Winnipeg Blue Bombers Game Day

8 HOME GAME PLAYBOOK SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2015 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FEATURED ATTRACTION T he Blue Bomber Cheer and Dance Team will be front and centre in the week leading up to the big game, making a number of appearances at various events across the city, including the Grey Cup Festival Santa Claus Parade. One of the highlights of Grey Cup Week will be the CFL Cheer Extravaganza, an annual head-to-head competition featuring all nine of the league's cheer squads. This year's competition will take place Saturday, Nov. 28 between noon and 2 p.m. at the University of Winnipeg's Duckworth Centre. "Definitely one of the most exciting moments for our team is the Cheer Extravaganza," says Jennifer Mathieson, manager of the Cheer and Dance Team. "It's a huge deal." CFL fans across the country cast votes to determine the winner of the Cheer Extravaganza. Videos of each squad's performance are posted online, including on each team's social media pages, where fans can vote for their favourite team or best performance. Whichever team receives the most votes will be named the winner with the top squad to be announced at the end of the festival. There will definitely be some pressure on the home team at this year's event. The Bomber Cheer and Dance Team received the most votes at last year's Grey Cup in Vancouver and come into this year's contest as defending champions. "Yeah, we're definitely looking to come in and defend our title," says Mathieson, laughing. Cheerleaders have been an integral part of Bomber history for more than half a century, but the squad has undergone something of a transformation during the past few seasons. Formerly known as The Bomberettes, The Blue Brigade and more recently the Blue Lightning Dance Team, it was renamed the Blue Bomber Cheer and Dance Team prior to the start of the 2014 season. The change was made to reflect the fact the team now incorporates stunting and gymnastics and is no longer solely a dance squad. Another big change was the addition of male athletes to the team in 2012, making it one of four co-ed cheer squads in the CFL (Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Ottawa are the others). "In an effort to grow with the times and (grow) the sport, the decision was made to go co-ed," Mathieson says. "There was an interest in having the guys come aboard and be part of the team. The club really welcomed that. "It's brought a different dynamic to the team. It brought in the extreme stunts — the tumbling, the high flying, the skills. The cheer world has definitely changed a lot over the years and keeps on growing and changing and this was just the direction it was going in." Just as the name and focus of the Bomber cheer team has changed, so too has its membership. Nearly two-thirds of the team are former gymnasts who were looking for a new outlet for their skills after retiring from competition. Still, making the team requires far more than just knowing how to tumble or do a backflip. Well over 100 people attend the team's annual tryouts each spring, when they are taught routines and skills which they must perform in front of a panel of judges. They must then go through a rigorous interview process before the final 32-40 member roster is determined. Although athletic ability is important, Mathieson says it comes down to far more than that. "Being a part of the team is not just about the performance," she says. "You've also got to be a spokesperson and a role model and an ambassador. There's a whole professional side of being a member that we have to make sure they are qualified for." Mathieson says one of the biggest challenges for her squad is keeping the crowd at Investors Group Field pumped up when the home team is struggling on the field. "It's hard, it's really hard … to sometimes keep the energy level up in the stadium," she says. "(But) they genuinely enjoy what they're doing. That helps. They refocus themselves on … that energy, that fun and why they're there in the stadium. They get pumped up by that and they pump each other up on the sidelines and get each other going. The next thing you know the fans are commenting and clapping." While a CFL player can make a six-figure salary, members of the Bomber Cheer and Dance Team volunteer 100% of their time. And the time commitment can be considerable. Team members contribute an average of 60-80 hours each season when you factor in games, charitable events and other public appearances. "By the time the season is done it's pretty substantial," Mathieson says. "It's actually a good thing, though. That means there's a demand for the team to be out there in the community and that people appreciate them and want to meet them. If we get a lot of requests for them to be out there in the community that means we are doing good." [ Hip, hip, hooray for the cheer squad By Jim Timlick for the Winnipeg Free Press AT LEAST ONE HOME TEAM HAS BEEN GUARANTEED A SPOT IN WINNIPEG'S GREY CUP FESTIVITIES SINCE THE START OF THE SEASON. "Being a part of the team is not just about the performance, you've also got to be a spokesperson and a role model and an ambassador." The Blue Bomber Cheer and Dance Team went co-ed in 2012 — a move that led to more extreme stunts, such as this high-flying act performed at Investors Group Field on July 19, 2013. Photo by Melissa Tait Inset: Manager Jennifer Mathieson says the team is looking forward to defending its champion title at the Cheer Extravaganza during the 103rd Grey Cup Festival. Squads from all nine CFL teams perform at the University of Winnipeg's Duckworth Centre on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Photo by Darcy Finley

• Cover