Rams Cheerleader Auditions for the 2008 season are set for April 5. Applications are due by Friday, March 28. Click here for more information on the auditions and to download an application!

By Brett Grassmuck

Staff Writer

As a teenager, Emily had the privilege of getting to know a Rams cheerleader, a sister of her friend. A dancer herself, Emily knew then that she too wanted to become a Rams cheerleader.

When she was old enough, Emily decided to take a chance at the open Rams cheerleader auditions. After a long audition process, she was selected as a Rams cheerleader.

Six years later, Emily has become a staple on the Rams cheerleading squad, and because of her dedication, she was selected to represent her team at the 2008 Pro Bowl inHawaii. 

“Cheering in the Pro Bowl game was definitely an experience of a lifetime,” Emily said.  “There were 26 girls from different teams around the league, and cheering alongside these women was such an honor.  Each girl brought something unique from her team. They were absolutely outstanding to be around.”

Dancing and cheering is a passion for the Granite City ( Ill. ) native and Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville) graduate, and it’s something she’s participated in for most of her life.

Aside from studying ballet, tap and jazz for over 12 years, Emily was a member of her high school dance team and danced for the St. Louis Ambush, the area’s former professional indoor soccer team, for three years.

As for most Rams cheerleaders, Emily has to balance cheerleading with her full-time job, a preschool teacher for four and five-year-olds in Illinois . Finding a balance can be time-consuming, but it’s a task that Emily doesn’t mind having to undertake.

“It is something that I have a huge passion for, so every minute is worth it,” Emily said.  “Fortunately, I have some very close friends on the team, so having practice twice a week is just another time I have the opportunity to see them.”

Just like the players, the Pro Bowl experience for cheerleaders transcends the game and is much more than just another day at the office.

“I am not used to cheering outside in 85-degree weather,” Emily said of adjusting to the Pro Bowl atmosphere. “However, I adapted pretty quick.”

The cheerleaders have several dance numbers to prepare for during the week leading to the Pro Bowl, including a solo-routine prior to the game.

“Hearing my name called over the entire stadium to represent the St. Louis Rams was an amazing feeling,” Emily said. “We performed a halftime show with the band Lifehouse, and we all had so much fun. They were outstanding. The game went by so fast, I kind of had to just sit back and soak it all in before it was over.”

Emily and her fellow cheerleaders didn’t spend all their time at Aloha Stadium, making frequent group trips all across the island to entertain military troops and children’s hospitals. Emily is no stranger to making community stops, as Rams cheerleaders spend a lot of time making similar stops around the St. Louis area.

“I feel like being a cheerleader has helped me grow as a person, socially and physically,” Emily said. “I have also learned so many wonderful things about St. Louis that I was never aware of.  There are so many great charities and organizations that truly help the city.”

Cheering in the Pro Bowl was one of Emily’s most exciting moments, and it all started when she made the team six years prior.