Local Cheerleaders Leading the Nation
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Like every other twenty something young lady, I recently went to see Trainwreck with my girlfriends.
While the film is a comedic goldmine, it’s got some pretty heavy political messages too, especially when it come to gender inequality and stereotypes. There’s a particular scene where Amy criticises and mocks the Knicks City Dancers (the cheerleaders for the NY Knicks) and her boyfriend points out that they’re hard workers who bring people together.
There’s some real truth to that statement. When you stop and think about it, cheerleaders are pretty amazing. They’re the epitome of “trying”. On top of looking gorgeous, smiling, entertaining fans and bringing people joy, they spend hours learning choreography and practicing routines, not to mention the commitment to looking healthy and fit and the grooming that’s required to look so glamorous.
And yes, they most certainly bring people together. Not just athletes and fans in the sense that sports in general bring people together, but a network of dancers, beauticians, fans, fitness industry professionals and more who contribute to the operation of cheerleading squads for Rugby League teams across Australia and New Zealand.
Gabrielle Ide and Alaina Brown were cheerleaders for the Canberra Raiders when they met and identified a lack of connection between Australia and New Zealand’s Rugby League Cheer Squads, and the opportunities that such a connection would present. Because of this, they created Cheer Nation, a network that connects women to each other and to services that share their interest and passion for fitness, health, beauty, and of course, cheerleading.
With a combined seven year’s experience in cheerleading in Canberra, these girls are all too familiar with the joys associated with cheerleading for a Rugby League Cheer Squad.
However, they’re also acutely aware of it’s challenges. Unlike the football teams they cheer for, professional sports cheerleaders in Australia and New Zealand are virtually unsupported in the context of major sponsors. This places a significant financial burden on those involved, to the tune of up to $1500 or more each year in participating costs, which are not always able to be recouped through cheerleading payments. Add to this the cost of training gear, cheer shoes, hair, makeup and tanning products and the dollars add up pretty quickly.
Alaina and Gabrielle point out that this is compared to professional sports cheerleaders in the American National Football League (NFL) who not only receive a salary, but have access to personal trainers and nutritionists.
Initially, the duo sought to connect fellow rugby league cheerleaders and to provide a forum for professional sports cheerleaders to share their experiences, to learn from and inspire each other. After receiving a high level of interest from cheerleaders in the broader cheerleading industry, Alaina and Gabrielle decided to expand the scope of the network to include all cheerleaders, providing a cheerleading network that has the greatest depth of knowledge, skills and experience available. With this interest, the girls teamed up with a number of business to provide beauty, health and fitness services, and Cheer Nation was born.
I caught up with the girls to learn more about this great initiative.
Ashleigh: Can you tell me about your individual experiences in Cheerleading?
Alaina and Gabrielle: “Professional cheerleading has had a positive influence on both our lives. We have had a number of different experiences cheerleading, but our highlights would be performing at the 2013 ANZAC Test Match in front of a sellout crowd at GIO Stadium, and being selected as entrants in the Big League Magazine’s Cheerleader of the Year competition for 2012 and 2013. Most importantly, cheerleading has enabled us to lead healthy and active lifestyles, make close friendships and contribute to the Canberra community.
We always made the most of the opportunities that were provided to us during our professional cheerleading careers. Though, in this time, we aspired to greater opportunities, resources and support, which led us to create Cheer Nation.”
How did you select ‘The Squad’? What was the reaction that you had from local businesses?
“We wanted to provide the network with the quality of service that we would expect in our own lives and as a result selected ‘The Squad’ based upon our own personal experiences with their services. Each squad member is a qualified professional in their industry, takes great pride in their work, and has a passion for educating and inspiring, which we knew would assist our Cheer Nation members to reach their full potential.
It was also important to us that ‘The Squad’ understood, and had the experience with, the cheerleading industry to ensure that all professional advice and recourses provided were beneficial to the network. Sam (Cloud 9 MUA) is a former Canberra Raiders Cheerleader, Jess (Jessica Peris Beauitque) has serviced a number of the Canberra Raiders Cheerleaders for the past 5 years, and Joe (Real Results Fitness), is a former NFL player, worked with NFL cheerleaders as part of his NFL team commitments.
We have received an unexpected amount of support and encouragement from businesses locally, and nationally. Without the commitment and hard work of our business partners, Cheer Nation would not be what it is today!”
Do you think the sport/industry needs to change in order to fully support and recognize cheerleaders?
“All professional cheerleaders in Australia and New Zealand have skills that afford them the capacity to do more than on-field performances. Maximising every cheerleader’s contribution to sport, and entrusting cheerleaders with broader and more meaningful roles, would be beneficial to both the cheerleading and sporting industry’s. Through Cheer Nation, this is possible.
What do women have to gain the most from joining Cheer Nation?
Cheer Nation is made up of past, present and future cheerleaders, as well as people from the general public. These meembers gain resources and access to opportunities that would otherwise not be available due to financial or other constraints. We recently advertised the auditions for the Sydney Blue Sox Cheer Squad to the network and it was through these advertisements that a number of Cheer Nation members in NSW become aware of, and subsequently attended, the auditions. It was so rewarding for us to receive personal thank you messages from the girls who benefitted from this.
Cheer Nation members also gain the support that comes from belonging to a community and networking with people who have shared interests.”
Can you tell me a bit more about the scholarships that you offer?
“There are two scholarships on offer, in the form of financial aid: an Entertainment Scholarship for the most deserving entertainer who has displayed promise in the performing arts, and is planning to pursue an education or career in the industry; and a Leadership Scholarship for the most deserving individual who has displayed a flare for leadership, and contributes to raising the profile of women in sport.
Through these scholarships, we hope to alleviate some of the financial burden experienced by cheerleaders in reaching their full potential.
Applications are open to all members in the network, who can also nominate a fellow cheerleader within Cheer Nation to receive a scholarship.
Applications will be assessed by an independent judging panel and awarded to the most deserving candidates who can best use the Cheer Nation scholarships to achieve a goal that would otherwise be unattainable without the provision financial aid.
The scholarships will be presented at the 2015 Cheer Nation Ball on 12 December at Establishment in Sydney.”
How do you balance working full time jobs and running Cheer Nation?
“We are very cautious of maintaining a work life balance. We catch up at least once per week, either over breakfast at one of our favourite cafes or at the gym, and prioritise the tasks that we both need to complete for Cheer Nation in the upcoming week. Despite working full time, we do not find it difficult to find the time outside of work to run Cheer Nation as it is something that we both find enjoyment in, and feel strongly about. It helps that we have such positive reinforcement from our members and the general public!
We also make sure to have ‘non-Cheer Nation’ related catch-ups so that our friendship does not become purely business based, and dedicate time to spend with other friends and family and to perform other activities when needed.”
Tell me a bit more about the Cheer Nation Ball
“The Cheer Nation Ball is the biggest event on the Cheer Nation calendar, and is a way for the network’s cheerleaders to come together and celebrate their collective achievements in 2015.
This event is scheduled for Saturday 12th December at Establishment in Sydney, due to the concentration of cheerleaders in the area when compared to other major cities in Australia. We are expecting at least 120 guests in total to be in attendance, not only from Sydney, but from across Australia and New Zealand.
The Ball will host a runway show featuring some of our favourite Australian brands, and there will be lots of prizes and giveaways for all guests on the night. There will also be a special guest speaker who will share their own personal story about being a woman in the sporting industry.”
What do you look for in a Cheer Nation Captain and what does that role involve?
“We look for driven individuals who want to contribute to increasing opportunities for, and recognition of the role of, cheerleaders and women in sport. Applicants must also be proven role models, and have personal or professional goals and aspirations to develop, or build their, professional skills and experience beyond performing.
The role of the Cheer Nation Captain is to represent Cheer Nation as an ‘Ambassador’ in their location. This involves organising, hosting and promoting events in their city. We currently have three Cheer Nation Captains – two based in Canberra, and one based in Sydney – all of which are currently planning their first events.”
What’s your long term vision/dream for Cheer Nation?
“Our aim is for Cheer Nation to be endorsed by the sports industry’s that utilise cheerleaders, and through this, develop a ‘Cheer Nation Cheer Squad Certification’ to ensure that all professional cheerleaders are working under a set of standard.”
For more information about Cheer Nation, visit their website.
Image courtesy of Robert Coppa
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