Every spring, while we anticipate Jills tryouts and get ready to see a lot of new beautiful faces on the squad, we also have to come to the realization that not everyone from the previous year will be returning. Thankfully, last year's departures were all by choice and we can only hope that holds true again this year as well. On that note though, there are a few new faces in among the captains for the upcoming season. Two of the Jills' longtime captains, both with the squad since 2002, will be moving on. For the last several years, no captain has been better at getting group photos for her line than Jamie, a Pro Bowler following the 2004 season. She won't be a stranger though as she already assured me she'll still be showing up to events for a long time to come. The Ambassador Squad has thrived under Kelly's leadership, who's been their captain since 2004. She was such a strong leader, she was running the group without a co-captain for the latter half of 2006 and all of 2007. Both of these ladies will definitely be missed.With the departure of captains, however, the opportunity for others to rise into their places presents itself and the Jills now have 2 new captains and 2 new co-captains. Katie K has been with the Jills since 2005, the last remaining member of that rookie class and is entering her 3rd year as a co-captain. She's shifted around on lines each of her years in the role. She started out as Aimee's co-captain in 2007 before moving to Nicole's line this past season. This year, she moves over to Omarlla's line, who's been with the Jills since 2000 and hopefully sticking around for several more years. Katie's move to Omarlla's line slides last year's newest co-captain over to Nicole's line. Christina has been with the squad since 2006 and has had a promising career on the squad almost from the start. In 2006, the Jills events featured dance routines performed by a select group, and Christina was the only rookie from that group. Nicole enters her 2nd season as a captain after spending the previous year as a co-captain. In 2006, she landed the cover of the Jills swimsuit calendar and then was named to the Pro Bowl the following year.
The big changes are really happening on the other lines. After serving as Jamie's co-captain this past year after 2 years with Omarlla, 10th year vet and 2005-06 Pro Bowler Eileen gets her own line. Like Omarlla, Eileen just keeps geeting better every season and we can only hope she continues on like her rookie squadmate for many years to come. Eileen's promotion opens up a spot for a co-captain and chosen for that role will be Jill D. Going into her 3rd season on the squad, Jill's warm and loving personality makes her a great fit with Eileen and we should expect great things for years to come.
The Ambassador Squad's new captain should come as no surprise. 2006 rookie Danielle proved her mettle this season as a co-captain in a big way as she ran things on gamedays while Kelly did her part at practices and meetings. Danielle is one of the biggest reasons the 2008 Buffalo Jills squad has been so close-knit and we expect that to continue in 2009. Another 2007 rookie will be getting the call as Danielle's co-captain as Keisha has been named to the position. Keisha has been outgoing in an extraordinary way in supporting her squadmates. When Omarlla was on her own at a Rhino's appearance this past season, Keisha came along to keep her company and she even made sure that Jessica wasn't alone in Hawaii earlier this month. With that kind of dedication to her squadmates, Keisha should be an excellent fit as co-captain.
Obviously, as captains and co-captains, these 8 young women will be leading the 2009-2010 Jills through their paces all season long but it goes beyond that. They also have proven themselves enough that they don't need to go through the regular tryout process themselves. During the Open Workshop (closed to the public), they'll be on hand to answer questions and help demonstrate routines to prospective Buffalo Jills. During the tryouts themselves, they'll be helping out with answering questions and giving moral support to veterans and rookies alike. The tryouts as well will be closed to the public with one exception. 1st cuts for the dance squad and 2nd cuts for the Ambassador Squad will be held at the Town Ballroom on Sunday, April 5th from 1pm until about 4pm. Admission is $5 and this will be the public's chance to get a first hand look at what goes into the making of the Buffalo Jills Squad. Obviously, whether you're attending to support a friend or family member or just going to see tryouts, we ask that you show all the participants proper respect as their performances require a lot of concentration on the dancers' parts.
Stay tuned to http://www.buffalojills.net/audition.html 97Rock, 103.3 The Edge, Mix 104.1, CW23 and the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog for further news on Jills tryouts.
