09/29 — Hi, Jets fans, it’s Flight Crew member Christie.

I hope everyone enjoyed the great game last weekend against the Tennessee Titans. Despite the rain, the Flight Crew had a great time cheering on the players! The game wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without our devoted and enthusiastic fans. We truly have the best fans in the NFL!

The Flight Crew concluded our three-month training camp two weeks ago and we couldn’t be more thrilled to finally be on the field in front of 80,000 fans. While at a game last year, I saw the Flight Crew perform and knew immediately I wanted to be a part of what they were doing. That week, I got to work and began training for the New York Jets Flight Crew auditions, which were held in May. Although auditions for the 2010-11 squad are eight months away, it couldn’t hurt to begin preparing now.

Here are some of my audition preparation tips for any aspiring professional cheerleaders. For those of you who would simply like to know what kind of work goes into preparing for a life changing event such as becoming an NFL cheerleader, you now have eight months to find out!

Put Your Plans on Paper

Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to plan, you are planning to fail." This holds true for every aspect of a person's life, including the life of a cheerleader. Write down what it is you would like to achieve and underneath assess what you will do to reach that goal. By seeing your plans on paper, it makes them appear more realistic, and thus you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

Do Your Homework

You wouldn’t stand up in front of a room full of people and make a speech without researching the topic beforehand, right? The same kind of preparation needs to be put in place for a professional cheerleading audition. Research the teams you are interested in auditioning for by watching them perform at a season game, attending an event where they will be interacting with fans, or by visiting their official website and checking out their performance footage. All will help you get a better grasp on what they’re all about.

You can gather from their choreography if they are a more jazz or hip-hop oriented team and what level of dance technique they work with. You will also be enlightened as to what kind of women they are by speaking with them, or what image their team portrays by viewing their Website photographs. This is the time to decide which team you would like to be a part of and devote a good portion of your life to. Once you’ve decided, write them down along with their audition dates and get to work!

Pump Some Iron

Professional cheerleading team auditions demand athleticism. Routines are choreographed to fast music and taught at a competitive pace. You will need to build stamina and muscle if you are looking to get past the preliminary round of any audition. If you are not working out on a weekly basis now, start hitting the gym 1-2 days a week and add on days each month.

Begin by walking or jogging for 30 minutes to get your heart rate up and lifting light weights (3-5 pounds) to develop muscle in your arms, legs and back. Another excellent exercise would be Pilates — this really helped me develop long, lean muscles in addition to building up my stamina and flexibility before auditions.

Track your progress by writing down your weight and measurements at the start, middle and end of your eight-month audition prep. Again, putting your goals down on paper will help you stay focused and reminded of what you’re working towards.

Become a Dancing Machine

Devote as much time as possible to taking dance class before the week of auditions. Aim to try new classes that are out of your comfort zone or on a more advanced level. Doing this will make you a more well-rounded, seasoned dancer, which is something the judges look for! Now is the time to be a sponge and absorb everything you can. From jumps to leaps to turns, learn it now and perfect it within these eight months.

Adapting to new choreography is crucial if you are an NFL cheerleader. Memorizing new chorography is a challenge many women on the Flight Crew experience. We learn 20 or 30 routines within a three-month span, so developing a way to memorize new material becomes a top priority. Memorization tricks, such as giving each move a name; will help you remember what move comes next. Eventually, putting all these names together will flow much like a song, making it almost impossible to forget.

Honor Your Bravery

Denise Garvey, the Flight Crew's director, once told us that we should be proud just to have attended the auditions because half the battle is putting yourself out there. Many women would love to audition for a professional team. However, the reality is that many do not have the courage. Realize that what you are about to embark on is going to be a difficult but well worth it once you arrive at auditions. You will be competing amongst 200 or 300 women who all share the same dream. Make sure you are prepared to shine and show the judges what they would be missing if they didn’t take you on board.

If you are brave enough to audition for an NFL cheerleading team, you can make it through these next eight months. Believe in yourself and keep your goals in check!

Stay tuned for more information on what you can do to be performance-ready around the four-month and two-month mark. Good luck with the start of your journey and we look forward to seeing you in May!

— Christie