DAYTONA BEACH-- At a time when the job competition is fierce, college senior Phil Kudler discovered an unlikely resume builder.
Cheerleading.
Sure, being one of three male cheerleaders at his school helped him build confidence and teamwork skills. But Kudler, 22, who graduates with a marketing degree in May, listed the activity at the bottom of his resume only to be surprised by the edge.
"At most interviews, it's actually been the first thing they ask me about," said Kudler, who attends Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. "They bypass all the experience and they go right to it."
So for those who think cheerleading is all pom poms, big bows and lipstick, consider this. By the time they hit the real world, cheerleaders duking it out at the 2009 Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship have developed skills like leadership and teamwork that easily translate into the competition that matters most: the job market.
Gathered in the Ocean Center, about 5,000 athletes are competing in the largest college national cheerleading contest in the world today and Saturday and drawing nearly 15,000 supporters and spectators. About 220 cheer and dance teams are here from as far away as Honolulu and even Tokyo.
In a place where somersaults, back handsprings, booming music and team spirit abound, it
can be hard to imagine how cheering can help young men and women later in life. But cheerleading is a business like any other, said Karen Halterman, senior vice president of the National Cheerleaders Association/National Dance Alliance, which sponsors the competition. "It's just that we're lucky enough to work in a sport and activity that teaches life lessons."
Just like in cheer squads, trust, timing and teamwork can make any team successful, said Halterman, who has been in the industry 41 years as a cheerleader, coach, judge, mother of two cheerleaders and association member.
Even with their school days numbered, cheering becomes so much of a lifestyle that many say they won't soon let it go and join club teams.
Or in Jeff Martino's case, it became his whole livelihood. He joined his college squad as a freshman, earned a degree in biology and went on to own a gym for cheerleaders and become head coach at Wilmington University in Delaware.
In a sport like this, said Martino, 31, responsibility and teamwork are paramount because it involves thousands of hours of practice for a 2 ½ minute performance. One bad move could cost the whole team a championship.
"When you leave cheerleading, you're better prepared for the corporate world," said Martino. "I think any successful company really depends on everyone working together toward the same goal."
With outgoing personalities that are ready to go outside their comfort zones, Martino said many are better prepared for sales jobs and the business environment.
Taking a break from a stunt where she's lifted into the air, Stacy Eby, a petite 24-year-old, said cheering helped her become less shy and do well in job interviews.
The Wilmington cheerleader not only attends night school for a master's degree in special education, but she is also a fourth grade elementary teacher.
"It makes you learn to push yourself harder," she said. "We have high expectations for ourselves."
CREDITS AND CAPTIONS:
Photographs by David Massey
TOP: Wilmington University cheerleaders outside the Hilton, before their performance at the National cheer Association 2009 Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship, at the Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Thursday, April 9, 2009. MIDDLE: Quinnipiac University cheerleaders hold up a giant tower of teammates during the preliminary heats of the championship. BOTTOM: Stacy Eby, 24, Willmington University.