Shrieks and gasps are heard around McDonough Gymnasium as a Hoya cheerleader hits the court after a cheerleading stunt goes wrong. While the girl is helped up by her teammates, she suffers no physical injuries. She dusts off her navy and white skirt and goes for it again. Her determination and devotion receives a round of applause from the crowd.
At a Washington Redskins game the scoreboard marks halftime and a group of young women run onto the field wearing white, burgundy and yellow spandex shorts, mid-drift halter tops and white knee high go-go boots. Music begins playing and the girls start to dance in synchronized patterns in the center of the football field. When the music ends the stadium erupts into cheers and whistles, most of it coming from male spectators.
Since its beginning, cheerleading has not been viewed as a “real sport” by some people around the world. This may be because people view cheerleading as simply yelling out encouraging words to their team, but in reality it takes much more.
The perception of professional cheerleaders, as merely sex symbols may have something to do with the under appreciation of the sport of cheerleading.
According to Mary Ellen Hanson, author of “Cheerleading in American Culture,” there are certain parallels between collegiate and professional cheerleading. They both originated to support football and add entertainment and pageantry to the evolving phenomenon of spectator sports.
However, what has come to be known as professional cheerleading is influenced more by drill teams and dance teams, whereas collegiate cheerleading leans more towards gymnastic ability.
“I doubt that I would ever cheer professionally because I enjoy cheerleading because of the stunting and tumbling that we do and I don’t see that in pro cheerleading,” said Kindsey Young, a current Howard Bison cheerleader. However many former Bison cheerleaders have made the transition from collegiate cheerleading to professional cheerleading despite the differences.
The development of professional cheerleading was shaped by the mass entertainment and promotional demands of professional sports. Hanson reported that such “demands have created a paradox for team management on how to exploit a consciously sexual sell while avoiding the appearance of sexual impropriety. The tension between good and bad publicity continues to be reflected in the image of the professional cheerleader.”
Since professional cheerleading is inspired by performance dance, the women who take on this profession usually have strong dance backgrounds.
Most of these women have been receiving training in areas such as ballet, jazz and hip hop dance since they were children. In addition to being dancers, many of these women are models, students and mothers.
Professional cheerleading is a part-time job. Many teams require their cheerleaders to be a full-time student, raising a family or working part-time in addition to her cheerleading job.
Washington Wizards cheerleader and former Bison cheerleader, Frajavon Talley, is a graduate student at Howard.
“I leave my cheer bag in my trunk, so that afterwards [after class] I can head straight to the gym,” Talley said.
During a season, training at the gym is usually a main priority and can include weight training, pilates and treadmill work. This conditioning is the cheerleader’s responsibility to fit around her schedule.
Practices for different professional teams vary, but most teams have mandatory practices approximately two nights per week. During these sessions, the team rehearses entire routines and works on any difficult moves that need extra practice.
A professional cheerleader may need to learn between 35 and 50 routines throughout one season. The rehearsals will typically be in the evenings, so those who work other jobs or live farther away are able to be in attendance.
“It’s hard to retain all of the material at the quick pace it is taught, but I enjoy the challenge,” Talley said.
All of their prior preparation is for game day, when the cheerleaders are expected to be at the stadium for most of the day. Once the cheerleaders have arrived, they must be ready to rehearse in full makeup and with their hair styled. They may also be expected to do pregame promotions, such as mingling with members of the audience who have won contests in prior events.
The team usually performs before the game starts and at halftime, and will continue to perform on the sidelines throughout the rest of the game. Following the game, the cheerleaders are expected to stay afterwards to give autographs and take pictures with fans.
Professional cheerleaders not only have to appear at all home games, but they must also make many outside appearances to publicize their team’s brand. Besides appearing at specific events that involve their sport’s team, these women also take time out to participate in many community service activities to give to their communities.
Different professional cheerleading teams around the world are managed differently and publicized differently, but for the most part the pay is the same. Most professional cheerleading teams earn about $50 per home game. They may also earn money from commissions on merchandise such as calendars and fees for non-charity appearances.
Professional cheerleaders are in the business not for the pay, but for the love of their sport.
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