The bad news about cheerleading and dance squad positions in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and other professional leagues is that these are far from full-time positions.
But if you enjoy fitness, choreography, and representing a team, you may enjoy these positions.
Tryouts
To secure one of the positions on the squad, teams typically conduct tryouts. Team websites typically list when these tryouts will be conducted.
Securing a spot on the roster of 30 or 40 is not easy. For instance, the Los Angeles Lakers report that 500 women tried out for the 2009-’10 Laker Girls dance squad.
Some cheerleaders have college experience but it’s important to note that many professional teams place more emphasis on dancing. So, many professional cheerleaders have backgrounds in dance and fitness.
Some teams require cheerleaders to live somewhere close to the home of the team they represent.
Pay
As I said earlier, the pay does not amount to much. NFL cheerleaders are paid about $50 a game, so a ten-game home schedule only amounts to about $500 a year. Positions with NBA teams, which offer more home games, could add up to more pay.
There may be some added opportunities to make some money through public appearances and promotional items like calendars. Some squads also conduct youth camps in cheerleading, dance, and fitness.
Still for the time involved, the pay certainly is not a main motivator. Cheerleaders typically practice at least four hours a week.
Cheerleaders and dance squad members typically hold down a full-time job but the extra income certainly doesn’t hurt.