08-18-2002, 05:24 PM
Yasuda returns to cheer on 49ers
By HIROSHI IKEZAWA
Staff writer
No Japanese has ever played in the NFL.
However, some Japanese have attracted football fans on the field with their excellent performance and attractive costumes -- cheerleaders, that is.
Since Tomoko Mita, the pioneer for Japanese cheerleaders in the NFL, made the famed Dallas Cowboys squad in 1998, the NFL will have now had six Japanese women performing on the sidelines for four NFL teams when this season kicks off.
Ai Yasuda is one of four Japanese cheerleaders who will join the NFL this season. The 26-year-old Tokyo native is embarking upon her second season with the San Francisco 49ers "Gold Rush" and performed before Japanese fans in NFL Osaka 2002 at the Osaka Dome on Aug. 4 along with fellow Japanese Makiko Nakayama, who will make her NFL debut this season with the Washington Redskins "First Ladies of Football."
"I've been looking forward to performing before Japanese fans as an NFL cheerleader and I'm so happy that I had an opportunity to do that," said Yasuda, who cheered for the Nissan Skyliners of the X League (Japanese company football league) until two years ago.
Yasuda began her cheerleading career at Mejiro Gakuen High School. Dancing was natural for her because she performed ballet for 11 years. She won the national cheerleading championship twice while attending Mejiro Gakuen Junior College.
NFL Japan held a local audition for the Gold Rush this past spring. Yasuda was one of four finalists selected out of 67 participants and advanced to the final audition with about 70 other nominees in the United States. Yasuda was the only Japanese to make the Gold Rush squad this season.
The NFL cheerleaders appear only at home games. But dancing on the sidelines to fire up football fans is not their only job.
"In addition to the games, we visit hospitals and take part in many community activities," Yasuda said. "Our job is basically to cheer everybody up."
NFL players are not the only ones required to work out hard and train throughout the year. Cheerleaders keep up a similar routine, Yasuda said.
"The Gold Rush has a six-hour practice once a week. This is the only day we practice as a team because most of the cheerleaders have other jobs or attend school," Yasuda said. "We have to practice personally the rest of the week. I take dance lessons or practice by myself in addition to doing physical workouts.
"We use more than 25 songs for our performances. We have to master all kinds of dances to use for the songs. It's so hard and I need a lot of dance lessons to keep up with them."
NFL cheerleaders usually don't get paid much for their performances. According to Yasuda, they get some rewards for their attendance at parties or some charity events, but money they receive for performing at NFL games normally is slightly more than transportation expenses.
This is why they have occupations besides cheerleading. Still, becoming an NFL cheerleader is a dream-come-true for many girls just like a lot of boys dream of playing in the NFL.
Now the door for the NFL cheerleaders has been opened for Japanese women.
"It's a great fun to perform as a team with other girls," Yasuda said. "I was able to make many friends here and have a chance for self-reflection. This is the reward I get here."
The Japan Times: Aug. 19, 2002
(C) All rights reserved
By HIROSHI IKEZAWA
Staff writer
No Japanese has ever played in the NFL.
However, some Japanese have attracted football fans on the field with their excellent performance and attractive costumes -- cheerleaders, that is.
Since Tomoko Mita, the pioneer for Japanese cheerleaders in the NFL, made the famed Dallas Cowboys squad in 1998, the NFL will have now had six Japanese women performing on the sidelines for four NFL teams when this season kicks off.
Ai Yasuda is one of four Japanese cheerleaders who will join the NFL this season. The 26-year-old Tokyo native is embarking upon her second season with the San Francisco 49ers "Gold Rush" and performed before Japanese fans in NFL Osaka 2002 at the Osaka Dome on Aug. 4 along with fellow Japanese Makiko Nakayama, who will make her NFL debut this season with the Washington Redskins "First Ladies of Football."
"I've been looking forward to performing before Japanese fans as an NFL cheerleader and I'm so happy that I had an opportunity to do that," said Yasuda, who cheered for the Nissan Skyliners of the X League (Japanese company football league) until two years ago.
Yasuda began her cheerleading career at Mejiro Gakuen High School. Dancing was natural for her because she performed ballet for 11 years. She won the national cheerleading championship twice while attending Mejiro Gakuen Junior College.
NFL Japan held a local audition for the Gold Rush this past spring. Yasuda was one of four finalists selected out of 67 participants and advanced to the final audition with about 70 other nominees in the United States. Yasuda was the only Japanese to make the Gold Rush squad this season.
The NFL cheerleaders appear only at home games. But dancing on the sidelines to fire up football fans is not their only job.
"In addition to the games, we visit hospitals and take part in many community activities," Yasuda said. "Our job is basically to cheer everybody up."
NFL players are not the only ones required to work out hard and train throughout the year. Cheerleaders keep up a similar routine, Yasuda said.
"The Gold Rush has a six-hour practice once a week. This is the only day we practice as a team because most of the cheerleaders have other jobs or attend school," Yasuda said. "We have to practice personally the rest of the week. I take dance lessons or practice by myself in addition to doing physical workouts.
"We use more than 25 songs for our performances. We have to master all kinds of dances to use for the songs. It's so hard and I need a lot of dance lessons to keep up with them."
NFL cheerleaders usually don't get paid much for their performances. According to Yasuda, they get some rewards for their attendance at parties or some charity events, but money they receive for performing at NFL games normally is slightly more than transportation expenses.
This is why they have occupations besides cheerleading. Still, becoming an NFL cheerleader is a dream-come-true for many girls just like a lot of boys dream of playing in the NFL.
Now the door for the NFL cheerleaders has been opened for Japanese women.
"It's a great fun to perform as a team with other girls," Yasuda said. "I was able to make many friends here and have a chance for self-reflection. This is the reward I get here."
The Japan Times: Aug. 19, 2002
(C) All rights reserved