By Jill Moon
The Telegraph
Megan LaTempt danced her way into the big time, making the St. Louis Rams Cheerleading Squad this year.
The 24-year-old Jersey Community High School graduate performed at the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii before, but making the St. Louis Rams’ Cheerleading Squad just ramped up her football experience.
“Dance has always been a huge part of my life,” LaTempt said while visiting her parents in Godfrey. “I finished (with college), and I wasn’t ready to stop, so I looked at the Rams’ Web site.”
LaTempt started dancing when she was 9 years old at the Parish School of Performing Arts in Jerseyville, where she took jazz, tap, ballet and gymnastics. Then, she became a cheerleader for all four years of high school before graduating in 2003. She also ran track and cross country and was crowned Jersey Community High School’s homecoming queen.
During college at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, she danced the whole time with the college dance team, the Sundancers.
“I really enjoyed cheerleading, but at SEMO, I thought I would rather stick with dance,” she explained. “We’re called the Rams Cheerleaders, but it’s all dance.”
The first time LaTempt saw the St. Louis Rams Cheerleaders in person, she was a dancer in 1999 at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. A scout spotted LaTempt dancing with Parish School in a competition when LaTempt was 14 years old.
She was selected with two other dancers from the studio to try out for the Pro Bowl opportunity, but she was the ultimate winner to go to Hawaii.
“We didn’t know (scouts) were there during the competition,” said LaTempt’s mother, Becky LaTempt. “They contacted us with a letter.”
LaTempt saw her destiny in Hawaii.
“When I saw them, I said I wanted to be a Rams Cheerleader one day, and now here I am 10 years later,” she said.
In the meantime, LaTempt graduated from SEMO with a bachelor’s degree in exceptional child education. She teaches special education to middle school students in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., where she lives now. After graduating from high school, she had moved to Godfrey with her mom and dad, Bob LaTempt.
While working full-time at the middle school, LaTempt tried out for the St. Louis Rams Cheerleading Squad in May.
She attended one of four clinics open for potential cheerleaders to attend to see if the squad was for them. The current St. Louis Rams Cheerleading captains ran the clinics. Every cheerleader has to try out again each year, except the four captains.
“The clinics gave you a taste of what they did as far as duties and charities,” LaTempt said.
She also learned a few sideline dances, turns and leaps in the one-hour clinic.
“When I left, I knew I definitely wanted to do this,” she proclaimed.
The tryout period lasted two weeks, with several different workshops at the Russell Training Center in Earth City, Mo. The St. Louis Rams organization flew in a Los Angeles-based coach to teach hundreds of women the tryout routine and some chants, as well.
At the end of two weeks, 36 wannabes were left standing, LaTempt among them. This group underwent an interview round in which they dressed in business attire and were asked about current and cultural affairs and issues. One of the criteria for a St. Louis Rams Cheerleader is to be either a professional or a student.
“They want someone involved who will represent the Rams well,” Becky LaTempt pointed out.
Once the interviews were over, the women faced no more judges but worked with two coaches. The St. Louis Rams organization posted the cheerleaders who made the final cut online May 22 with their photos and names.
“I’ll never forget that day,” LaTempt declared.
Twenty-five of the 36 were selected to be 2009-2010 Rams Cheerleaders. This year’s squad consists of 14 veterans and 11 rookies. Their first performance will be the pre-season game on Aug. 21 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
LaTempt has practiced while teaching summer school, which ended July 9. Practices are from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She also has been busy doing Rams promotions out and about in St. Louis. St. Louis Rams Cheerleaders are involved in more than 500 charities, with each individual cheerleader responsible for 20 charities.
The entire squad recently attended the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Downtown St. Louis, where they handed out water bottles, talked to fans and signed autographs.
I attended my first ever field (outdoor) lacrosse game on Saturday, when the Long Island Lizards hosted the Denver Outlaws. The Lizards play in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) not to be confused with the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
An easy way I remember the difference: the NLL plays INdoors.
But more important than the differences between box and field lacrosse are the Long Island Lizards Dance Team.
(l-r) Megan, Vickie, Nora, Colleen, Victoria, Danielle, Lisa, Jamie
Colleen
Because the game is played outside, the weather can sometimes be an issue. It’s more like football, than baseball, where play will continue in most cases. The dance team has white hooded sweatshirts in case of rain. Fortunately, the weather on Saturday was perfect.
Danielle in the stands leading the Macarena
The team is directed and choreographed by Danielle, who also is the team’s onfield announcer. So she is quite busy on game day: recruiting contestants for promotions, emceeing and of course running the dance team. This is Danielle’s 4th season with the Lizards. She was previously a member of the New York Titans Sirens Dance Team (that’s indoor lacrosse). She’s a graduate of CW Post and is a Health and Physical Education Teacher.
Megan during the National Anthem
This is Megan’s first year on the Lizards Dance Team. She’s a recent graduate of Dean University where she earned her BFA in Dance and was on the school dance team. She says it’s quite a change from dancing indoors on a court for basketball games to outdoors on artificial turf for lacrosse. Right now she’s got a job in banking, but would like to get a job in dance, perhaps on a cruise ship.
Nora (center)
Nora is the captain and a three-year veteran of the Lizards Dance Team. She’s an aspiring actress and singer looking to make it on Broadway.
Victoria
This is Victoria’s first third year on the team. She’s in school studying to be a physical therapist.
[Long Island Lizards Dance Team]
The Knightingales are fun, outgoing, professional woman who represent healthy goals and superior entertainment. In addition to performing at the NLL Rochester Knighthawks home lacrosse games the team will support community projects throughout Greater Rochester. The Knightingales will perform at many exciting events and make numerous appearances including modeling, public speaking, event entertainment and support throughout Monroe County. The Knightingales are provided by RET Talent.
The Knightingales are dedicated women who are physically fit, talented in dance/cheer or promotional modeling and are able to present themselves in a professional manner. Because the Knightingales are influential role models to the youth in our communities, we select women that are committed to leading a healthy productive lifestyle.
The Directors are looking to fill a variety of positions and look for personality, willingness to learn and physical appearance as well as ability.
By Kimberly Bac
The Times-Tribune
Brooke Griffin, formerly Brooke Johnson, is not only a Corbin native, but also a well-known fitness competitor. On July 19, 2009, while competing against contestants from around the world, the 27-year-old became the 2009 Fitness Universe Champion during a pageant held in Miami, Fla.
The Fitness Universe Pageant was designed to showcase the physical fitness of female competitors, while allowing them to keep their feminine appearance. Contestants were judged on numerous characteristics from showmanship to body shape. Brooke Griffin trained hard in preparation for the contest, which included scoring rounds on bikini and routine. This year, Brooke stole the show with her new “Braveheart” routine choreographed by Cathy Savage.
“I train very hard, simply because I don’t have a choice. My routine kicks my butt!” said Brooke. “I usually work out with weights and do cardio six days a week for about an hour a day. I then work on my routine five days a week for 1-2 hours each day.”
Despite Brooke’s training and focus, she was overwhelmed when she won the Fitness Universe Championships.
“The talent that surrounded me was amazing,” she said. “Any one of us could have won. It is truly a dream come true.”
Brooke’s modesty and gratitude go to show that even though she is an international fitness celebrity, and former captain of the Cincinnati Ben-Gal Cheerleaders, she never forgot her Corbin roots.
Daughter of Steve and Valerie Johnson, Brooke was born and raised in Corbin. She grew up surrounded by her close-knit family, including her two sisters Amanda and Cara Johnson. All of her family still lives in Corbin, and she has many friends that live in, and around, Corbin and London.
One of Brooke’s fondest memories of growing up in Corbin was when she went to the Root Beer Stand with her family.
“I can remember waiting all winter for it to reopen,” Brooke explained, “and then we would go with our mother and father to get root beer floats.”
Brooke Griffin was always an active child, so her interest in fitness began at an early age. She began gymnastics classes at age three, and trained at Damar Gymnastics and Baptist Family Fitness, both in Corbin. Brooke also competed in cheerleading and track and field. She said her West Knox Elementary School gym teacher, Leann Strunk, gave her the drive to succeed.
“She is the best gym teacher in the state… we have stayed in touch since the 6th grade.” Brooke went on to say, “…I really give her credit for where my life has taken me thus far in fitness.”
As a 2000 graduate of South Laurel High School, Brooke went on to attend the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of UK’s National Championship Cheerleading Squad. Brooke was interviewed as a UK Cheerleader for the NBC 20/20 news special called, “University of Kentucky Cheerleading Dynasty.” In 2004, Brooke earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UK. Brooke said that going to college was the biggest break in her career.
“I could have never won the cheerleading championships, perform in the NFL, and now be a fitness champion without having attended college.” Brooke continued, “I think that getting an education is the single most important thing anyone can do for themselves and their future careers.”
Brooke has had an extensive fitness and performance career. She was captain of the Cincinnati Ben-Gal Cheerleaders after she made the team in spring 2006. Brooke said that being an NFL cheerleader was an amazing experience that gave her many opportunities.
She said of her cheerleading experience, “I made lifelong friends, and I still get chills thinking about performing in front of 60,000 fans during a Monday Night Football game.”
These days Brooke is working hard to achieve both her fitness and business goals. Even though Brooke is the Fitness Universe Champion, she already has her sights set on earning a Pro Card at the National Physique Committee (NPC) USA Nationals fitness competition in September.
“I will then have professional status and hopefully one day be able to compete at the Arnold and the Olympia with the pros,” Brooke said.
Brooke also has several business projects in the works. She plans to get more women involved in fitness competitions, write fitness and wellness articles, develop an online fitness program, create work-out DVDs, and start a fitness clothing line. Thus far, she has been featured in several magazines and print ads including, GQ Magazine, Oxygen Fitness Magazine, and Under Armour Fitness Apparel catalogs.
One of Brooke’s next projects is to launch a non-profit organization. The organization, which will launch in the fall, is designed to educate and promote childhood obesity awareness.
“I… want to reach out to local elementary, middle, and high schools,” Brooke said of her non-profit goals, “and to educate today’s youth on the importance of eating healthy and living an active lifestyle.”
Educating people about healthy living, and teaching them how to achieve their fitness goals is Brooke’s true passion. According to Brooke, beginning healthier habits is easier than it seems.
“Making one or two positive changes each day will eventually grow into a healthy lifestyle.” Brooke said, “It can’t happen overnight, but in time, you can make great strides.”
To encourage her clients, Brooke shares with them a simple and true quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.
She said, “I tell clients that we are only given one chance at life, so ‘Make the most of yourself for that is all there is of you.’”
Brooke’s values of hard work, taking responsibility for your life, and always showing gratitude, are some of the lessons she learned while growing up in Corbin. These are lessons that she lives by every day, and she wants to teach them to her future children.
Brooke Johnson Griffin currently resides in northern Kentucky with her husband Chris, an attorney and former bodybuilder. She will soon be welcoming her parents to the area. After living in Corbin for 50 years, her parents, Steve and Valerie Johnson, are moving to northern Kentucky to be near Brooke and her sisters. Brooke Griffin is a true example of how a good upbringing can have a long-lasting, positive influence.
For more information about Brooke Johnson Griffin or view her winning routine, visit her website at brookegriffin.com.
Brooke will also be featured in the August edition of Fitness Plus Magazine.
New Golden State Warrior Girl Christi was previously a two-year veteran of the AFL San Jose SaberKittens.
Last year the Jackonville Axe Maidens made their debut as the first rugby dance team in the states. The response was phenomenal. Not only were they big hits in Jacksonville, but they inspired a new rugby dance team in Philadelphia, and there are plans for even more dance teams next year.
This year the Axe Maidens made their first visit the P-R-O Convention.
Darlene holds up her photos in the Sweethearts for Soldiers Calendar
The Axe Maidens are under the direction of Darlene (Waterous) Clancy, a three-year veteran of the ROAR of Jacksonville, and Captain of the Jacksonville Barracudas Ice Girls Dance Team. In addition to her duties with the Axe Maidens, Darlene is also a member of the Sweethearts for Soldiers and a board member of Professional Cheerleaders Alumni, Inc.
[Axe Maidens at P-R-O Gallery]
[Professional Cheerleaders Alumni, Inc.]
By Patrick Stoetzer
Carrol County Times
The tomboy from Mount Airy has become a well-known face to Ravens fans, particularly those who watch games from the first few rows at M&T Bank Stadium.
She’s kind of hard to miss as a flier on the cheerleading team, one who gets tossed in the air during a routine. Her fair skin and shocking red hair are a giveaway, too.
And being on the cover of back-to-back Ravens swimsuit calendars has certainly bolstered her celebrity.
Ravens cheerleaders don’t give out full names, a way of protecting themselves from potentially dangerous social situations. But they’re fan favorites, and the tomboy from Mount Airy — she goes by Adriene B. — is one of the more recognizable faces thanks to being photogenic and fortunate.
She was at McDaniel College on Friday morning to publicize the team’s latest swimsuit calendar, which debuted while the Ravens held their first full practice before a large crowd of excited football fans. Adriene and four other cheerleaders posed for photos and signed items, everything from jerseys and hats to notebooks and posters.
And the new calendar, of which she’s one of five bikini-clad Ravens cheerleaders on the cover.
Last year, when the Ravens unveiled their inaugural cheerleader swimsuit calendar, Adriene went solo on the cover in a powder-blue bikini.
Adriene with last year’s calendarThe four-year veteran, who cheered at South Carroll and Maryland before making the Ravens’ squad, is still shy when people ask for an autograph or a photo op.
“I’m still such a tomboy at heart,” she said. “When they first announced it, I was like, ‘My mother is going to kill me.’ I come from conservative Mount Airy, born and raised. I still blush to this day.”
Adriene, 25, grew up a dancer but dabbled in soccer and track before choosing cheerleading at South Carroll. She worked on farms in Carroll and Frederick counties and pursued a pre-veterinary studies and laboratory management major at Maryland.
But cheerleading for the Terrapins led to a tryout with the Ravens, something she still can’t quite fathom.
Adriene was intrigued with the Ravens because of their distinction as the only cheerleading unit that performs group stunts, longer routines that feature acrobatic maneuvers set to music. Standing still and shaking pompoms just wasn’t her idea of fun.
The Ravens’ cheerleading staff informed the 2008-09 team of its inaugural swimsuit calendar, but a tight budget meant not every girl would be traveling to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for the shoot. Adriene made the cut, but almost didn’t make the trip.
She remembers driving on Md. 32 from Mount Airy to College Park, ready to grab her luggage and head for the airport, when she struck a deer and it burst through her windshield. The glass and roof of her car came down on her, she said, but somehow Adriene was unscathed and walked about a mile in a rainstorm to find help.
She made it to Punta Cana, and when she got back her coaches told her she’d be gracing the cover.
“They don’t know how I survived the accident,” Adriene said. “They said an angel must have come down and grabbed me, held on to me. Then I found out about the cover. It was definitely worth it.”
This year’s calendar shoot had the girls trekking to the Bahamas. The Ravens went with a quintet of bathing beauties, and once again Adriene made the cut.
She made a lot of Ravens fans happy Friday with autographs and pictures, and she stopped for a few minutes to chat with former South Carroll classmate Greg Kennell, who took in practice with Loren Marcoux, also a South Carroll alumna.
Kennell said it was awesome to see a South Carroll grad turn into an established Ravens Cheerleader.
“And to see her on the cover was really cool,” he said.
[Adriene at BaltimoreRavens.com]
[Ravens Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar]
Photos and bios of the new squad are online. Check it out here.
• Who: Fun, outgoing, spirited, energetic, women who want to audition for the hottest dance team in the Texas United Football League (TUFL). Must have transportation to all games and rehearsals in the DFW area.
• When: Saturday August 29, 2009. (Time: 9:00am-1:00pm) Registration begins at 9:00am. Choreography 9:45-10:45am – Final Team will be announced at 1:00pm
• Where: Bob Duncan Center: 2800 S. Center St. Arlington, TX 76004.
• Age Requirements: Candidate must be a high school graduate or 18 years of age by August 29, 2009. Must bring driver’s license to audition.
• Registration: For forms and tryout location information, go to Fort Worth Avengers official website www.dfwavengers.com then follow the menu on the left and click on Dance Team for details.
• Audition Day: Bring a recent photo (non-returnable) and $20.00 application fee. Acceptable payment methods: Cash or Money Order (make payable to Lady Avengers).
• Audition-Day Information: Must wear midriff top, dance shorts, or dance pants, flesh-tone tights, and dance or athletic shoes. Hair and make-up should be game day ready prior to arrival.
**Please Note** No food provided so please bring a snack and drink.
** For additional information please call the dance director: Mrs.Watts at (817)456-8722 or E-mail avengerdancers@yahoo.com
The 2009-10 Golden State Warrior Girls have been announced. The squad is made up of 10 vets and 8 rookies. Although you may recognize one of the rookies:
Karlee was a co-captain and three-year veteran of the NLL San Jose Stealth Bombshells
New team here.
