We are now deep into this season of Making the Team. The first home game is creeping up, which means the pressure ratchets up as the squad gets closer and closer to being finalized. The past two weeks of episodes focus on that, as well as give us a taste of the commitment it takes to be an NFL cheerleader away from the field as well as on it.
Episode 6 focuses on the rookie candidates, beginning with learning the gameday field entrance. If you haven’t been to a Cowboys home game, DCC has a signature field entrance in which the team struts to center field in rows of six. Sounds simple enough, right? The trick is they have to keep an equal distance between the rows while also staying in line with the other cheerleaders. It takes some multitasking skills to be able to perform the movements and stay in line while moving quickly across the field. Not everyone is able to perfect the entrance on the first try, but by now, the directors, Kelli and Judy, expect the rookie candidates to fix any mistakes quickly and move on.
After learning the field entrance, the rookies perform the kick and dance routines on the field in small groups. At this stage of the audition, the rookies should have perfected the DCC style and have little to no mistakes when performing. Not everyone has: two rookie candidates end up being cut because they are not showing any improvement in their showmanship and memory. The competition is stiff: this season has one of the strongest groups of dancers yet to audition. The remaining five rookie candidates will need to prove their place on the team.
Episode 7 focuses solely on the training camp candidates auditioning for a spot on the elite “show group,” a group within the team composed of 16 of the best performers. The directors, along with a panel of judges, watch the women perform solo and group dance routines in addition to answering impromptu interview questions. Even though the final team has not been selected, rookie candidates can make the group, which guarantees them a spot on the team. Two rookies end up being chosen to join this year’s show group.
Making show group is a big deal because only those 16 cheerleaders can take part in high-profile appearances like live performances, interviews, and military tours. Basically, they get to do the best promotional appearances. The rest of the general appearances are available for the remaining cheerleaders.
Not every NFL team handles it this way. When I cheered, every cheerleader had the opportunity to sign up for promotional appearances — “promos,” as we would call them. These appearances can range from taking pictures and signing autographs at a store, being hired to perform for a corporate party, live TV interviews and performances, and overseas military tours. Each cheerleader averaged about 15 to 20 promos per season for the team I was on. What many people do not realize is these promos require a huge time commitment. General promos, in which you pose for pictures and sign autographs, are usually two-hour gigs, but sometimes they can be spread so far throughout a team’s metropolitan area that it may take one or two hours just to drive there. I once had a promo that was 200 miles away; the drive was just over three hours. Factoring in the time to get ready, travel, plus the promo itself, that is almost 10 hours for one appearance. I would have to take off work for a full day for an appearance like this.
Granted, not all promos take up this much time. I would say they average about four hours total if you don’t have to travel far. But it definitely adds up when you have to do 15 promos during the season in addition to the weekly practices and games. So while it may seem like being an NFL cheerleader is a part-time activity on the outside, in reality, the time commitment makes it a full-time position. On top of that, cheerleaders are required to have a job, go to school, or be a mom to audition for the team. Balancing it all can be exhausting.
Does that sound like a lot to ask of someone who is considered a part-time employee? Definitely. In the end, NFL cheerleaders understand and accept the time commitment required to do the job. It is hard, but for so many women, it is a lifelong dream that they are fulfilling, and it outweighs the struggles. I was one of them. But that doesn’t stop me from hoping standards change, and NFL organizations will treat (and pay) cheerleaders as full-time employees. They deserve it.
