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Teen chases Cowboys cheerleader dream

DiettyMix — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

ONALASKA — Alayna Halverson was just 6 years old, but she already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up: a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Now 18 and a senior at Onalaska High School, Halverson chased her dream all the way to the Big D last month and tried out for the storied squad.

No, she didn’t make the team. But the experience, she said, taught her some lessons she’ll remember the rest of her life, namely to never let self-doubt get in the way of a dream.

“I would have regretted not doing it when I had the chance,” Halverson said.

Halverson has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She watched the show “Making the Team” on the CMT network — a program that chronicles the drama of the tryout process — and pictured herself among the hundreds of girls trying out.

With her mother and grandmother’s support and efforts to build her confidence, Halverson overcame the thought of not being good enough.

“Mom sat me down and said it would be the coolest thing she had ever known anyone to do and that she had never done anything that cool,” said Halverson, an all-state dancer.

The tryouts were nothing like she imagined, and she found out the “reality” show “Making the Team” isn’t very real. She and her fellow applicants had to redo several scenes, such as entering the room several times before the camera people approved it all. “The cameras dictated what went on,” Halverson said.

Sixteen years of practicing for the moment evaporated in one single minute of tryout time. Halverson and other applicants had one minute to do a freestyle dance to a musical piece randomly picked by the judges.

She was No. 15 out of 513 girls trying out that day, so there wasn’t much time to worry. There were girls from all over the world, including Japan and North Korea. There were also two grandmothers among those trying out.

Unfortunately, the former Miss Onalaska contestant wasn’t “cute” enough for the Dallas Cowboys. Turns out appearance counted a lot more than performance, Halverson said. “How cute you looked when you were dancing counted for so much more than I thought it would. Here, it’s much more about technique as well as performance.”

Also, she said, it seemed contestants scored bonus points for each glittering rhinestone.

“I was trying to hold back my tears while I left,” she said. “I hardly made it out of the gate. It was very overwhelming and emotional and exhausting.”

For consolation, she remembered a coach once telling her that even if you are the prettiest shade of purple, if they are looking for blue, you’re never going to get it.

The Cowboys were looking for blue, it seems.

She saw a camera focused on her as she left. Halverson lifted her head up.

“As disappointing as it was not to make it, I feel better,” she said. “I thought I would feel like a huge failure. It’s just the opposite.”

What do you guys think about this.

Cowboys Rookies Gather For Charity Work

Appajoplexofe — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:35:44 +0000

Orlando Scandrick doing his rookie charity work back in 2008.

On Wednesday, the newest Dallas Cowboys were introduced to the sort of work with the Salvation Army that goes hand in hand with being a Cowboy, when–according to ESPN Dallas’s count–20 rookies served meals at the Salvation Army Carr P. Collins Social Services Center here in Dallas, a group that included first rounder Morris Claiborne.

“Just helping people,” linebacker Kyle Wilber, the team’s fourth round pick said. “We’re in position right now to help people out and we want to be active in the community, show our faces that we’re just not on the TV screen playing football, but we have a personal life.”

The players present at the event, part of National Salvation Army Week, are all members of the Cowboys’ Rookie Club, which usually gets started around the beginning of the given season. This year, they started early, and the rookies are glad to make their presence felt in the city.

“It’s a great feeling having people look up to you,” undrafted free agent guard Ronald Leary said. “Just seeing the smiles on their faces, they’re grateful and we’re grateful for them.”

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That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Cowboys Rookies Gather For Charity Work

Tess Walters — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:35:44 +0000

Orlando Scandrick doing his rookie charity work back in 2008.

“It’s a great feeling having people look up to you,” undrafted free agent guard Ronald Leary said. “Just seeing the smiles on their faces, they’re grateful and we’re grateful for them.”

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Cowboys' Claiborne eyeing return from surgery

Erophocorce — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:46:42 +0000

Dallas Cowboys rookie Morris Claiborne hopes to be able to return from offseason wrist surgery by the club’s June 12 minicamp, according to ESPN.

“I hope to be fully recovered and ready for that,” Claiborne said.

“I’m so eager and ready,” Claiborne said. “It’s hard just sitting there, watching, knowing you can do it but you’ve just got one small thing wrong with you holding you back. But I’m looking forward to it and trying to push that up.”

Claiborne had initially been expected to be out until the middle of July. The Cowboys selected him with the sixth overall pick in last month’s NFL draft with the assumption he would be ready to play by the time the team had their first full practice July 25.

The 22-year-old won the Jim Thorpe award last year as a member of LSU, and was also selected as a unanimous All-American.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

OHS senior chases Cowboys cheerleader dream

Woodenaropeve — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:48:29 +0000

At 18 years old, Onalaska High School senior Alayna Halverson has already realized a lifelong dream. She recently returned from Dallas, Texas, where she tried out for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team.

She’s elated and proud of herself for trying out, even though she didn’t make the team. Instead Halverson now knows she can overcome her self doubts to go for whatever she wants.

“I would have regretted not doing it when I had the chance,” Halverson said.

Halverson has been dancing since she was 2 years old, she said, and has been dreaming of being a Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader since she was 6. She would watch the show “Making the Team” on the CMT network and picture herself among the hundreds of girls trying out. She said the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are considered the cream of the crop in the cheerleading world.

Her dancing started with her mother, herself a dancer in her younger days. Halverson and her mother, Jennifer Smith, would dance around the kitchen together.

Her dreams began to become reality when she turned 18 and she was able to put her 16 years of dance experience to the test.

With her mother and grandmother supporting her and building up her confidence, Halverson overcame being intimidated by the thought of not being good enough and having seen others at the prep class.

“Mom sat me down and said it would be the coolest thing she had ever known anyone to do and that she had never done anything that cool,” Halverson said.

The May 5 tryouts were nothing like she imagined and she found out the “reality” show “Making the Team” isn’t very real. She and her fellow applicants had to redo several scenes like entering the room several times before the camera people approved it all. “The cameras dictated what went on,” Halverson said.

Lucky for Halverson, her experience as an All-State dancer helped her prepare for anything. She’s been a student at Julie’s School of Dance in Holmen and Misty’s Dance Unlimited in Onalaska, a member of the Warriors baton team and is now the senior captain for the Onalaska High School dance team. She also went to a prep class down in Dallas three weeks prior to the tryouts.

Unfortunately, the former Miss Onalaska contestant wasn’t “cute” enough for the Dallas Cowboys. She said she had a culture shock because she found out appearance counted a lot more than performance. “How cute you looked when you were dancing counted for so much more than I thought it would. Here it’s much more about technique as well as performance.”

Also, she said, it seemed the more rhinestones that were on your outfit, the better.

For consolation, she remembered a coach once telling her that even if you are the prettiest shade of purple, if they are looking for blue, you’re never going to get it. And they were looking for blue.

Before the competition, Halverson had a chance to tour Cowboy Stadium. “It made my stomach drop,” she said. “It was overwhelming — just the thought of dancing on that field.”

Despite the jitters, Halverson felt confident going into the preliminary round.

She was No. 15 out of 513 girls trying out that day, so there wasn’t much time to worry and she didn’t have to watch too many go before her. There were girls from all over the world, including Japan and North Korea. There were also two grandmothers among those trying out.

But Halverson did have to wait for hours as the rest of them finished and a few more hours while the judges deliberated.

The names of those chosen to go to the semi-final round were posted on a big bulletin board and Halverson could barely see through her tears to see if her name was on the board. It wasn’t and she left feeling very dejected, she said.

“I was trying to hold back my tears while I left,” she said. “I hardly made it out of the gate. It was very overwhelming and emotional and exhausting.”

As she was leaving she lifted her head and saw a television camera focused on her and she kept her head up.

“As disappointing as it was not to make it, I feel better,” she said. “I thought I would feel like a huge failure. It’s just the opposite.” She said although it was over so quickly, she was extremely happy with herself and with how she performed.

She’s completely satisfied with herself, she said, because now she can say she actually chased her dream instead of saying “I could have, I should have.”

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Dallas Cowboys Free Agency 2012: Five Key…

Kandifhhb — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:39:10 +0000

The Cowboys had one of the more disappointing seasons in the 2011 NFL Season.

Dallas was on its way to the postseason before losing key games down the stretch to the Giants and Eagles. They finished in third place, out of the playoffs.

Dallas has been extremely active this offseason, trying to fix the holes they had in 2011. They’ve signed more free agents than they have since the 2006 offseason. They’ve lost some players who’s contracts were up, but Dallas has done a good job of filling its needs through the draft and free agency.

Here are five key additions the Cowboys have made during the offseason.

Brandon Carr

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The Cowboys biggest weakness in 2011 was unquestionably its secondary.

Dallas was near the bottom of the league, allowing over 244 yards per game through the air. They lost three of their final four games, which kept them out of the playoffs. In those three losses, the Cowboys allowed over 346 passing yards per contest.

The signing of Brandon Carr addresses the team’s biggest need, while getting the best player available at the position. The cornerback is worth every bit of the $50 million he’ll be receiving from Dallas, considering their need for a star defensive back.

Carr helped Kansas City post the sixth best pass defense in the NFL a season ago, and should help bolster a formerly beleaguered Cowboys secondary.

Morris Claiborne

Not only did the Cowboys pick up the best defensive back in free agency, they also got the best one in the NFL Draft.

Dallas traded up to the sixth overall selection for the right to take Claiborne, the most talented cornerback coming out of college. The move helped the Cowboys turn what was once a weakness into a strength.

Claiborne intercepted 11 passes in his last two seasons at LSU, and can be a dangerous return man. He brings some much needed speed to the Cowboys defense, and should make a big impact in his first season in the league.

Dan Connor

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Grandmother Auditions to Be Dallas Cowboys…

Draidardillag — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:27:40 +0000

Credit: Facebook/Sharon Simmons

Sharon Simmons, a 55 year old grandmother, auditions to become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

May 8, 2012

Updated May 8, 2012 at 4:11 PM EDT

Back in March, a 55-year-old grandmother made headlines when she announced her plans to audition for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading squad and this past weekend, Sharon Simmons did just that.

Tryouts are ongoing and those who’ve made the cut have yet to be announced.

To read more about this story, CLICK HERE.

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Sharon Simmons, 55, auditions for Dallas Cowboys…

LaptopTa — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:32:31 +0000

I’ve seen four headlines today describing Sharon Simmons as a “granny,” and while technically she is a grandmother, it hardly seems appropriate. Simmons tried out for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders over the weekend, and by all appearances she looks good enough to make the squad — although it should be noted that I retired from cheerleading judging in the late 1990s. (I was unjustly accused to stealing sequins).

Video here.

Simmons, along with hundreds of other hopefuls, auditioned for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I thought about this when I was about 22 years old,” Simmons told The Dallas Morning News. “I was a single mom, and I wanted to do it.”

But funds, experience and raising her children delayed that dream for the next 33 years.

Simmons told the Morning News that she forgot her routine during the freestyle portion of the competition and had to make it up as she went, but it didn’t derail her experience.

The commercial realtor competed in her first fitness competition at the age of 50. She has won nine of the 20 competitions she has entered and has turned that success into a career of fitness modeling.

***
Grandma auditions for Cowboys cheerleaders [Dallas Morning News]

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Fifty-Five-Year-Old Grandma Tries Out for Dallas…

Nayua — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:44:23 +0000

As a 22-year-old, Sharon Simmons wanted to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. She was a single mom at the time, though, and because of that and other reasons, she never got a chance to see it through.

More than 30 years later, she finally has that chance.

Simmons tried out for the prestigious Cowboys cheerleading squad on Saturday in Arlington — as a 55-year-old grandmother.

She already has author, fitness competitor and actor on her resume, so she’s decided to try and add Cowboys cheerleader as well.

See the video below for her story.

Photo of the Day

It would be easy to make fun of Tom Brady‘s hair (like, really easy), but then you remember who he gets to stand next to.

Quote of the Day

“No, not working in five days has nothing to do with it. It’s all about execution.”
–Jonathan Papelbon offered no excuses after imploding against the Mets on Monday night

Tweet of the Day

I wish. #crunchwrapsupremesforeveryone

Video of the Day

This gives new meaning to the term “Heads up.”

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Sharon Simmons, 55-Year-Old Grandmother, Auditions…

calendarepersonalizateaf — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:36:33 +0000

By Amanda Remling | May 07, 2012 03:21 PM EDT

Back in March, 55-year-old grandmother Sharon Simmons made headlines when she announced her plans to audition for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading squad on May 5. This past weekend Simmons did just that.

Amidst hundreds of young hopefuls, the 55-year-old stormed Dallas in a midriff-bearing top, ready to cheer her heart out for the Dallas Cowboys.

For Simmons, auditioning has been a lifelong dream. “I thought, that’s something I never tried,” she told CBS DFW. “I always wanted to try out. I got real close in my early 20s, but I got busy raising my daughter. And I thought, why not now?”

Simmons isn’t your average grandmother sitting at home knitting scarves. The 55-year-old works in commercial real estate, is an author, fitness competitor and rocks a mean six pack.

“I don’t see a number,” she told ABC News about her age. “If I do, it’s just a number. It’s not that I can’t keep up with [younger women] in the physical part of the training.”

To help compete in the audition, Yahoo Sports reports that the grandmother did hire a former Cowboys cheerleader to help train.

If Simmons does make the squad she would be the oldest Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in history. The previous cheerleader to hold the “oldest” title was 43-year-old Laura Vikmanis of the Cincinnati Bengals. Simmons won’t be the first grandmother to be an NFL cheerleader. According to the Huffington Post, the Oakland Raiders had a grandmother join their squad last year.

To watch a video of Sharon Simmons’ audition click here.

To see more photos from Simmons’ audition click here.