirs as well!”

As I attended the first home game on Sunday night, August 15th along the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, some attendees were particularly thrilled to see two of the brand new, sparkling Ben-Gals. For Jill, her “wonderful family” was there, and for Shelly, her “best friend from college, and now roommate, Brittany” was there.  Just as the weather forecast portended, the thunderstorms ended before game time, rumbling off to the east, leaving behind some heat and humidity that eased as the night game progressed.  Jill and Shelly performed splendidly and they certainly are ready for the regular season.

We thank Jill and Shelly for their hard work and dedication, and especially for their insights into this new chapter in their lives!  Also thanks to their wonderful line captain Terésha (one of the bestest, bestest BFF’s of UltimateCheerleaders.com) for providing the opportunity to interview her rookies.  Have a grrreat season Ben-Gals!!