Jets Flight Crew
Encyclopedia
The Jets Flight Crew is a professional cheerleading
squad for the New York Jets
of the National Football League
. The group was established in 2006 as the Jets Flag Crew, composed of six female flag carriers. In 2007, the group expanded and was appropriately renamed the Jets Flight Crew. The squad regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests.
Denise Garvey serves as director of the squad.
. The team stressed that the crew, composed of females who relieved their male counterparts, were "flag carriers" and not cheerleaders.
Denise Garvey, a former Knicks City Dancer and Cowboys cheerleader, was brought in to coordinate the squad. Given her expertise and experience in performance and dance, Garvey, with the support of the organization, held closed auditions, inviting forty-six young women to try-out for the squad. Of the forty-six, ten were chosen to become the first members of the Jets Flight Crew. The organization continued to stress that the squad was not cheerleaders but rather a unique flag carrier/dance team.
Following their inaugural season, the Flight Crew held open auditions for the first time in 2008 increasing the number of members from ten to twenty two as the squad had been well-received amongst the fans in 2007. The Jets announced their partnership with Marc Ecko
, founder of Eckō
, who agreed to design the Flight Crew's 2008 uniforms.
The Flight Crew was expanded from twenty-two to thirty members in 2009. In 2010, the Jets, again, increased the size of the crew to as many as forty members with Garvey noting that "We want to be the biggest presence we can be in the new stadium
."
The organization introduced the Jets Junior Flight Crew in 2010, a junior program that offers children the opportunity to train with the Flight Crew while improving their "talent and abilities in a non-competitive environment."
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
squad for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The group was established in 2006 as the Jets Flag Crew, composed of six female flag carriers. In 2007, the group expanded and was appropriately renamed the Jets Flight Crew. The squad regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests.
Denise Garvey serves as director of the squad.
Jets Flag Crew
The Jets Flag Crew was unveiled on October 15, 2006 during the Jets' home game against division rival Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The team stressed that the crew, composed of females who relieved their male counterparts, were "flag carriers" and not cheerleaders.
Jets Flight Crew
The Jets officially announced the creation of the Jets Flight Crew on August 7, 2007. The Flag Crew had been well-received the previous year and the team felt it best to take the next step and organize an official squad that could actively participate during home games. The intention of the crew was to "enhance the overall fan experience by bringing additional energy and enthusiasm to each home game."Denise Garvey, a former Knicks City Dancer and Cowboys cheerleader, was brought in to coordinate the squad. Given her expertise and experience in performance and dance, Garvey, with the support of the organization, held closed auditions, inviting forty-six young women to try-out for the squad. Of the forty-six, ten were chosen to become the first members of the Jets Flight Crew. The organization continued to stress that the squad was not cheerleaders but rather a unique flag carrier/dance team.
Following their inaugural season, the Flight Crew held open auditions for the first time in 2008 increasing the number of members from ten to twenty two as the squad had been well-received amongst the fans in 2007. The Jets announced their partnership with Marc Ecko
Marc Ecko
Marc Eckō is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, investor, artist, and philanthropist. He is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Marc Eckō Enterprises, a billion-dollar global fashion and lifestyle company...
, founder of Eckō
Ecko
Eckō unltd. is a brand of urban lifestyle clothing founded by fashion designer Marc Ecko, that has been popular since the late 1990s, and moved into the mainstream urban culture in the early 2000s. It is most often associated with hip-hop people. The style is based on graffiti art.The creation of...
, who agreed to design the Flight Crew's 2008 uniforms.
The Flight Crew was expanded from twenty-two to thirty members in 2009. In 2010, the Jets, again, increased the size of the crew to as many as forty members with Garvey noting that "We want to be the biggest presence we can be in the new stadium
New Meadowlands Stadium
MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home...
."
Calendar
In 2009, a Flight Crew swimsuit calendar was introduced, a testament to the squad's growing importance within the organization and in the community. The 2010 calendar featured members of the 2009 squad on beaches in New York and New Jersey whilst Linda W. served as the cover model. The following year, shooting for the 2011 calendar took place in Aruba.Jets Junior Flight Crew
(2010–Present)The organization introduced the Jets Junior Flight Crew in 2010, a junior program that offers children the opportunity to train with the Flight Crew while improving their "talent and abilities in a non-competitive environment."