Interested in being a member of the 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders? Auditions for this elite squad will begin in late March
Do a quick search on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders, right here on this site, and you'll see an amazing array of experiences. Trips to Germany, Egypt and Turkey. Countless high-profile appearances around the Bay area. Super Bowl support. Profiles in national magazines. Team-building getaways.
Another search is about to begin, as the team prepares to form the 2005 version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders. Women intrigued by the above experiences, as well as the opportunity to entertain 65,000 fans at every Buccaneer home game, should circle this date on their calendars: Saturday, April 2.
The Buccaneers fielded one of the elite cheerleading squads in the NFL last year, a group of 28 beautiful, talented and diverse women who represented the football team everywhere from Raymond James Stadium to Rhein, Germany. As pleased as the organization was with its cheerleaders in 2004, it hopes to form an even more remarkable squad in 2005.
"As always, we had a fantastic squad last year," said Sandy Charboneau, the Buccaneers' cheerleading coordinator. "But our goal is to get better every year, and we know there are outstanding women out there who can help us form the best cheerleading squad in the NFL."
This year's tryouts will be held at the University of South Florida's Sun Dome Corral, and the process will actually begin on March 28-30 with a series of pre-audition workshop classes. The classes are designed to give candidates an overview of the upcoming auditions, as well as what to expect during the rest of the year if they make the team. Two classes are scheduled on each of the three nights; candidates need only attend one class.
Pre-audition classes are not mandatory for women who wish to try out for the squad. The open auditions begin on April 2, with semifinals scheduled for April 3 and the finals covering three days, from April 5-7. The final results – the women who will make up the 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders – will be posted on Buccaneers.com at noon on April 8.
For more detailed information, please visit our cheerleader audition information page.
Those who make the team will add a significant new chapter to their lives.
"It is definitely a major time commitment," said Charboneau. "Joining our squad has great, great rewards, but it is also very demanding. Very few women get to be an NFL cheerleader, and it involves a lot of hard work and a lot of great rewards. Performing in front of huge crowds, traveling the world, meeting other incredible women – it can be the experience of a lifetime."
The Buccaneers are looking for women who will represent the team in the best way possible, women like Pro Bowl cheerleader Leigh Vollmer, who is currently at the NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii. There is no specific blueprint for a Buccaneer Cheerleader, which makes the audition process so crucial. Last year, 15 of the 28 members of the squad were new to the team.
"We're looking for well-rounded women," said Charboneau. "Our team is always so diverse, everybody comes in from different places, different experiences to make one great team. Some have professional careers, some are still in school, some have been cheering all their lives and some are just looking for a new experience. We usually end up with a squad that is representative of the community as a whole."
More than 500 women tried out for the squad in 2004 and the Buccaneers are expecting at least that many applicants in 2005. With so many people to evaluate, the most successful candidates will be those who can make a quick impression.
"There isn't one specific thing we are looking for," said Charboneau. "We just want to see somebody stand out. We know that everyone on the squad is going to be beautiful and physically fit, with a vibrant personality and a willingness to give back to the community. We're looking for somebody who is going to capture our judges' attention right away."
