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NFL Cheerleader’s: Undercompensated
NFL Cheerleading has been a huge part of team organizations for years. Crowds undeniable crave for the excitement and high energy arrange for the majority of NFL organizations having a professional squad to cheer on our favorite players! So why so many NFL Cheerleader’s being looked over when it comes time to provide and appreciate staff and supporters of the NFL organizations? Some say it’s because they are uneducated while others think the job they do is too easy and the perks are too big. What’s the real job of an NFL Cheerleader? How much do they make you may ask? What you don’t know may surprise you. Time, money, and effort are just a few factors involved when it comes to NFL cheerleader’s contributions to one of the wealthiest franchises in the United States. With learning what you may not already know, you may soon see that NFL cheerleaders should be paid more their work and to reflect such prestigious leagues.
Even before tryouts begin, there is a lot of work for an aspiring cheerleader. Much expectancy is accepted by cheerleaders other than meeting basic requirements like: Must be 21 years of age by Sept 1 of the year you try out for, must exhibit reasonable dance skills and a strong willingness to learn, and must have good attitude and ability to work in group atmosphere. Most NFL cheerleading organizations offer preparatory classes in order to get girls ready for tryouts and familiarize them with the “ways of a professional cheerleader”. While these classes are not always mandatory, they can help although the extra help costs money. After the competitors pay for clinics that start at costs anywhere from about $30, a contender’s hair, tan, nails, and make-up must be photo-ready. Although it seems like there cannot be much more in preparing to be an NFL cheerleader, participants must also learn how they will manage a positive attitude and showcasing flattering attributes that contribute to being a representative and role model of their team’s organization at all times. When it comes to being an NFL cheerleader, it is a full-time job and it is not easy.
As many as hundreds of aspiring cheerleaders gather at NFL cheerleading tryouts each year in order to follow their “dream” in getting a much sought out spot on an NFL cheerleading roster, ladies who undertake a rigorous tryout process come from many different backgrounds, and showcasing their dance skills is a main focus for those wishing for a spot on the squad. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example have adopted a process that includes multiple areas for ranking or scoring candidates starting with a large cut the first week. One lucky woman discussed her experience while learning choreography in the book; It’s Not About the Pom Poms, by Laura Vikmanis. In her book, she explains, “It was four eight-counts and we had to learn in in about five minutes.” Vikmanis is currently the oldest cheerleader in the NFL who has failed the tryout process before she conquered it. Fig. 1 The book, “It’s not about the Pom-Poms” (by Laura Vikmanis’with Amy Sohn)
In the book, It’s Not About the Pom Poms, Vikmanis describes the process of tryouts sharing that after the judges narrow down the group of over 300 girls sometimes, it was then narrowed down to about 90 girls. A skills test was the next hurdle to jump for this 40 year old mother of two. Including the completion of splits, leaps, and turns, the prospects was to have their scores added into the final scored from the final performance of the tryout process. Upon meeting for finals at the Cincinnati Ben-gal tryouts, performances are held for a large audience that include dances, live interviews, and even a swimsuit portion within the process. Normally, following tryouts, the girls can only wait for weeks for a letter in the mail that determines the destiny as a professional cheerleader.
Once a candidate earns a spot on the roster of an NFL cheerleading squad, expectations only get higher. Professional cheerleaders are not only required to appear at all home games, but they must also make many outside appearances to publicize their team's brand like appearing at specific events that involve their sport's team, and participating in many community service activities contributing to their communities. Participating in activities before and after games to mingle with contest winners, or sign autographs are just a few examples of what cheerleaders are expected to adjust to once on the squad. The Ben-gals web page for cheer leading tryouts states, Simons, a coach for the Bengals noted, “The Ben-Gals have appeared at charity functions, conventions, grand openings, trade shows, and other charitable and civic causes each year. These ladies are young professionals who not only are involved in their own careers, but they are involved in many hours per week working for the Bengals organization within the community” (http://www.bengals.com/cheerleaders/auditions.html). Professional cheerleading is supposed to be a part-time job, and most teams require their cheerleaders to be a full-time student, or have a career of their own even though much time and hard work is involved in being on an NFL squad. Practices multiple times a week as well as all of the other events the cheerleaders must fit into their already packed schedule is sure to serve very close to a full-time job, even though the pay reflects much less.
Mentally, a professional cheerleader must be strong. Briggs suggests in an online paper that “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” (http://www.thehilltoponline.com/pro-cheerleading-is-no-walk-in-the-park-1.2037094#.UpLG8cSmiuo). Aside from the rules regarding where and when they should be, they are even shown how to act, even if they are well within normal, legal behavior. In the article, “Tales of an NFL Cheerleader” within the pages of Cosmopolitan, an ex-cheerleader even admits, “Besides looking good, I was expected to act like an angel. My contract forbade me from drinking, cussing, smoking, chewing gum, or identifying myself as a cheerleader in public. At one point, I was told that if I got another speeding ticket, I'd be fired.” Cheerleaders are consistently representing the team organization at all times and are expected to follow many rules if they are a member on the squad. Finally, “making weight” is just one other expectancy of most advisors that cause mental stress. Vikmanis offers an inside look at struggle her squad members experienced when she said, “ My rookie season only two girls out of thirty-two regularly made their weight without going to any extremes. For them it was effortless. But for the rest of us, it was a constant struggle” (Vikmanis 190).
The weather can be scorching heat or freezing cold, but the exhilaration of an NFL game and their cheerleaders still proves to be a crowd pleaser in any condition. If a cheerleader gets worn down from the physical effects of their job as a cheerleader they may get sick, but the illness is not excused with a doctor’s note! Just like many high paying jobs, cheerleaders are easily pulled from their position of cheering on the field if they are not at their best in every way. Vikmanis remembered a time when Tara, the team captain explained that “…only twenty-four would cheer at any given game once the football season started… But any girl who didn’t make weight, arrived late, didn’t do enough charity events, or danced poorly could be removed from her corner at any given time” (Vikmanis 174). It is much more serious of a job than most people think. In many cases, cheerleaders are punished for not meeting expectations in any way by being suspended from cheering at games, to being pulled from special appearances or events. Even though cheerleaders may be fulfilling all the requirements, they are competitors the entire way, fighting for a spot on the field on game day.
Hours upon hours can be spent in preparing and participating as a part of an NFL cheerleading squad. Team organizations are granted the ability to use cheerleader’s images to advertise and excite fans earning money constantly. We know this because of countless commercials and images are constantly flashing in front of us to get our attention for the main point (a player or product in many cases). Vikmanis confirms “If you add up the time we append practicing and cheering those three-hour-plus football games in a typical season, we make about two dollars and fifty cents an hour-sweatshop wages. We are like a one-ring circus within a nine-billion-dollar corporation” (Vikmanis 231).
While practice, camps, trainings, charity events, signings, and photo shoots are just some events cheerleaders are expected to attend, they must provide a way to be ready and travel to the events on their own which cost baby-sitters, gas, salon appointments, etc. Sure there are wealthy women out there that consider the expenses pocket change, but in some cases, NFL cheerleaders have been known to end up barely breaking even or even ending up in the negative! Parramore calls the act of underpaying the cheerleaders along with the advantages taken from NFL cheerleaders an All-American scandal in her article “Professional Cheerleaders Face Exploitation, Low Pay and No Benefits” commenting, “Welcome to the upside-down world of professional cheerleading” (<http://www.alternet.org/labor/professional-cheerleading-and-low-pay?page=0%2C1). It is reasonable to say that NFL cheerleaders are overly used, but not paying these women for the work is unethical. Many people may argue that cheerleaders get a step up on bigger opportunities, but this is not always true. While attending try-outs to be a Cincinnati Ben-gal in 2010, Maria Swafford (a former peer in Beauty College, and a veteran on the squad) gave her point of view stating that, “Cheerleading is a big responsibility, but the joy I get out of it keeps me from thinking it’s too much to handle.” While some candidates seek it for the love of dance, membership, and the game, being compensated for making serious contributions to support their team has proven to be unlikely. Cheerleaders have been known to make anywhere from minimum wage, to 15-75 dollars a game. One unknown professional discussed her earnings with cosmopolitan stating, “My total earnings as a pro cheerleader in 2006 were $3,000, but after I deducted the expenses (manicures, makeup, trainers, etc.), that dropped to $30”.
While there are many expectations of an NFL Cheerleader, the competition for a desired spot on NFL squads is still fierce. The mass entertainment and promotional demands of professional sports has increased the need for professional cheerleaders for NFL organizations. If those organizations more fairly compensated their cheerleaders for all their hard work, time, and money, the cheerleaders as well as the organization could benefit each other as well as the community on a greater scale than they already do. NFL cheerleaders deserve to be compensated for their hard work and dedication to their NFL organization.
Works Cited
Anderson, Caty D. “Not Much To Cheer About – The Exploitation of the NFL Cheerleader” Condusive Chronicle. Ed. Hill, Corey, and Frank Ruiz. 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. < http://cchronicle.com/2010/01/not-much-to-cheer-about-the-exploitation-of-the-nfl-cheerleader/> Briggs, Tiffany B. “Pro Cheerleading is no walk in the park” The Hilltop. Ed. Hill, Glynn. 26 Oct. 2009. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <http://www.thehilltoponline.com/pro-cheerleading-is-no-walk-in-the-park-1.2037094#.Um2qLfmmiuo>
Parramore, Lynn S. “Professional Cheerleaders Face Exploitation, Low Pay and No Benefits” AlterNet. Ed. Ganeva, Tana. 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.alternet.org/labor/professional-cheerleading-and-low-pay?page=0%2C1
Simons, Charlotte. “Ben-gals.” Cincinnati Bengals Organization. 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.bengals.com/cheerleaders/auditions.html>
Swafford, Maria. Personal interview. Cincinnati. 1-10 Apr. 2010.
"Tales of an NFL Cheerleader." Cosmopolitan 243.5 (2007): 132. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Vikmanis, Laura, and Amy Sohn. It’s not about the Pom-Poms. New York: Ballantine books. 2012. Print.
NFL Cheerleading has been a huge part of team organizations for years. Crowds undeniable crave for the excitement and high energy arrange for the majority of NFL organizations having a professional squad to cheer on our favorite players! So why so many NFL Cheerleader’s being looked over when it comes time to provide and appreciate staff and supporters of the NFL organizations? Some say it’s because they are uneducated while others think the job they do is too easy and the perks are too big. What’s the real job of an NFL Cheerleader? How much do they make you may ask? What you don’t know may surprise you. Time, money, and effort are just a few factors involved when it comes to NFL cheerleader’s contributions to one of the wealthiest franchises in the United States. With learning what you may not already know, you may soon see that NFL cheerleaders should be paid more their work and to reflect such prestigious leagues.
Even before tryouts begin, there is a lot of work for an aspiring cheerleader. Much expectancy is accepted by cheerleaders other than meeting basic requirements like: Must be 21 years of age by Sept 1 of the year you try out for, must exhibit reasonable dance skills and a strong willingness to learn, and must have good attitude and ability to work in group atmosphere. Most NFL cheerleading organizations offer preparatory classes in order to get girls ready for tryouts and familiarize them with the “ways of a professional cheerleader”. While these classes are not always mandatory, they can help although the extra help costs money. After the competitors pay for clinics that start at costs anywhere from about $30, a contender’s hair, tan, nails, and make-up must be photo-ready. Although it seems like there cannot be much more in preparing to be an NFL cheerleader, participants must also learn how they will manage a positive attitude and showcasing flattering attributes that contribute to being a representative and role model of their team’s organization at all times. When it comes to being an NFL cheerleader, it is a full-time job and it is not easy.
As many as hundreds of aspiring cheerleaders gather at NFL cheerleading tryouts each year in order to follow their “dream” in getting a much sought out spot on an NFL cheerleading roster, ladies who undertake a rigorous tryout process come from many different backgrounds, and showcasing their dance skills is a main focus for those wishing for a spot on the squad. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example have adopted a process that includes multiple areas for ranking or scoring candidates starting with a large cut the first week. One lucky woman discussed her experience while learning choreography in the book; It’s Not About the Pom Poms, by Laura Vikmanis. In her book, she explains, “It was four eight-counts and we had to learn in in about five minutes.” Vikmanis is currently the oldest cheerleader in the NFL who has failed the tryout process before she conquered it. Fig. 1 The book, “It’s not about the Pom-Poms” (by Laura Vikmanis’with Amy Sohn)
In the book, It’s Not About the Pom Poms, Vikmanis describes the process of tryouts sharing that after the judges narrow down the group of over 300 girls sometimes, it was then narrowed down to about 90 girls. A skills test was the next hurdle to jump for this 40 year old mother of two. Including the completion of splits, leaps, and turns, the prospects was to have their scores added into the final scored from the final performance of the tryout process. Upon meeting for finals at the Cincinnati Ben-gal tryouts, performances are held for a large audience that include dances, live interviews, and even a swimsuit portion within the process. Normally, following tryouts, the girls can only wait for weeks for a letter in the mail that determines the destiny as a professional cheerleader.
Once a candidate earns a spot on the roster of an NFL cheerleading squad, expectations only get higher. Professional cheerleaders are not only required to appear at all home games, but they must also make many outside appearances to publicize their team's brand like appearing at specific events that involve their sport's team, and participating in many community service activities contributing to their communities. Participating in activities before and after games to mingle with contest winners, or sign autographs are just a few examples of what cheerleaders are expected to adjust to once on the squad. The Ben-gals web page for cheer leading tryouts states, Simons, a coach for the Bengals noted, “The Ben-Gals have appeared at charity functions, conventions, grand openings, trade shows, and other charitable and civic causes each year. These ladies are young professionals who not only are involved in their own careers, but they are involved in many hours per week working for the Bengals organization within the community” (http://www.bengals.com/cheerleaders/auditions.html). Professional cheerleading is supposed to be a part-time job, and most teams require their cheerleaders to be a full-time student, or have a career of their own even though much time and hard work is involved in being on an NFL squad. Practices multiple times a week as well as all of the other events the cheerleaders must fit into their already packed schedule is sure to serve very close to a full-time job, even though the pay reflects much less.
Mentally, a professional cheerleader must be strong. Briggs suggests in an online paper that “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” (http://www.thehilltoponline.com/pro-cheerleading-is-no-walk-in-the-park-1.2037094#.UpLG8cSmiuo). Aside from the rules regarding where and when they should be, they are even shown how to act, even if they are well within normal, legal behavior. In the article, “Tales of an NFL Cheerleader” within the pages of Cosmopolitan, an ex-cheerleader even admits, “Besides looking good, I was expected to act like an angel. My contract forbade me from drinking, cussing, smoking, chewing gum, or identifying myself as a cheerleader in public. At one point, I was told that if I got another speeding ticket, I'd be fired.” Cheerleaders are consistently representing the team organization at all times and are expected to follow many rules if they are a member on the squad. Finally, “making weight” is just one other expectancy of most advisors that cause mental stress. Vikmanis offers an inside look at struggle her squad members experienced when she said, “ My rookie season only two girls out of thirty-two regularly made their weight without going to any extremes. For them it was effortless. But for the rest of us, it was a constant struggle” (Vikmanis 190).
The weather can be scorching heat or freezing cold, but the exhilaration of an NFL game and their cheerleaders still proves to be a crowd pleaser in any condition. If a cheerleader gets worn down from the physical effects of their job as a cheerleader they may get sick, but the illness is not excused with a doctor’s note! Just like many high paying jobs, cheerleaders are easily pulled from their position of cheering on the field if they are not at their best in every way. Vikmanis remembered a time when Tara, the team captain explained that “…only twenty-four would cheer at any given game once the football season started… But any girl who didn’t make weight, arrived late, didn’t do enough charity events, or danced poorly could be removed from her corner at any given time” (Vikmanis 174). It is much more serious of a job than most people think. In many cases, cheerleaders are punished for not meeting expectations in any way by being suspended from cheering at games, to being pulled from special appearances or events. Even though cheerleaders may be fulfilling all the requirements, they are competitors the entire way, fighting for a spot on the field on game day.
Hours upon hours can be spent in preparing and participating as a part of an NFL cheerleading squad. Team organizations are granted the ability to use cheerleader’s images to advertise and excite fans earning money constantly. We know this because of countless commercials and images are constantly flashing in front of us to get our attention for the main point (a player or product in many cases). Vikmanis confirms “If you add up the time we append practicing and cheering those three-hour-plus football games in a typical season, we make about two dollars and fifty cents an hour-sweatshop wages. We are like a one-ring circus within a nine-billion-dollar corporation” (Vikmanis 231).
While practice, camps, trainings, charity events, signings, and photo shoots are just some events cheerleaders are expected to attend, they must provide a way to be ready and travel to the events on their own which cost baby-sitters, gas, salon appointments, etc. Sure there are wealthy women out there that consider the expenses pocket change, but in some cases, NFL cheerleaders have been known to end up barely breaking even or even ending up in the negative! Parramore calls the act of underpaying the cheerleaders along with the advantages taken from NFL cheerleaders an All-American scandal in her article “Professional Cheerleaders Face Exploitation, Low Pay and No Benefits” commenting, “Welcome to the upside-down world of professional cheerleading” (<http://www.alternet.org/labor/professional-cheerleading-and-low-pay?page=0%2C1). It is reasonable to say that NFL cheerleaders are overly used, but not paying these women for the work is unethical. Many people may argue that cheerleaders get a step up on bigger opportunities, but this is not always true. While attending try-outs to be a Cincinnati Ben-gal in 2010, Maria Swafford (a former peer in Beauty College, and a veteran on the squad) gave her point of view stating that, “Cheerleading is a big responsibility, but the joy I get out of it keeps me from thinking it’s too much to handle.” While some candidates seek it for the love of dance, membership, and the game, being compensated for making serious contributions to support their team has proven to be unlikely. Cheerleaders have been known to make anywhere from minimum wage, to 15-75 dollars a game. One unknown professional discussed her earnings with cosmopolitan stating, “My total earnings as a pro cheerleader in 2006 were $3,000, but after I deducted the expenses (manicures, makeup, trainers, etc.), that dropped to $30”.
While there are many expectations of an NFL Cheerleader, the competition for a desired spot on NFL squads is still fierce. The mass entertainment and promotional demands of professional sports has increased the need for professional cheerleaders for NFL organizations. If those organizations more fairly compensated their cheerleaders for all their hard work, time, and money, the cheerleaders as well as the organization could benefit each other as well as the community on a greater scale than they already do. NFL cheerleaders deserve to be compensated for their hard work and dedication to their NFL organization.
Works Cited
Anderson, Caty D. “Not Much To Cheer About – The Exploitation of the NFL Cheerleader” Condusive Chronicle. Ed. Hill, Corey, and Frank Ruiz. 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. < http://cchronicle.com/2010/01/not-much-to-cheer-about-the-exploitation-of-the-nfl-cheerleader/> Briggs, Tiffany B. “Pro Cheerleading is no walk in the park” The Hilltop. Ed. Hill, Glynn. 26 Oct. 2009. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <http://www.thehilltoponline.com/pro-cheerleading-is-no-walk-in-the-park-1.2037094#.Um2qLfmmiuo>
Parramore, Lynn S. “Professional Cheerleaders Face Exploitation, Low Pay and No Benefits” AlterNet. Ed. Ganeva, Tana. 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.alternet.org/labor/professional-cheerleading-and-low-pay?page=0%2C1
Simons, Charlotte. “Ben-gals.” Cincinnati Bengals Organization. 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.bengals.com/cheerleaders/auditions.html>
Swafford, Maria. Personal interview. Cincinnati. 1-10 Apr. 2010.
"Tales of an NFL Cheerleader." Cosmopolitan 243.5 (2007): 132. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Vikmanis, Laura, and Amy Sohn. It’s not about the Pom-Poms. New York: Ballantine books. 2012. Print.