We know it’s not easy to become a professional cheerleader! The NFL, NBA, and other teams’ audition processes are demanding, and each has their own unique requirements. And cheerleading isn’t your day job yet!
Keeping track of everything you need to do pre-audition can be tough, but we’ve got you covered. The five-step checklist below will keep you organized and on-track in the months before your audition. We know that if you do these things, you’ll have a great chance of making the team!
1 – Keep In Shape Up to the Big Day
We know you’ve (literally) been working your butt off to prepare for your audition. You’ve been exercising non-stop, working on your flexibility, and practicing your routines.
But while you might think you want to take it easy in the weeks leading up to your audition, we’ve found that’s just not the case. Audition days are LONG, and you’re going to want to be able to dance your best throughout the process.
At the same time, you’ll also want to look your best at your audition! Auditions (and pre-audition workshops) are your first chance to make an impression on the team’s trainers and coaches. So you’ll want to make sure you’re in the best shape of your life on the big day.
In addition to all that exercising and flexibility training, you’ll want to watch your diet as you work out. As Pro Cheer Life says, “you won’t be able to benefit from your workouts without the right nutrition.” Keeping your diet clean, and high in protein and fiber, will make sure you not only look your best, but feel your best on audition day.
2 – Do Your Research
Like we said above, every pro team’s cheer audition process looks just a bit different. For example, some teams require that you wear their colors while auditioning, while others will let you try out in any glamourous crop top or two-piece outfit.
While the requirements will vary, what’s most important is that you read and adhere to them carefully! You don’t want to miss out on your big chance because you breezed through a bullet point or two. In the months before your audition, make sure to find your team’s audition requirements. Then, meet or exceed them on the big day.
For those who want to do more than just basic research, we recommend some friendly social media stalking. As TheTalko says, most pro teams now post videos of their audition processes online. They’re also offering pre-audition classes that can help you put your best foot forward on the big day! You can use these videos and classes to see exactly what your team is looking for, and incorporate those things into your audition.
If you want to go even deeper, you can search for photos from previous auditions or reach out to cheerleaders who have already made the team. The important thing is to make sure you’re as prepared as you can be, and that you’re ready to meet the team’s audition expectations.
3 – Nail Your Audition Costume, Hair, and Make-up
Alright! You’ve done your research, and you’re in the best shape of your life. Now it’s time to finalize your audition day look – by finding the best costume and practicing your hair and make-up.
Again, your overall goal should be to meet your team’s expectations, while also standing out! Your look should complement the team’s appearance and atmosphere, which means your costume should ideally match the team’s colors and design style. At the same time, your costume should also show off YOUR personality, so don’t be afraid to bling it out a little bit!
Most teams ask dancers to wear their hair down on audition day, because you’ll also do so when you perform. So you’ll want to figure out a down hairstyle that emphasizes your best facial features, while also working with whatever routine you plan to perform!
Finally, your make-up should complement your skin tone, your hair, and your outfit. To get a sense of the look you should be going for, refer to all that research you did above! Most teams post close-up shots of their current cheerleaders, which you can use as a reference when crafting your look. You’ll likely see those ladies wearing sweat-proof eyeliner and mascara, two products you should stock up on.
4 – Prepare to Be Professional and Personable (In Person and Online)
If you follow the game plan we laid out above, you’ll be prepared to look, feel, and dance your best on audition day. But remember, a pro cheer audition is more than a competition. It’s also a job interview!
As such, you’ll want to be as personable and professional as can be during your audition interview. You need to show your potential new bosses that you’re easy to work with, highly motivated, and (most importantly) coachable! You also need to show that you’ll be a steward of the team’s professional reputation.
In line with that, be sure to clean up your social media accounts if needed! Professional cheerleaders act as an extension of their team’s brand. And if your team’s coaches and trainers find any reason to think that you won’t be a good fit, they’re likely to cut you from consideration.
5 – Get Excited!
And finally, be prepared to have fun! It’s not every day that you’ll get to try out for a professional cheer team. So prepare as much as you can, but don’t let your preparation stop you from enjoying yourself. After all, this is your dream! So get out there and do your best to achieve – while making sure to have fun along the way.
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We love helping auditioning cheerleaders look their best on their big day! Check out some of our audition costumes here, or contact us now to get us started on your audition uniform.