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Women's professional football team gets cheerleader squad Date published: 5/21/2003
When an employee of a Stafford day care made the D.C. Divas, a women's professional football team, the kids leaped and cheered. An idea formed. Before too long these kids, clad in handmade uniforms, became the team's official cheerleading squad--Diva-ettes. "They are so good," said Rebecca Glasgow, a Divas player and co-director of Planting the Seed Too on Courthouse Road. The cheerleading squad is the first for the Woman's National Football Association, which has 30 teams and is in its third season. "All the kids are into it, and the parents are into it," Glasgow said. After the kids came up with the idea of forming a cheerleading squad, Glasgow called the Divas' owners and asked if they were interested. The answer was yes, and by February the squad was formed. Glasgow says the team practices three days a week for two hours. "It's helped their grades, too," she said. "If their grades go down, they're not allowed to play. They take it very seriously." There's a total of 20 cheerleaders, ranging in age from 2 to 13. The squad also includes one boy. A.J. Garvin, 7, came up to Glasgow and said, "'Miss Becky, I want to be your number 1 cheerleader.' He's one of the best on the team," Glasgow said. Most of the children go to the day care, but four squad members are daughters of team players. Once it had the team, the squad members needed something to wear. So Glasgow's parents, Kathy and Bob, spent a week measuring, cutting and sewing cheerleading uniforms. Then players needed to learn moves. Coaches were recruited and they went to work. A squad member's mother had a party and brought in two Washington Redskins cheerleaders. The professional cheerleaders gave the Diva-ettes some pointers. Glasgow said the Redskins cheerleaders were so impressed with the squad they designated it as one of its charities this year. The team cheered its first game in early May. "They did great," Glasgow said. Glasgow even credits the Diva-ettes with the Divas' success. The Divas captured a 24-0 victory over last year's division champs, the Baltimore Burn. "That's thanks, in part, to the sideline support," Glasgow said. The Diva-ettes even starred in a commercial to publicize the next game. "It's fun," said one of the squad's younger players, Pamela "Sissy" Abel, 5. "I like to sing."
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