Anyone once a professional cheerleader? Ie NFL- Washington Redskins, etc. what did you do after that

[Anonymous]

For how long. What was it like? Did you get paid a lot? Did you feel exploited? Did it ruin you getting a serious job after? Would you have your daughter do this career? Seems like fun to do for a couple years. I want DD to go yo cheerleading camp but my husbands says no, don't get her into it.

[Anonymous]

Your husband is right. He knows how guys will view your daughter, and it ain't pretty.

[Anonymous]

Former Redskin cheerleader. It was 25 yrs ago so things have changed maybe. This is a part time unpaid job, not a career. It's temporary. Hours and hours of hard work that looks glamorous on TV. I went to work all day and practiced all evening. Some played it to the hilt. Others were more modest. Then you move on with life. It is unlikely that it will turn into anything more.

[Anonymous]

PP again. She can go to all the cheerleading camps she wants. Let her enjoy high school cheerleading if she wants. Probably 1 percent of the 100s who try out become professional. It's not likely to move beyond. 1000s try out, they pick 16 or so.

[Anonymous]

I'm a former cheerleader for a professional basketball team out west. Like PP, it was about 20 years ago so some things may have changed. We were paid per event - but it didn't add up to much. And practices and appearances took up a ton of time, and we weren't paid for those.

It was fun, and I really liked some of the girls. Some folks really "worked" it and did more appearances, dated in the spotlight, etc - and others of us continued on with our normal lives. It's not something I *ever* mention now to folks, as it was a fun side path in my life but not at all relevant to what I do now.

[Anonymous]

I cheered in the NBA from 03-07. It was fun and a great way to keep in shape but it paid 15-20 bucks an hour so def NOT good money. There are some who think it is glamorous and really play it up but I knew that no one besides creeps cared about the calendars we were signing at Hooters on Saturday afternoon. I am glad my major wasn't dance like 75 percent of the other NBA cheerleaders/dancers who were enrolled in college, I was smart enough to at least see it wasn't a long term career. Every.single.one. thought they wouldl either dance or model professionally and if all else failed they would "open a dance studio"...im Facebook friends with at least 25 of these women and none of had such outcomes. Still its an interesting part of my life I suppose, not a lot of CPA's with a similar background.

[Anonymous]

Did you all sleep with the players?

[Anonymous]

Such a strange question. As a PP said, you don't cheer to aspire to the "pros". Probably the best aspiration is to get a cheer scholarship at a great college and then go on to a regular career. However, it is very competitive and can be very very dangerous. Why not just let her cheer if she wants to and if she likes it for the benefits of any other team sport. Why does it have to have a career path? Most don't.

[Anonymous]

I know several former NFL cheerleader captains.

One was a computer science major. She found her passion in dance while a cheerleader and started her own professional dance company, and also travels as a performer, dannce competition judge and dance convention teacher. She is very active in her city's art scene and works to enhance arts in the community.

Another owns a very successful local dance studio.

A third teaches dance while she completes her nursing degree. Her time as a professional cheerleader gave her the opportunity to travel all over the world as a goodwill ambassador, something that girl from a very small midwest town would never had done had it not been for her cheerleading job. However the pay vs the time commitment made it not worth continuing as the time involved interfered with school.

The rest of the women I know either became dance teachers or got their degrees and moved on in life.

Odds aee your daughter will not become an NFL cheerleader so don't let that influence your decision whether or not to let her sign up.

That said, if cheering for the NFL is really your goal, don't sign her up for cheer. She needs to sign up for dance in order to even have a snowballs chance. Start with hip hop and jazz first to see if she like it, then add several hours of ballet (most important), pilates, leaps and turns, and more jazz. Find a studio with a strong competitive program to give her the performance skill. NFL cheerleaders are dancers primarily now, not cheerleaders.

[Anonymous]

PS, cheerleading camp is just a fun pastime, no different than soccer camp, video game camp, scout camp...

Jus let her have the fun over the summer and call it done.

[Anonymous]

How old is your daughter? It should be something she's really interested in to go to a camp.

[Anonymous]

As PPs have mentioned, "professional" cheerleading is not a career. And those who are cheerleaders in high school and college then do not logically go on to cheer for pro sports teams. Have you seen pro sports cheerleaders? They do not cheer. I would have no problem with my daughter wanting to be a cheerleader in high school or college, but I definitely would not be pleased if she became a Redskins cheerleader or the like. What they do is one step away from the pole. Of course, by the time she is old enough to be a Redskins cheerleader, she would be an adult and I would have no say. But I hope she'd have a little more self respect than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again. She can go to all the cheerleading camps she wants. Let her enjoy high school cheerleading if she wants. Probably 1 percent of the 100s who try out become professional. It's not likely to move beyond. 1000s try out, they pick 16 or so.

My DH used to work for the Redskins. They most certainly do not have "thousands" of women who try out for cheerleading. That's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again. She can go to all the cheerleading camps she wants. Let her enjoy high school cheerleading if she wants. Probably 1 percent of the 100s who try out become professional. It's not likely to move beyond. 1000s try out, they pick 16 or so.

My DH used to work for the Redskins. They most certainly do not have "thousands" of women who try out for cheerleading. That's ridiculous.

Ya pp here who cheered in NBA from 03-07 and the competition is not that tough...in fact my teammates and I were the people NOT talented enough to get a cheerleading/gymnastics scholarship which is much more "money" (value wise) and much preferred.

[Anonymous]

I know some college cheerleaders and a few NFL cheerleaders. The college educated cheerleaders just go on to regular jobs.

I know a company that recruit college cheerleaders, it is a bit of a joke, but in reality the hiring manager says it's pathetic that people joke about it. The training is amazing, they work hard, are required to maintain a much higher GPA than other athletes, have amazing customer service skills and can do presentations and talk to customers.