Despite a Reduction in Standing Room, the Georgia Force Cheerleaders Wow a Sold Out Arena

On July 9th, bright sun shone on the message board at the entrance to the complex that contains the Gwinnett Arena, in Duluth, Georgia, just northeast of Atlanta. The message board reported something that had been posted on the Georgia Force website in the days prior, that the Arena Football League game against the Chicago Rush that night was sold out.

This added some extra excitement as the Georgia Force Cheerleaders prepared for the game, but also some unexpected changes to their normal game routine. For one thing, extra seating was added to the area behind the end zone, where the GFC normally perform throughout the game. But the reduction in floor space of this area created issues for the squad. Before they proceeded to greet the fans when gates were opened, GFC Director Joie Ashworth and the squad took a look at the reduction in space. Eventually, it was decided to mostly feature half of the squad on the field rather than the entire squad. Also the squad needed to be extra alert of the game action getting a little too close due to the confined space.

As the ushers waited to open the doors an hour before kickoff, the Cheerleaders lined up at each door, but on this night, it was the length of the lines of fans waiting to enter was uniquely long. Britney could not believe how many people were there so early, and she felt, “A little nervous,” Britney smiles, “But I am excited.” Britney thought the opportunity to be in front of the noise and enthusiasm of the big crowd would bring out the best in the Cheerleaders performances.

As the Cheerleaders greeted guests, and throughout the game, dedicated GFC photographer Art Morrison captured images (his game by game photos are featured on www.gfcheerleaders.com). The GFC have developed their portrait posing skills working with Art, and love to take a look at his photos on his camera’s LCD.

The amazing thing about the GFC is that they are ALL such exceptional, achievement oriented women, in addition to Kiley, Kim, and Britney, who have been highlighted in recent interviews. Check out the captions in the following photos to learn about their off the field endeavors:

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Is there something about Atlanta that provides for such a talent base of excellent dancers with diverse career success? “Dancing for the Georgia Force, we are required to hold a full time job or be a full time student,” Kiley, the representative on the AFL Dream Team, describes. “As a result of how our organization mandates this, I am surrounded by driven and very accomplished women looking to move their community and make a difference in their field. Being a member on our team makes me want to work harder and be better for my teammates, the young girls we inspire and for myself! Atlanta is an awesome hub to learn about dance and grow as an individual and teammate.”

“I think many women choose to live in Atlanta because of the types of opportunities here for various careers,” aerospace engineer Kim says. “Being in a large city, there is an opportunity for almost any profession you can think of, and that allows for talented women from all over the country to come settle down and live here. I also think that the Atlanta dance community is very close knit and takes care of its own, so once you are in, you are family and we try and help out all ladies of various teams to succeed not just on the field, but in their professional careers as well.”

“Atlanta is a very youthful city and excelling in your career is encouraged here,” says Joie, who also excelled, reaching the level of Vice President, in her career. “It is important to me to be able to encourage young people to diversify their interests and manage their time well. The GFC are great examples of this level of professionalism. I would guess that Atlanta loves its cheerleaders because we entertain our fans but always try to keep a positive spotlight on the professional cheerleading hobby.”

Some pro cheerleaders will not tell their co-workers about their cheering until they know each other quite well. Fortunately, many of the Force Cheerleaders have very supportive workplaces. “I am blessed to have a very supportive work environment in which my coworkers encourage each other in whatever activities we pursue outside of work,” states Kim. “Being a female engineer is slightly out of the norm anyways, so when my coworkers found out that I cheered professionally they just smiled and asked for tickets to come to the games. It is great to know that I can go to work Monday through Friday and test new and innovative technology, and then grab my pom poms on Saturday and cheer my team on to a win, and my coworkers just congratulate me on a job well done on Monday.”

“There are many stereotypes surrounding professional cheerleaders which are why this tale of not disclosing information comes into play,” says Kiley. “I am very lucky that my current coworkers and boss support my passion and understand my schedule. It may be a busy balance for us, but I wouldn’t want my schedule any other way!”

In some fields, the contrast of pro dance demonstrates personality traits that might be augment one’s career. “There is stereotype that has been placed on cheerleaders for a long time that may at times give people an impression of you that you do not want to have at work,” says Britney, who earned an M.S. in Information Security. “A lot of times cheerleaders will wait until they are respected professionally before they let their coworkers know they are cheerleaders so that they are not judged unjustly based on stereotypes. In the field that I am in I actually use the fact that I am a cheerleader as a selling point at times in interviews. There is a stereotype placed on people in the IT field as well that we are not very social and aren’t very well rounded. Being a cheerleader in conjunction with an excellent resume shows the interviewer that I am well-rounded and have good social skills that will allow me to feel comfortable interacting with different types of people. I definitely don’t act like a ‘cheerleader’ at work, at least that’s what my manager told me once, so people are surprised when they find out. ‘Cheerleader Britney’ only comes out sometimes at work when I have appearance that requires me to get dressed at the office or when I ask people about coming to the games. My coworkers actually think it’s quite fascinating when they get to see that side and realize all I do.”

But some dancers do encounter the downside to perceptions, so Joie advises, “I would certainly recommend that a young woman refrain from bragging or even volunteering the fact that they are a pro cheerleader. I have been treated unfairly as a result of peers and supervisors talking about my hobby and I have seen my teammates hours get cut simply out of jealousy. We have to accept the fact that not everyone is going to be happy for us when we make a team, so we have to contain our excitement. If and when their co-workers find out, I always recommend that they try to downplay it as much as possible saying something like ‘Oh, yeah, it’s a lot of fun and great exercise!’ Then they should drop it and focus on doing a great job at work. If people keep bringing it up, I recommend they kindly ask people not to talk about it at work since it can be a little distracting. That way, they know you are not hiding anything or embarrassed that you dance professionally, you are just trying to stay professional in the work environment.”

In July, many cheer squads converged upon Atlanta to attend the P-R-O sessions, and the Georgia Force Cheerleaders were there in force, also. “This was my first time attending any event like this,” said rookie Britney. “It made me think back to when I was younger and I would see the professional cheerleaders on TV or at an appearance and I was in such awe. To be in the presence of so many professional cheerleaders at this convention and seeing how fabulous everyone was still had me in awe. It was a different kind of wonder this time, though, because it was awe at the fact that I was one of them, and although we are all good looking and talented, we are all regular people who have aspired to be great at something. My favorite aspect of having so many squads together was being able to see everyone’s different styles. All cheerleading teams are different in dance style and goals outside of dancing. This convention exemplified the need for us to be adaptable and open to new styles because the choreography came from all different types of people with their own styles and things they wanted emphasized. It was truly a great experience. I did learn some new moves, but I think the main thing I took away from the convention was a new attitude. I saw in a lot of girls a confidence in their dancing that was amazing. The smallest move was eye catching because of the attitude behind it. That attitude is something I am now trying to exude in my dancing.”

Kim comments, “I love going to conventions like P-R-O because it allows so many different professional teams to all come together and dance for one weekend. It doesn’t matter what uniform you are wearing, you are all professionals and you can learn a lot from each other, given the chance and opportunity. I know that for me, it was great to get so much amazing choreography thrown at me in such a short period of time because it forces you to stretch your comfort zone and try new styles you may never have tried before. I did everything from pom to hip hop, a little bit of tutting, and even learned how to step. I think it’s also important to attend events like this because you are never the best in EVERY style. So when I learned a dance in a style I wasn’t comfortable in, I would watch girls who had it down and I would try and figure out what they did that was different that made them look so good. This sharing of information helps in meeting new women from different teams, and enables me to come back and share my experiences with the rest of my teammates.”

Kiley added, “One of my favorite parts of the weekend was meeting girls that I had admired on other teams from across the country. Being around those women made me push myself even further as a dancer. It was very neat to see my teammates grow in only two short days. I also really enjoyed learning challenging routines from choreographers whose names I had heard but never thought I’d be in class with. I had a few sore muscles but brought back routines and sidelines that the GFC were able to catch onto quickly!”

For a Director like Joie, her perspective is view the impact of P-R-O collectively as a learning experience for her squad. “P-R-O was an incredible opportunity for my team to challenge themselves mentally and push their physical ability as well,” Joie says. “I pointed out that they are learning a ton of routines in a very short period of time. Then they have to perform these routines, NOT in front of their fans who already love them, but in from of other pro dance teams who may cheer for them or may criticize. I asked them to be brave and go to the front as much as possible. I was very proud of the effort they put into this voluntarily. During lunch, we listened to the ‘Real Deal Workshop.’ This was very helpful because we listened to “tell it like it is” feedback from various directors of pro dance teams. I asked my team to take notes and go back to the rest of the team to have a discussion about what we learned. This was a huge benefit for everyone involved.”

Atlanta attracts a lot of conferences and meetings like P-R-O because the city has a wide ranging list of things to do. What are hidden gems where the GFC like to take visitors from out of town? “I love seeing the different sides of Atlanta, and so when friends or family come to visit I try to show them that, whether it is attending one of our many sporting events, going to see a play at the Fox Theatre, hitting up the Georgia Aquarium, or even just hanging out at Piedmont or Centennial Olympic Park,” says Kim, who moved to Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech. “I think it’s important to see the culture of the city, and I try to always do different things.”

Kiley adds, “Hands down, my favorite place in Atlanta is Piedmont Park. There are so many activities whether you exercise, picnic, watch a movie or concert, head to the pool or restaurant; you will be entertained! If you have a few more hours, I like to take my friends on the Bicycle Tours of Atlanta. There are several tours you can choose from and they keep me active riding around the city and the tour guide’s facts about each neighborhood you bike through never get old.”

Many of the GFC are originally from the Southeast, but Joie, Kiley, Macy, and Jaimi are among the relatively recent transplants from other parts of the US. Atlanta is a large cosmopolitan city with people from all over the world, out of curiosity, are there any local Atlantan phrases that they have realized at some point that they picked up? Chicagoan Kiley responds, “I’ve only been here for a few years, but my friends back home claim they hear some ‘Southern’ in my voice. I love the southern accent but will cling to my long vowels and Chicago terms for as long as possible. I have picked up a few more ‘Yes Ma’ams’ and ‘Yes Sirs’ but refuse to say ‘Ya’ll!’”

Joie likes to have fun with the folks back home, saying, “My family is still in Maryland. When I go home to visit, they all say I’ve been here too long when I say ‘y’all.’ So I lay it on thick and really mess with them by responding in my best southern accent ,’Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise!’”

It was a long day for the GFC on the night of the sell-out.  Afternoon practice, followed by greeting fans as the gates opened.  Afterwards, some of the GFC rode on motorcycles onto the field for an opening filled with high energy like people coming down from the ceiling, plus lots of lights and sound.  The Cheerleaders performed three routines, at Pre Game (Are You Gonna Be My Girl), 1st Quarter Break (Alright) and 3rd Quarter Break (Run the World). In addition, Dream Team winner Kiley was presented during the 3rd Quarter Break. the GFC participated in lots of entertainment during the game breaks, including one with three children being part of Christmas in July, and the littlest of three left with the perfect gift, GFC Bridget! After the game, the GFC appeared on the field to sign autographs, plus then onto the nearby Arena Tavern after the game for finger food to mix and mingle with fans.


 

 

Thanks again to Joie Ashworth for providing the opportunity to cover this wonderful squad, the great women of the GFC, and Art Morrison, GFC photographer, for his help and expertise. Here are some photos of the game, click to see the entire photo, then click again to enlarge to fill size.