Jets Flight Crew

Last updated
Jets Flight Crew
Formation2006;18 years ago (2006)
Director
Denise Garvey
Captain
Gina G
AffiliationsNew York Jets
Website Official Website
Formerly called
  • Jets Flag Crew (2006)
  • New York Jets Flight Crew (2007–2022)

The New York Jets Flight Crew, recognized as the official cheerleading squad for the New York Jets, a prominent team in the National Football League (NFL). This dynamic group was originally founded in 2006 under the name New York Jets Flag Crew, featuring a small ensemble of six talented female flag carriers. Among them was Gina G., a standout from Kings Park, New York, whose exceptional performance skills and leadership were instrumental in driving the crew to immediate success and popularity.

Contents

The crowd went wild, and the demand for more excitement from the squad grew, leading to the formation of the inaugural New York Jets Flight Crew in 2007. This transformation marked a new chapter, as the team expanded and embraced a full cheerleading format. The Flight Crew quickly became a beloved part of the Jets’ game-day experience, capturing the spirit of the fans and adding an electrifying presence to the sidelines. Their choreographed routines, high-energy performances, and infectious smiles captivated the audience, solidifying their role as a vital component of the Jets’ tradition.

Currently, the Flight Crew is on hiatus until 2024 as they undergo a rebranding initiative. Despite this pause in performances, the members of the squad remain actively engaged in charitable endeavors, representing the Jets at various community events and continuing to make a positive impact.

History

Jets Flag Crew

The Jets Flag Crew made its debut on October 15, 2006, during a highly anticipated home game against their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins. This marked a significant moment for the New York Jets, as the team introduced this unique squad to enhance the game-day experience. The Jets emphasized that the crew consisted of talented female members who took on the role of "flag carriers," distinguishing themselves from traditional cheerleaders. This innovative approach was designed to bring a fresh energy to the sidelines while still honoring the longstanding tradition of cheerleading in the NFL. The crew's primary function was to energize the crowd and showcase their support for the team through vibrant flag displays and engaging performances. [1] The team stressed that the crew, composed of females who relieved their male counterparts, were "flag carriers" and not cheerleaders. [1] [2]

Jets Flight Crew

Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders aboard the amphibious transport USS New York (LPD-21) US Navy 091103-N-2147L-002 A Marine speaks with New York Jets cheerleaders aboard the amphibious transport dock ship Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) New York (LPD 21). New York is New York is pierside in New York and will be comm.jpg
Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders aboard the amphibious transport USS New York (LPD-21)
Flight Crew members perform in a 2009 game against the Philadelphia Eagles New York Jets cheerleaders.jpg
Flight Crew members perform in a 2009 game against the Philadelphia Eagles
A Flight Crew member in a 2009 game against the Philadelphia Eagles New York Jets cheerleader.jpg
A Flight Crew member in a 2009 game against the Philadelphia Eagles

The Jets officially announced the creation of the Jets Flight Crew on August 7, 2007. [3] The Flag Crew had been well received the previous year, and the team felt it best to take the next step and organize an official squad that could actively participate during home games. [4] The intention of the crew was to "enhance the overall fan experience by bringing additional energy and enthusiasm to each home game." [3]

Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders, with Jets Flight Crew Director Denise Garvey, during a 2008 game against the Miami Dolphins Jets-Cheerleaders-Dec-28-08.jpg
Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders, with Jets Flight Crew Director Denise Garvey, during a 2008 game against the Miami Dolphins

Denise Garvey, a former Knicks City Dancer and Cowboys cheerleader, was brought in to coordinate the squad. [3] Given her expertise and experience in performance and dance, Garvey, with the support of the organization, held closed auditions, inviting 46 young women to try out for the squad. [3] Of the 46, ten were chosen to become the first members of the Jets Flight Crew. [3] The organization continued to stress that the squad was not cheerleaders but rather a unique flag carrier/dance team. [5]

Following their inaugural season, the Flight Crew held open auditions for the first time in 2008, increasing the number of members from 10 to 22, as the squad had been well received among the fans in 2007. [6] [7] The Jets announced their partnership with Marc Eckō, founder of Eckō Unltd., who agreed to design the Flight Crew's 2008 uniforms. [8]

The Flight Crew was expanded from 22 to 30 members in 2009. [9] In 2010, the Jets, again, increased the size of the crew to as many as 40 members with Garvey noting that "We want to be the biggest presence we can be in the new stadium." [10]

Calendar

In 2009, a Flight Crew swimsuit calendar was introduced, a testament to the squad's growing importance within the organization and in the community. [11] The 2010 calendar featured members of the 2009 squad on beaches in New York and New Jersey while Linda W. served as the cover model. [11] [12] The following year, shooting for the 2011 calendar took place in Aruba. [13]

Junior Program

Jets Junior Flight Crew

The organization introduced the Jets Junior Flight Crew in 2010, a junior program that offers children the opportunity to train with the Flight Crew while improving their "talent and abilities in a non-competitive environment." [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheerleading</span> Athletic activity based on cheering for a team

Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience, or for competition. Cheerleading routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting. Cheerleading originated in the United States, where it has become a tradition. It is less prevalent in the rest of the world, except via its association with American sports or organized cheerleading contests.

<i>Bring It On</i> (film) 2000 film directed by Peyton Reed

Bring It On is a 2000 American teen comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jessica Bendinger. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford and Gabrielle Union. The plot of the film centers around two high school cheerleading teams' preparation for a national competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleader squad

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the National Football League cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys team.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is an American reality television series that aired on CMT from September 29, 2006, to November 27, 2021. The series follows the auditioning process and the forming of the Dallas Cowboys' annual Cheerleading squad. The series features director Kelli McGonagill Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Jills</span> Defunct NFL cheerleader squad

The Buffalo Jills were the cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional American football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NFL Cheerleading</span> Professional cheerleading organization for the NFL

National Football League Cheerleading or simply NFL Cheerleading, is a group of professional cheerleading organizations in the United States. 24 of the 32 NFL teams include a cheerleading squad in their franchise. In 1954, the Baltimore Colts became the first NFL team to have cheerleaders. They were part of Baltimore's Marching Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA cheerleading</span>

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league with teams in the United States and Canada. Nearly every team, with one exception, has a squad of dancers for cheerleading that are usually involved in dancing, charity work, fundraisers, and modeling. However, the #MeToo Movement has resulted in many NBA teams replacing their all-girl dance teams with family-friendly hype teams in recent years.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleader squad

The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders is the professional cheerleading squad of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. The squad performs a variety of dance moves at the Hard Rock Stadium, the home stadium of the Dolphins. The Dolphins Cheerleaders released an annual swimsuit calendar every year. The squad hosts auditions every May. Like most other squads in the league, the MDC also has a youth cheer squad and help mentor young girls in the Miami area. The squad also makes USO trips. Every year, the MDC sends a cheerleader to the Pro Bowl. The MDC also sends a number of alumni to the Indian Premier League every year.

The Chicago Honey Bears were a cheerleading squad for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The group performed at Bears games at Soldier Field. After Super Bowl XX, the squad was disbanded, and currently, the Bears are one of the eight NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders, along with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New England Patriots Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleader squad

The New England Patriots Cheerleaders (NEPC) are the official cheerleading squad of the NFL's New England Patriots first formed in 1971. The cheerleaders also make appearances off the field and overseas with Patriots mascot Pat Patriot, and also has a Junior Patriots Cheerleaders, with girls of ages 7–17 being allowed to join. The New England Patriots Cheerleader also mentor the young girls by enriching their interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleading squad

The Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders are a cheerleading and dance squad for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Along with the Seattle Seahawks Dancers, the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders and the Washington Commanders' Command Force, the Ravens squad is a co-ed squad, with the female cheerleaders doing various dance moves, and the males working on stunts, as in traditional cheerleading. The group was founded in 1998, and currently consists of 48 members. The squad performs at the Ravens home stadium M&T Bank Stadium. The squad's director is Tina Galdieri, who cheered at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, as well as the World League of American Football's Barcelona Dragons, and also led the University of Maryland's cheerleading squad to a national championship in 1999. The squad also has a "Lil Ravens" summer program, and unlike the other squads, boys also are permitted to join. The group makes various appearances at parties and corporate functions throughout the year. The female members of the squad also has a swimsuit calendar, with their 2012 calendar taking place in the Bahamas. The squad currently has 31 female members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Texans Cheerleaders</span> Official cheerleading squad of the Houston Texans professional football team

The Houston Texans Cheerleaders are the official cheerleading squad of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Although they are marketed as cheerleaders, they are actually a dance team. The group has been with the team since the team's inception in 2002. The squad's tryouts were held at the Methodist Training Center from 2002 to 2019. Since 2021, the squad hold auditions at the local gym called Texans Fit. The group currently has 35 members. Yearly, the squad releases a swimsuit calendar, having done so since 2008-2016. Currently they release as "sideline calendar" which features pictures of the cheerleaders on their game day activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders</span> Cheerleading squad for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL

The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders are the cheerleading squad of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. The squad performs a variety of dance moves during home games at Nissan Stadium, and performs with Titans mascot T-Rac, as well as their junior squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Broncos Cheerleaders</span> Official cheerleading squad of the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos Cheerleaders are the official cheerleading squad of the Denver Broncos. In addition to performing on game days, the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders annually commit close to 1,000 hours to various charities and events in Denver and the state of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleader squad

The Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders are the cheerleading squad of the Philadelphia Eagles, who plays in the NFL. The squad features 38 women. The squad debuted in 1948 as the Eaglettes, and became the Liberty Belles in the 1970s, and became the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders in the 1980s. In April, the squad holds annual auditions at the Kimmel Center, with the final auditions being aired on PhiladelphiaEagles.com. The squad, was unique in that it released a swimsuit calendar, but the Eagles Cheerleaders have also released it on Android, as well as iOS for $1.99. Today, the Eagles Cheerleaders releases a booklet about the squad. The squad's director, Barbara Zaun, was a titleholder for Miss USA and Miss America, and also coordinated the Eagles Cheerleaders for Super Bowl XXXIX, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, as well as various photo shoots. The squad also makes off-field appearances. The squad has also made an appearance at the 2012 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders also act as advocates of female empowerment in the Philadelphia area and act as mentors to young girls and women.

The Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders are the official cheer squad for the Minnesota Vikings. The squad performs at every home game at the U.S. Bank Stadium, the home stadium of Minnesota. Before the squad's introduction in 1984, The Vi-Queens (1961–63) and the St. Louis Park High School Parkettes performed Edina High School Hornettes and Minneapolis Roosevelt High School Rockettes in 1966. In 1984, the MVC were started. The group currently has 35 members. The squad, like other groups in the league, releases a swimsuit calendar annually since 2001. The squad also makes off-field appearances at parades, schools, and charity events. Like other NFL cheerleading squads, the MVC also has a "Junior Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders" program, which has various divisions: Junior Angel Division is for girls aged 3–5, and Junior Cheerleader Division is for girls aged 6–14. The MVC also helps mentor the Junior Cheerleaders by enriching their interests. In April, the MVC hosts tryouts at Winter Park. From when the division was founded in 2002 to 2016, when the Detroit Lions Cheerleaders were re established, the Vikings were the only team in the NFC North with a cheerleading squad.

Laura Lynette Vikmanis is an American dietitian, personal trainer, and dancer who was a professional cheerleader for the Cincinnati Ben–Gals, the cheerleading squad of the Cincinnati Bengals. She was the oldest cheerleader in National Football League history, at 40 years of age when she joined in 2009. She is also a co-author of the book It's Not About the Pom-Poms.

<i>Bring It On: The Musical</i> Musical

Bring It On: The Musical is a musical with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda, and book by Jeff Whitty. The musical, loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name written by Jessica Bendinger, focuses on the competitive world of cheerleading and over-the-top team rivalries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radical cheerleading</span> Performative style of political activism

Radical cheerleading is a performative style of political activism, derived from mainstream cheerleading. Radical cheerleading combines elements of peaceful protest or non-violent direct action with theatrical elements including costuming, spectacle and choreographed dance. Radical cheerleading was created by sisters Cara Jennings, Aimee Jennings and Coleen Jennings in Miami, Florida, USA in 1996. It grew to become an international movement with squads in the United States, Canada and the European Union. Radical cheerleaders create and adapt cheers that promote feminism and left-wing ideals.

References

  1. 1 2 Shorenstein, Marissa (October 22, 2006). "Wave Hello to New Flag Carriers". New York Jets. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  2. ↑ "No Penalty for These Flags". Newsday. October 25, 2006.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Shorenstein, Marissa (August 7, 2007). "Jets Flight Crew Preparing for Takeoff". New York Jets. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Jets' Flight Crew Set for Takeoff". New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. August 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  5. ↑ Allen, Eric (September 4, 2007). "View the Jets Flight Crew Before the Big Debut". New York Jets. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  6. ↑ Jets PR Department (March 20, 2008). "Garvey Paves the Way for Crew's Expansion". New York Jets. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  7. ↑ Jets PR Department (March 5, 2008). "Expanded Flight Crew Announces Open Auditions". New York Jets. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Marc Ecko to Design Flight Crew's '08 Uniforms". New York Jets. May 9, 2008. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  9. ↑ Carlson, Tim (June 9, 2009). "An Official Cheer for the 2009 Flight Crew". New York Jets. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  10. ↑ Allen, Eric (January 27, 2010). "Growing Flight Crew Accepting '10". New York Jets. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  11. 1 2 Lange, Randy (September 10, 2010). "Calendar Event Is a Sign of the Crew's Growth". New York Jets. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Crew's Next Timely Project: Swimsuit Calendar". New York Jets. May 13, 2009. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Auditions, Aruba Calendar Shoot Ahead". New York Jets. April 27, 2010. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  14. ↑ "NY Jets Junior Flight Crew Cheerleader General Information". New York Jets. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.