by KING 5 News
October 14, 2012
It started out well...
...and then everyone got soaked.
Sea Gals shape girls into leaders that command attention while still remaining as approachable as the girl next door. They are truly set up for success and are molded into powerful, confident, and poised young women.
Sea Gal Courtney
Seahawks.com
October 13, 202
I stood there in a sea of beautiful women wearing sparkles and pink lip stick. Would I be next? Am I what they are looking for…and then it happened. When I heard “number 2” called in April of 2008, my life changed. Starting dance at the age of 4 in a small coastal town in California, I had no idea what my future held. As I gleefully ran up to grab my brand new set of Sea Gal signature fire pom poms from our director Sherri Thompson signaling that I had made the team, a rush of excitement ran over me.
Courtney wowed the judges back in 2008
Dancing on the sidelines of game day was a given, but growing into a better refined version of myself was a surprise that I did not see coming. Sea Gals are much more than pretty faces and talented dancers ~ Emily Post would be proud of a program that turns the girl next door into a poised and polished young lady while still keeping her individual charm.
Sea Gals do over 300 appearances in the community every year. This enables them to become more confident public speakers as they polish their socializing skills. Immediately following auditions every year, is the Sea Gal orientation. Sea Gal Binders are passed out jam-packed with everything and anything one needs to know about being a part of this team. There is even a section on how to give a correct hand shake! From hospital visits to spread cheer and hope, to engaging guests to raise money at auctions, to having lunch with a soldier who is half way around the world from his home ~ Sea Gals know just the right etiquette to make each appearance personalized and memorable.
During my third year on the team, our director decided I needed a “new look.” I have to admit, when she told me to cut my long curly hair to my shoulders and also change the color, I had to keep my composure. I had always had long hair and the thought of chopping it all off and getting a different highlight structure was really scary. Yet, I trusted her opinion and as a result I cannot believe how much I love being a sassy short-haired girl! Sherri’s knack for seeing the “better picture” of her girls is amazing and has made many of us look in the mirror afterwards and say, “thank you!”
Courtney through her five seasons as a Sea Gal
Not only do our uniforms sparkle when we walk into a room or dance out onto the field, but our inner confidence molded by our program shines just as bright. Sea Gals shape girls into leaders that command attention while still remaining as approachable as the girl next door. When girls make the team, they are getting much more than just a set of poms and the chance to dance all year at the Seahawk games. They are truly set up for success and are molded into powerful, confident, and poised young women. Comparable to a charm or finishing school with poms, SeaGals helps girls become the best version of themselves. I know the Sea Gal experience has changed my life in so many positive ways. When you see me on game day, you now have a better insight as to why my smile is always ear to ear ~ I truly am having the best time of my life!
By Allison Salz
Edmonton Sun
October 13, 2012
The days of ruffling pom-poms and shouting the team name are gone — these days it takes much more to be an Edmonton Eskimos cheerleader.
Cheerleading has come a long way since the Esks first joined the CFL in 1949. Back then, the team didn’t have a cheerleading squad, that would come in 1951. Instead, they had six baton twirlers who performed during the games.
Today’s team, made up of 42 guys and gals, has progressed even further since head coach Dianne Greenough took the reigns in 1995.
“The Eskimos cheer team has really evolved since I started. Back then it was turtleneck sweaters and pleated skirts, a very collegiate style,” she said.
“In the last five or six years, we separated the dance team and stunt team. Edmonton is a hotbed of amazing dancers. To work with them while at the same time adding stunters who were on Team Canada cheer team, is just excellent.”
Most of the team either has an extensive gymnastics or dance background, and in some cases both.
Kassidy, 21, whose last name is withheld for privacy reasons, has been dancing since the age of three.
VETERAN
Now a third-year veteran, she says being on the team is a way to stay involved with dance.
“I’ve been dancing since I was little, so I have training in tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary,” she said, adding that while an asset, previous experience isn’t necessary.
“But, as long as you can move, we always encourage girls to come down and give it a try.”
And the job of an Esks cheerleader reaches far beyond the game performances.
For the hours that they perform at Eskimos home games, there are hours and hours more work behind the scenes, all of which is done on a volunteer basis.
All team members either have full-time jobs or go to school, while juggling the demands of being on an elite cheer team.
Kassidy juggles two jobs, while taking her nursing degree at the University of Alberta, on top of her duties as an Esks cheerleader.
She says it’s not uncommon for her to wake up at the crack of dawn to go to school, only to head straight to the field for a game after class wraps.
“I think a lot of people have the misconception that that’s all we do. We’re all very busy, but we’re very passionate about what we do,” she said, adding that once she settles into her Esks gear, she starts to come alive.
“As soon as we get started with rehearsal, I get the biggest burst of energy.”
LOTS OF PRACTICE, TRAINING
Aside from the 8-10 hours a week worth of practice and training, each is required to put in 250 to 260 appearances a year at both corporate and charity events.
All members are also required to be enrolled in, or have completed, some kind of post-secondary schooling.
They’re expected to be ambassadors for the team, said Greenough.
“They’re just in and out of the community, whether at seniors homes, hospitals, even runs and walks. It’s something that they’re proud to do,” Greenough said.
“It’s become a really great stepping stone. By the time they leave here, they’re incredibly mature and responsible.”
There are just three games left in the Eskimos’ regular season, one of which will be played at home.
The cheer team will represent Edmonton when they perform at the 100th Grey Cup Festival this year in Toronto as part of the Cheer Extravaganza, which is now in its 15th year.
And rest assured, Greenough says they save the best for last.
“There’s no question we want to go out there and blow everybody away with our seven-minute show.”
——
MEN CHEER, TOO
The guys of the Esks cheer team are the foundation of the team — literally.
The 16 male members of the team carry much more on their shoulders than the petite ladies they lift in the air — they bare the responsibility of bringing them down safety.
25-year-old Mitchel, who just happens to be the longest standing member of the team with six years experience, says hours and hours of training and upper body work go into the routines.
“To be at the level we’re at, a lot of us are working out 8-10 hours a week, as well as coaching or being on other cheer teams just to progress our skills.”
He says male cheerleaders sometimes get jeered a little bit, but he contests that the sport is just as demanding as any other.
“It takes a lot of skill and strength. It’s one of the more challenging sports I’ve been part of.“
I was never ashamed to be part of the team. Anything that you do, you’re going to have some people who have negative comments.”
Mitchel has been cheering since he was 14, when he was dared to try out for the team at Victoria Composite High School.
He says the attitude towards the sport in general has also changed.
“Since I started with the team, things have kind of grown. Cheerleading is a little more recognized,” he said.
“People realize that we’re volunteers, doing this for the love of the sport. We do it because we love it. We get to be out in the community and give back to those who gave to us.”
——
COACH IS AN INNOVATOR
There’s no ‘I’ in team, but there is one in innovator.
It’s a word many have used to describe Dianne Greenough, the coach of the Edmonton Eskimos cheer team.
The 57-year-old is nearing her 18th year with the team, but her experience and knowledge reaches far beyond Commonwealth Stadium.
Greenough has coached thousands of girls and boys during her 30 some years on the mat, notching more than 200 cheerleading trophies.
Last April, she coached Team Canada to victory, clinching gold at the World Cheerleading Championships.
She’s largely credited with igniting interest in the sport across the province, even pushing the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association to recognize acrobatic cheerleading as an official sport in 1980.
When she joined the Esks Cheer Team as head coach in 1995, she adopted acrobatics into the team’s repertoire, and introduced male members to the squad.
Greenough is a teacher first. She graduated in 1978 from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor’s in Education, and taught at Victoria Composite High School for 35 years before retiring this past June.
“I love to watch the learning and growth. To see them come in usually between the ages of 18 and 20 when they first join the team, they’re young and naive, and just wanting to perform,” she said.
“By the time they’re finished, to see them taking on projects and responsibilities, and just really becoming crucial parts of the community, it’s nice to see.”
DIFFERENT COACHES, DIFFERENT STYLES
Twenty-three year-old Kylee, a four-year Esks cheer veteran, has danced for the majority of her life, and says she’s seen many coaches with many different coaching styles.
But working with a coach as internationally acclaimed as Greenough has been a privilege, she says.
“She’s not only taught us cheerleading, but she’s been a really wonderful mentor.”
Greenough’s teaching style has won her many awards and accolades, including a nod last month when she received the U of A’s Alumni Honour Award, which recognizes the best of the school’s alumni members.
She says the fact a cheerleading coach shared a stage with some of the best academic minds in the country, shows attitudes are changing towards a sport she holds so closely to her heart.
The last time I mentioned the Crystal Palace Cheerleaders, it was because they had been robbed of the opportunity to perform at the London Olympics. The judges thought the Crystals were a little too sexy, an opinion partially based on their version of Carly Rae’s “Call Me Maybe.” Well the girls are back, and they’re keeping up with the latest trends in viral videos.
Members of the Chennai Super Chargers Cheersquad, March 2010.
(Indian Premier League – professional cricket)
Sports Illustrated has lots of great photos from the past couple of weeks. Click here for week 4 and here for week 5!
The Collin County Rattlers Semi-Professional Football Team is looking for talented cheerleaders and dancers to join the Venom Girls dance team. Venom Girl veteran Jamil Williams has been selected as the team’s new director, and she’s planning to bring lots of new excitement and energy to the team.
Click [here] to learn more about the Rattlers, and click [here] to visit the Venom Girls on Facebook.
Patrice Wilding
The Times-Tribune
October 7, 2012
In many ways, Corinne Jenkins is a typical 24-year-old woman who hails from a small town and is working hard at making a life for herself in the big city.
By day, Ms. Jenkins, a graduate of Valley View High School and Temple University with a degree in advertising and account management, is the full-time operations manager at a marketing firm in Center City Philadelphia.
When she’s not in business casual attire, however, Ms. Jenkins takes on an entirely different role.
Now entering her third season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading team, the Archbald native also was named the cover girl of the 2012-2013 swimsuit calendar for the football team’s cheering squad.
Ms. Jenkins realizes the two aspects of her life are difficult for many to reconcile, so she works hard to keep them as separate as possible.
“I think people are kind of surprised. During the day, I’m the office manager; at night, I’m the cheerleader,” she said during a recent phone interview. “During the day, I try to keep it professional and not bring it up, because it can be distracting for some people, especially (here) in Philadelphia where (people) put the team and us up on that pedestal.”
Not to mention, die-hard fans are quick to ask for her help getting into games, meeting players, or being introduced to her fellow cheerleaders. Overall, though, the response is mostly that of shock and awe.
Natural path
For Ms. Jenkins, becoming an Eagles cheerleader was an unexpected, though natural progression of her childhood activities.
She danced with Ballet Theatre of Scranton from the age of 3 through high school, and was a basketball cheerleader at Valley View throughout her entire high school career.
“That’s how I married the two to become an Eagles cheerleader,” Ms. Jenkins explained.
As a senior at Temple, she heard about the open call in the spring of 2010, and decided to try out.
“I thought, ‘What do I have to lose?'” she said. “On a whim, I went for it.”
The audition process was grueling, however, and she was one of about 300 to 500 women who apply each year. Over the course of about a month and through a series of multiple cuts, Ms. Jenkins made it through to the end, by which time she realized just how badly she wanted to make the team.
“The whole time you just want to get to the next audition, but when I made it to the finals I thought, ‘I really hope I make it to the squad!'”
This year marks her third season with the team, which is no small feat considering she has had to re-audition each time.
“It’s scary because it doesn’t get any easier,” Ms. Jenkins admitted. “It’s 100,000 times more stressful, because you know the experience of being out on the field and you don’t want to let it go.”
Anniversary game
Her favorite game thus far was her rookie year, the first time she stepped onto the field, when the Eagles also were celebrating their 60th anniversary. As part of the hallmark celebration, Ms. Jenkins and the rest of the cheerleaders wore “throwback” uniforms, which was extra exciting, considering she had grown up in an Eagles-loving home.
“Of course, they were my team. My dad used to watch (them) growing up, and Philly sports fans are notorious,” she laughed.
Meeting those dedicated fans is yet another benefit to being part of it all. Ms. Jenkins regularly volunteers for appearances and meet-and-greets, and has had the opportunity to travel with the team to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., an NFL Super Bowl event in Montreal, Canada, and even the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
“There’s so many components from the obvious dancing and cheering on the field, but I think we do a lot more than fans realize,” Ms. Jenkins said. “Getting out there and talking to fans … people want your autograph and you’re like, ‘Who am I?,’ but it’s because you’re a part of something so big and they’re so passionate about it.
“I could go on and on about all the amazing things,” she continued.
Apart from the sense of pride and the thrill of cheering at all the home games, Ms. Jenkins said she has gained something even more valuable from her sisters on the squad: lifelong friendships and a bond that only they can fully understand.
“I think a lot of people would be surprised to hear we’re all like best friends,” she said. “We all have the same personality and I consider all 37 of the other cheerleaders my family.
“We’re so tight, I can go to them with any problems I have,” Ms. Jenkins said earnestly. “I think the friendships go a lot further. I’ll be friends with these women for the rest of my life. It surprised me coming into it. I never expected that.”
At home, her parents, Thomas and Yvonne Jenkins, are equally supportive. They come out to as many of her home games as possible, and are happy to brag about their daughter to anyone who will listen. They even support her appearance in the calendar, despite an obvious lack of clothing that might make other parents squirm.
“They love it. My dad is my best salesman,” Ms. Jenkins said.
She first appeared in the swimsuit calendar during her first year on the squad as Miss November, Ms. Jenkins said, which was kind of like the warm up round before she earned the coveted cover of this year’s edition.
“My dad was like, ‘OK, my little girl’s growing up,’ but now my dad carries the calendar around to show it off,” she laughed. “They’re sort of my cheerleaders, supporting me in everything I do.”
The 16-month calendar, which coincides with the current football season, was shot on location in Nassau in the Bahamas, and was unveiled in July.
Being named cover girl came as a total shock to Ms. Jenkins, who said the girls take part in the shoot with no guarantee that one of their photos will be picked.
The entire experience was surreal, she added.
“My shoot was very early in the morning. My call time for hair and makeup was at 4:30,” Ms. Jenkins said. “The picture was taken at about 5:30, right at sunrise.
“There were stingrays in the water and cruise ships going by in background, but being up that early was definitely worth it,” she said. “The views were amazing and all the cheerleaders had a great time.”
Still, she hasn’t lost perspective on where she came from, or how exciting her accomplishments are.
“It’s weird looking at your face over and over again,” Ms. Jenkins said of promoting her calendar. “You’re sitting there like, ‘OK, I’m this normal girl from Scranton, what is going on?'”
Contact the writer: pwilding@timesshamrock.com, @pwildingTT on TwitterMeet Corinne Jenkins
Age: 24
Family: Originally from Archbald, Ms. Jenkins is the daughter of Thomas and Yvonne Jenkins.
Education: She is a graduate of Valley View High School and Temple University.
At work:
She is a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles and operations manager at a marketing firm in Center City Philadelphia.
Claim to fame: Cover girl of the 2012-2013 Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders calendar To buy a calendar
The 2012-2013 Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders calendar featuring Archbald native Corinne Jenkins on the cover is available for purchase at www.philadelphiaeagles.com, Barnes & Noble stores, and through the Eagles Pro Shop.
Leah Goldman
Business Insider
Oct. 5, 2012
Michelle Morris is an accountant.
On the side, she’s a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader.
Morris started with the team her senior year of college, and now shes heading into her forth season cheering for the Eagles. And this year she’s a co-captain.
Twice a week, Morris drives 60 miles from New Jersey to Philly, after her day job, and practices with her fellow cheerleaders for at least three hours.
Sundays are the fun part. The Eagles monopolize Morris’ Sunday as she gets her hair and make-up done, and cheers her team to victory.
But it doesn’t end there. Morris and her fellow cheerleaders are constantly making appearances at charity events, going to NFL off-season events like the draft, and even jetting off to the Bahamas for photo shoots.
Michelle starts her day off at Withum, Smith + Brown, at around 8 am where she is an accountant
Then it’s to work. Michelle leaves early on practice days, so she has to get all her work done by 4:30
She even shows her Eagles pride at work
And her Rutgers pride. Michelle graduated from Rutgers in 2010
Working hard! Michelle was recently promoted and now does a lot of work with the bankruptcy and insolvency niche at the firm
Now it’s in the car for Michelle’s hour and a half drive to Philly. She has to make it in time for 7:00 rehearsal
Practice is at a Bally Total Fitness in Philly. The girls get there early and chat and stretch
Have to stretch out in splits to get those legs warm
The team practices all the routines
Michelle is pulled out of the crowd. She’s the only one who is doing one of the moves perfectly
As the girls practice, you notice the guys working out in the gym gravitate towards the stretching area right outside…
At about 10:20 pm, practice was over. Michelle took off and made it home by midnight and got ready to do the same thing again the next day!
But it’s not only during the football season that Michelle participates in Eagles events. This year she got to go to the NFL draft
Here’s Michelle and fellow PECs on stage at the draft
And the entire team went to the Bahamas for a photo shoot for their calendar
The spend a lot of time shooting the calendar, but they also get to hang out, relax, and bond with the team
Here’s a shot of Michelle during the shoot
And in June, the girls walked down the runway at the amfAR Gala. The amfAR Gala raised close to $1 million for AIDs research
And Michelle even has her own trading card!
But Sundays are the best days of them all, when Michelle and the squad cheer on the Eagles
By Zach Groen
Patriots.com
Oct 4, 2012
In late August, Cheerleader Director Tracy Sormanti took four cheerleaders on a trip to the Nike Festival of Sport (FOS) in Shanghai, China.
Although the 2012 NFL season started in early September, things have been quieter than usual around Gillette Stadium with the Patriots playing three of their first four games on the road. Due to the early season road trips, the New England Patriots Cheerleaders have only been in front of the home crowd once during the 2012 season. Although they have not been cheering in front of the home crowd for the past few weeks, the Patriots cheerleaders have focused their efforts outside of the New England community in order to help promote both the Patriots and the NFL.
In late August, Cheerleader Director Tracy Sormanti took four cheerleaders on a trip to the Nike Festival of Sport (FOS) in Shanghai, China. Nike developed the FOS to help increase participation in sports in China and the Patriots Cheerleaders were asked to help out at the festival’s NFL Zone.
Almost as soon as she arrived back in New England following the trip to Shanghai, Sormanti began preparing her squad for a return trip to China. This time, the destination was the NFL Experience Tour at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB): a preschool through 12th grade international institution which boasts a student body that represents over 50 different countries.
Upon arriving in Beijing, Sormanti and the cheerleaders headed to the WAB to meet with students and give lessons on nutrition, healthy living and of course, cheering. After spending time with the students and helping them create their own pep rally, the Patriots Cheerleaders were given a tour of the school’s campus. The WAB campus incorporates both modern and traditional Chinese architecture and reflects “’jing shen’ or a special spirit of being welcoming, friendly, vibrant and creative,” according to the school’s website. Sormanti and the squad were blown away.
“At first I thought I was on a college campus,” said Patriots Cheerleader Caitlin M. “The school was beautiful.”
The WAB campus proved to be the perfect location for the NFL Experience Tour, as the school’s impressive athletic facilities provided ample room for Saturday’s activities which included an interactive NFL Game Zone, free flag football clinics and exhibition tackle football games featuring Beijing’s local teams.
The Patriots Cheerleaders took center stage among the flying footballs and excited fans, performing dance routines each hour and conducting a co-ed cheerleading clinic for children ages 6-17.
According to Sormanti, the cheerleading clinic was a hit and the squad capped the session off by teaching the group a “Unity” cheer in line with the theme of the weekend: bringing different cultures together through the common passion for American Football.
“The guests at the NFL Experience seemed fascinated by the overall concept of football and the influences it has on our culture,” said Patriots Cheerleader Alanna P. “A common question I was asked was how can football help bring families together and how can it help their culture find unity and a spirit of camaraderie.”
While the cheerleaders played a major role at the NFL Experience, they were not the only NFL ambassadors on hand. Former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Kordell Stewart was also in attendance to lead instructional drills and sign autographs for the fans.
Although the NFL Experience only lasted one day, the cheerleaders’ journey had just begun. Sormanti, who was making her sixth trip to China on behalf of the Patriots and the NFL, led her squad on a tour of the city and made sure that the group hit all of the major historical sites and tourist stops, including attractions such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City.
Patricia F., who has been cheering for the Patriots for the past three years, was fascinated by the city’s diverse culture and explained that the squad was able to experience both historical and modern day China all in the same day.
“It was great to experience the culture from the 15th Century and walk through the Forbidden City,” explained Patricia. “Later on we were able to experience the high fashion culture of the 21st century while participating in a FHM China photo shoot.”
Having returned to New England with memories and experiences that will last a lifetime, the cheerleaders are excited to get back in front of the home crowd and cheer on the Patriots this Sunday as they take on the Denver Broncos.
