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Shuckers Dance Team Debuts New Look and Coach at Season Opener

Randy Bachand, Maryland Correspondent | Dec 1, 2012

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Sometimes, when you start a new job you have the luxury of having your team in place, ready to go.

And then there are times when you have to start from scratch.

When the Bay Area Shuckers Dance Team had their official 2012 unveiling this past weekend, they debuted their new coach as well as an entirely new squad. Shay Meador, last year’s only returning veteran and former member of the Maryland Dark Angels, was named new director/coach and charged with the task of building the 2012 squad from the ground up.  I asked her what her biggest challenges were. “Marketing to dancers/cheerleaders for auditions, and building and growing the new nine members of the team, since not all of them had a dance background.” she said. “The challenges I’m currently facing are acquiring sponsorship deals, determining a second practice facility for our weekday practices, juggling our numerous home game schedule since several games are back to back Saturday nights, and working with the Shuckers organization and management on developing my vision for the dance team this season.”

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Director and Coach Shay Meador

Shay’s dance background started when she was 2. “According to my mother, I was shy and she thought putting me in dance classes would help socialize me however, I grew to love it! There were fellow classmates of mine that graduated high school before I did, some went on to become Wizards Girls and Redskins Cheerleaders. They inspired me, but my dance teacher, Julie Rogers of Julie Rogers Studio of Dance in Huntington, MD inspired me as well. She was tough on us during practices, but it was for our benefit when we performed for real, on stage, in front of an audience. That is what I love the most: entertaining a crowd, performing for an audience, and displaying what I love to do in front of others”.

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“I plan to keep the importance of dance and dance skills in our routines” she continued, “since we are a dance team and not a cheer team, technically. I plan to improve the level of professionalism expected from the girls this season. I want them to learn how to behave and conduct themselves in a professional manner when they are a representation of a much larger organization, like the Shuckers. This kind of rapport and skill can be applied to much larger organizations should these women pursue larger affiliations such as the Redskins, the Wizards, and the Ravens. I also plan to further develop the level of friendship and comradeship between the dancers. I would like all the girls to get along and develop a trust and confidence in each other that aides a great team.”
The job is made easier by the support she receives from the Shuckers organization. “They’re amazing!” she said. “Their support is similar to an actual family.  They are gracious and appreciative of all we do as a dance team, and I cannot thank them enough!”
Even more is the support she’s received from Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders Director Elizabeth “Liz” Guardalo. “Liz has been such a mentor and inspiration to me! She has helped out at auditions, a few of our practices, and even came early to our home opener 11/17 to assist with the girls’ appearances and our dance routine practices on the court.  Her attendance has also shaped the girls’ outlooks on the expectations of other professional cheer teams, such as the Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders.  She has always provided her honest thoughts and suggestions, and has always been there for me to answer any question that I may have.  I cannot thank her enough for the guidance and ideas that she has recommended to me to help mold the Shuckers Dance Team into the team that I strive for it to be this season”.

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About the Author

Randy Bachand, Maryland Correspondent

Tags: ACPBL, Bay Area Shuckers