Jacksonville Roar
| Formation | 1995 |
|---|---|
Membership | 34 |
Director | Christy Stechman Zynda |
Captain | Four, rotating |
| Affiliations | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Website | jaguars |
Formerly called | Roar of the Jaguar (1995-2011) Jacksonville Roar (2012-present) |
The Jacksonville Roar is the professional cheerleading squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. The group was established in 1995, the team's inaugural year, and regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests.[1]
History
The Jaguars officially announced the creation of the Roar the year after the franchise was awarded to Jacksonville in 1993. Delores Weaver, wife of the first Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, took a special interest in the cheerleaders when they owned the team. She served as a judge during tryouts, helped design their uniforms and approved their dance routines.[2]
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Tryouts are held each spring and members not returning from the prior year must be replaced. Applicants are judged based on interviews and dance performance.[1][2] Three "cuts" are made to the group of applicants to determine the final roster.[3] Most of the members are students, but other occupations include nurses, hair stylists and an accountant.[4] The squad practices several times each week throughout the year except for March, when auditions are held.[5] Cheerleaders are paid for each game based on years of experience, with rookies earning less than $100.[6]
In addition to performing at games and pep rallies, members function as goodwill ambassadors of the team from May to February.[5] They are frequently joined by team mascot Jaxson de Ville to participate in events in the Jacksonville metropolitan area[7] where they sign autographs and pose for pictures.[5] Jaguars marketing and sales operations manager Steve Livingstone commented, "when the cheerleaders do an autograph signing, the interest is just phenomenal".[2] The Jaguars charge $150 per cheerleader per hour for non-charity appearances.[2] They also join NFL tours to entertain US servicemen around the world.[7][8]
Calendar
In 2006, a Roar swimsuit calendar was introduced, and has been produced each year since.[1]
Junior Roar
Each year, 250 girls age 6-17 participate in the Junior Roar program. A three-day clinic is held at EverBank Field where the cheerleaders from the Roar teach dance skills and engage in teambuilding activities in preparation for the Junior ROAR Production during halftime at a Jaguar game.[9]
Notable members
- Kristin Doakes, President and Co-Founder Professional Cheerleaders Alumni, Inc.
- Shenette Howard, Miss Florida International 2006
- Latricia Allen Ledet, Co-Founder Professional Cheerleaders Alumni, Inc.
- Melanie McAlister, wife of Jaguars' first mascot, Jaxson de Ville (Curtis Dvorak)
- Marsha McCoy - contestant from The Amazing Race 5
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Jacksonville Roar" Football Babble
- ^ a b c d Gurbal, Ashley: "Roar takes center stage during NFL lockout" Jacksonville Business Journal, June 3, 2011
- ^ Wells, Beth: "Wells Watch" Jacksonville.com, May 4, 1997
- ^ "Roster" Jacksonville Roar webpage
- ^ a b c "Cheerleader Appearances" Jacksonville Jaguars website
- ^ Gurbal, Ashley: "Roar takes center stage during NFL lockout" Jacksonville Business Journal, June 3, 2011
- ^ a b "Cheerleader Auditions" Jacksonville Jaguars website
- ^ "Jaxson de Ville, the ROAR to Travel to Middle East to Visit U.S. Armed Forces" Jaguars Press Release, 2001
- ^ "Junior Roar" Jacksonville Jaguars website