Description: Kings Vision was on hand for the 13-14 Ice Crew calendar photo shoot! Check out this profile featuring Ms. November 2013, Jacquelyn!
This busy Vikings cheerleader is here to stay.
From Plymouth Magazine
Alissa Staloch at her favorite Plymouth Caribou Coffee on Berkshire Lane.
Alissa Staloch received an MBA in human resource management from Capella University in 2012, works as the human resources administrator and executive assistant at Simonson’s Salon and Spa, and dances as a Vikings cheerleader on the side. She moved to Plymouth in 2012, and loves her new home already.
Plymouth Magazine: How long have you been a Vikings cheerleader? What’s the best part of the job?
Alissa Staloch: I’ve been with the Vikings for four seasons (since 2010). I love the game-day experience; it’s always so exciting. It’s not all about the games, though. Being a Vikings cheerleader is a year-round job.PLM: What do the Vikings cheerleaders do in the off-season?
AS: We act as ambassadors for the Vikings, participating in charity events that the NFL sponsors. Last year I went to Kuwait to perform for the U.S. soldiers there—a lot of them were from Minnesota.PLM: What have you enjoyed in your two years in Plymouth?
AS: It’s a really convenient place to live. The city is well thought out, and I’m close to my job. I like dining out, shopping and exercising; some of my favorite places in Plymouth are Life Time Fitness, the Sunshine Factory and Target.PLM: Where are your favorite places to go in Plymouth?
AS: The Life Time Fitness facility here is beautiful. I try to do yoga once a day, so I love Yoga Studio, too.PLM: Are you planning on staying in Plymouth?
AS: Absolutely! I’ve been with my husband Joe for five years, and we think Plymouth is a great place to start a family.
Last weekend Sideline Prep held its DMV Workshop…
and as you can see the turnout was tremendous.
Sideline Prep co-founder GeNienne with coaches Suzanne, Jeanette and Kristie.
GeNienne with the day’s instructors: Jamilla (Redskins), Derric (Wizards), Kelly (Richmond Raiders) and Liz (Baltimore Blast)
Washington Wizard Girls
Bay Area Shuckers Dance Team
Richmond Lady Raiders
Metropolitan Lady All-Stars
Washington Redskins Cheerleaders
Chesapeake Bayhawks Hawkettes
Washington Redskins Cheerleader Ambassadors
Beltway Bombers Dance Team
Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders
[Sideline Prep Workshop Gallery]
Based in Fort Lauderdale, the SunDanz Dancers support many sports teams that do not have in-house teams, and perform at charity and promotional events
By Amethyst Tate
International Business Times
The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are not the only ones training ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. The 26 Broncos cheerleaders are also working hard to make sure they’re in tip-top shape for the big day. There’s no question that it takes ultimate confidence to show off their dance moves in sexy outfits, especially in front of millions of audience viewers. And they get that sexy confidence by being super-fit. Here’s how they work out:
Lelanna
Lelanna, a benefits & HRIS administrator when she’s not cheering, is getting game-ready with fitness classes. “I’m a member of 24-Hour Fitness, so I go to classes like boxing, I do high interval workouts, or I run on the treadmill — I’m basically just making sure I’m physically fit,” she tells Cosmopolitan. “Especially because when we get to the game, we’re there hours before and then we’re dancing four or more hours once the game starts. Plus, one of our outfits consists of leather chaps that are heavy, so when you’re dancing around in them, you can get tired easily if you’re not fit.”
Emily M
Marine project engineer Emily M is going for less physically grueling exercises, sticking to yoga and strength training ahead of the Super Bowl. “My goal for this game is be toned, so I’ve been taking a lot of yoga classes at Core Power and going to the gym a lot to work my booty and abs.
I like going with friends to stay focused because you push each other more that way. We’ll be bundled up on game day since it’s in New York, but if we need to be in a half-top, I’ll be ready. We have four-hour-long practices twice a week, and since I have a full-time job, I try to fit in 30 minutes a day twice a week, or take a walk around my neighborhood, at the very least,” she says.
Sam
Sam, who’s been on the team for four years, focuses on both her diet and exercise regimen. “For a workout, first and foremost, I go to four-hour practices twice a week. That counts for my cardio. But aside from that, I go running about two times a week and then I coach a youth cheerleading team twice a week as well, so I dance with them while I’m there. A lot of the girls also go to yoga sculpt at Core Power, but I haven’t had time since the New Year.” But luckily, she also eats quite well.
“I’m a vegetarian, so I don’t eat a hefty amount of protein, but I’ll usually have two eggs for breakfast with sautéed vegetables (spinach with mushrooms or peppers), a glass of juice, and two cups of coffee. For lunch, I try to make my own meal… always try to snack on nuts if I need a pick-me-up. And then for dinner, I’ll typically eat a pasta with red sauce and legumes to add fiber and protein. I’ll also have a small salad on the side with some vegetables,” she says.
By Tom Rohrer
ThurstonTalk.com
Amidst the chaos that was present following the Seattle Seahawks 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, Stephanie Hemphill tried her hardest to take in the moment.
Hemphill, now in her fourth year as a member of the professional cheerleading team, Sea Gals, has seen first-hand the franchise’s latest transformation into a championship contender.
“I really savored every moment. I knew it was the last time this season I would be performing (at CenturyLink Field) so I wanted to take everything in,” said Hemphill. “There was just a different level of excitement around the game. It was something I’ve never felt before.”
Over the course of her four seasons of performance at CenturyLink Field, Hemphill has been able to form a bond with the season ticket holders and die-hard Seahawks fans that make up one of the NFL’s most famous fan bases.
“We’re there every game. We see the same ticket holders and just seeing them erupt after (Seahawks cornerback Richard) Sherman tipped the ball, that was the most memorable thing,” said Hemphill, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Lacey Chamber of Commerce. “The city needed that, and the fans deserved that. Our fans put so much into this team and to see them smile like that is something I’ll never forget.”
Hemphill and the rest of the Sea Gals will be heading to New York City on Thursday, three days in advance of Super Bowl XLVIII, which will pit Seattle against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Feb. 2, at MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The fact that Hemphill will be performing on the world’s biggest sporting stage has not quite resonated at a personal level.
“It’s something that I won’t feel the enormity of until I’m actually there. I’ve done this for four years now and I know what to expect when I perform and I’m just going to prepare the same way I do for every other game,” Hemphill said. “I don’t know if I will realize the impact of this game until I’m there. I think it will hit me right when I step out onto the field.”
seattle sea gals“Our fans put so much into this team and to see them smile like that is something I’ll never forget,” says Hemphill when reflecting on the NFC Championship win.
Over a week has passed since Seattle’s big victory in the NFC championship game, giving Hemphill a buffer to come down from the victorious high. However, after speaking with Hemphill, it’s clear the excitement is still coursing through her veins.
“Right after the game, I was driving from the stadium and my ears were still ringing,” said Hemphill. “I went to my parents for a celebratory dinner. They recorded the game, so I watched it and cried all over again. Even now, I’m getting butterflies talking to you about everything.”
Staying in the heart of downtown Manhattan, Hemphill and the rest of the Sea Gals will be exposed first-hand to the excitement and build up for the big game. While the Sea Gals perform at every home game, they do not travel for road contests.
“It’s a new experience for us, and we are, like the football team, looking at the Super Bowl as a business trip,” said Hemphill. “It’s the first time for me traveling to the area, but we’re going to be so busy with appearances leading up to the game that there isn’t really time for sightseeing.”
Unlike their performances at Century Link, the Sea Gals will be dancing in front of a mostly neutral crowd. Still, Hemphill believes the 12th Man fans will be represented in New Jersey, and that the expected cold temperatures will not phase her and the rest of the squads’ performance.
seattle sea gals“Our performance level won’t change, but the energy on the field will be different. All we know is Seahawks fans are everywhere and it may surprise people how many are in the stands,” Hemphill said.
“For the weather, we’re totally prepared. We’re an outdoor team in the northwest and have a snow forecast from time to time,” said Hemphill. “If it snows, we will be prepared. If it’s cold, we will be ready. That’s part of the job.”
While Hemphill could not go into detail regarding the Sea Gals itinerary leading up to the game, she noted the squad will be making both local and national television appearances. Following the Super Bowl, regardless if the Seahawks win or lose, Hemphill and all other Seahawk employees will be attending a party organized and hosted by franchise owner Paul Allen.
Being a part of a Super Bowl season has been special for Hemphill, but it’s the development of Seahawks fever throughout the entire state that has been most memorable for the self-proclaimed die-hard fan.
“Four year ago, you would see a few people wearing in Seahawks gear on Blue Friday. The year after, a little more, and last year it got way bigger,” said Hemphill. “Now, you see everyone buying in. I love it, I’m a true passionate fan, and I think the more the merrier. That’s what makes this team so, so special. It’s the people who support it.”
Lana of the Gotham City Cheerleaders
By Christine M. Quirk
The Beacon-Villager
There is a long-standing debate in the athletic community as to whether cheerleading is a sport or an activity. Cheerleaders will say there is nothing to discuss – the physical demands, specialized training and practicing involved makes participants athletes, not hobbyists. Tricia Marshall would go a step further and say not only are cheerleaders athletes, they are dancers, too.
“Dance plays a big role in any type of performance,” she said. “I think a lot of the professional cheerleaders are dancers. [The skills] are all stuff you learn at dance.”
Marshall is the owner of Miss Tricia’s Dance Studio in Maynard, and is a former New England Patriots Cheerleader. A native of Woburn, she has been dancing for more than three decades.
“My mother put me in dance when I was 3, and I always danced,” she said. “I always wanted to own my own dance studio. I used to make my friends at recess learn dances and perform.”
Marshall, now 38, first tried out to be a Patriots Cheerleader in 1995, and though she made it to the final round, she was not selected.
“But then I was hooked,” she said. “I tried out again in 1996 and made the team.”
Marshall was a Patriots Cheerleader for four seasons, from 1996 to 2000. Her first season, the team went to the Super Bowl.
“I was so excited to be on the ride,” she said. “They just kept winning, and then we went to the AFC championship, and we won!”
With the team, Marshall cheered at the 1997 Super Bowl in New Orleans, where the Patriots played the Green Bay Packers, and performed in the half-time show along with the new Blues Brothers Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi and John Goodman. The show also featured performances by ZZ Top and James Brown. In 1998, the cheerleaders appeared in the American Bowl in Mexico City with singer Ricky Martin, who was just then starting to build his career.
Though the cheerleading uniforms don’t appear to offer much protection against the winter weather, Marshall said it wasn’t really an issue.
“I used to stand outside, but we would have hand and feet warmers and keep dancing,” she said. “Yeah, it was cold, but it was so exciting I was never thinking, ‘Oh, I’m freezing, this is terrible.’”
From Foxboro Stadium, where the Patriots played in the late 90s, it was an easy jump to dancing full-time. Marshall left the team in 2000 to pursue her dream of owning a dance studio and has operated Miss Tricia’s Dance Studio for the last 10 years.
“I’d been teaching dance in college and wanted to share my love of dance with kids,” she said. “There’s so much I love about dance. It makes you feel good. It’s good exercise. I love performing – it’s an overall feeling.”
In addition, to annual performances, recitals and dance competitions, the studio participates in community events, such as the Relay for Life.
“I like the charitable part,” she said. “I like being part of the community.”
That was an aspect Marshall also enjoyed about being a Patriots cheerleader. Though the team cheered only at the home games and practiced twice a week, Marshall said they were busy most of the time.
“There were lots of promotional events for different charities,” she said. “I really liked that. … Cheerleading was more than performing, and dance is more than that too. It’s doing what you love to do, being active and being involved in the community.”
Marshall said her studio allows her to live her dream, and though she remembers her time with the Patriots fondly, she doesn’t aspire to be back on the field.
“I am more content to be in the background now and teaching the next Patriots cheerleaders,” she said.
Thanks to reader Mike for these photos of the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders braving the elements at the infamous Snow Bowl game last month.
We’ll hope the Broncos Cheerleaders and Seattle Sea Gals have better weather on Sunday.
Eagles Cheerleaders in West Chester
No date set yet for the 2014 Auditions, but keep checking back for more info.
[Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders Auditions]
The Toronto Rock Cheerleaders are the 16 member dance team of the National Lacrosse League Toronto Rock. We’d like to thank the Rock Cheerleaders for sending us a few photos of their squad.
Next chance to catch the Rock Cheerleaders in action is tomorrow at the Air Canada Centre when the Rock host the Vancouver Stealth.
