FRANKFURT, Germany — Three Americans have been picked to be cheerleaders for the Frankfurt Galaxy.
Nina Liberatore, Danielle Myrick and Crystal White were selected from a group of 300 that was pared to 60 a week later.
“It was like Ms. America,” said Myrick, 22, a Community Bank employee in Mannheim, describing the selection process.
There was an evening gown portion, a cheer routine portion and a bikini portion. The cheer routine was the same for all contestants and had to be done twice, back-to-back, in groups of five.
The women found out Sept. 21, in front of a crowd of 500 fans in the Soundz Club in a Frankfurt suburb, that they made the cut.
“It was all so glamorous,” said Liberatore, 26, a stay-at-home mother in Griesheim and a recent post-college graduate. She finished a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma, through an Army Education Center. “Plus, our family and friends got to be there to see us through it.”
Their German competitors were all very helpful, the new cheerleaders said.
“I didn’t know my number in German when I was called, so I kind of just waited around for a minute,” said White, 25, who is a Tricare Beneficiary counselor and assistance coordinator on Rhein-Main Air Base, as well as a children’s gymnastic and cheer instructor.
Liberatore added: “It was like that for all of us. The German girls kept turning around and looking at our numbers to see if it was us being called.”
Myrick and White both have been in cheer and dance since young children, while Liberatore has been dancing since 16.
The new cheerleaders will attend three-hour practices every Tuesday and Thursday and should be ready by February for preseason parties.
The Galaxy started playing American football in 1991, are three-time World Bowl champions and are traditionally a league leader in attendance.
Cheerleaders do promotional tours throughout Germany, cheer at home and some away games, and attend community functions throughout the year.
