It's Not About the Pom-Poms: How a 40-Year-Old Mom Became the NFL's Oldest Cheerleader--and Found Hope, Joy, and Inspiration Along the Way

by Laura Vikmanis, Amy Sohn

A forty-year-old cheerleader? When Laura Vikmanis, a single mom in Ohio, told friends that she wanted to be an NFL cheerleader, they said it would never happen. But she proved them all wrong. . . .

Laura Vikmanis has got spirit . . . and pom-poms, too! But before she stepped onto the field as the oldest cheerleader in the National Football League, she was sidelined by a bad marriage and the many responsibilities of stay-at-home motherhood. She finally got the courage to leave her husband and to ask herself something she had never asked before: What do I want to do? Remembering her teenage love of dance, she signed up for a pole-dancing fitness class, where she met a former cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bengals. When the woman suggested that Laura audition to be a “Ben-Gal,” Laura laughed her off but soon realized that the audition process could be a way of healing herself—and regaining her confidence. Her boots were made for walking—but also for stomping on a football field.

She tried out for the team next to girls young enough to be her daughters. Girls with tighter abs, fuller hair, no kids, and no crow’s-feet. After much adversity and multiple auditions, she finally made the team, becoming the oldest cheerleader in the League.

It’s Not About the Pom-Poms follows Laura’s inspiring, funny, and eye-opening journey from demoralized divorcée to high-kicking Cincinnati Ben-Gal. Readers will cheer her on as she rediscovers her passion for dancing, takes hip-hop classes with twelve-year-olds, loses twenty-five pounds, discovers her abs, finds love again, and becomes a new kind of role model to her daughters. Laura also provides an inside look into the fascinating world of NFL cheerleaders—the grueling workouts, bad pay, twice-weekly weigh-ins, but, most important, the lifelong bond between the women, who do it all for the glory.

Leading with her heart, Laura Vikmanis faces adversity with her head held high as she learns in mid-life to take a flying leap. Powerful and uplifting, It’s Not About the Pom-Poms shows that, no matter your age, it’s never too late to go, fight, and win!

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Sports, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Christine Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whine, whine, whine. I was suprised to read so many positive reviews of this book. It was difficult for me to stick with it. While it is inspirational to read that a 40-year-old woman can do anything she sets her mind to including becoming a NFL cheerleader, I disliked Ms. Vikmanis so intensely that it was hard to be inspired. She whines throughout the entire book. I get it. Your father sucked and your husband called you stupid. She reminds readers of this fact over and over again. She talks about how people are constantly judging her and then proceeds to do the same thing to everyone she encounters--I can't imagine how many of her coworkers felt after reading her opinion of them. She makes so little money and is treated so poorly as a cheerleader that she proceeds to cheer for three years! She doesn't want people to think she is a "slut" (her word, not mine) but poses nearly naked for calendars and reports sleeping with men on her first or second date. She says horrible things about her ex-husband and then says one of her daughters is just like him. Did she not think about this? She says she's not living with her boyfriend and that he isn't there every night but every story she tells has him at her house every night. She doesn't want to be thought of as shallow but the only thing she seems to care about is her fake DD boobs and toned body. Oh, and her kids...who should understand that mommy is really busy making her dreams come true and shouldn't bother her right now.

[Elmira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads give-away, thank you!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this peek into a life that appears so totally different from mine, even though Laura and I are the same age and each have two kids. I was almost shocked to discover how similar our experiences of motherhood were and to really feel a kinship with her. The book was well written, extremely entertaining (I especially loved the pictures!), and educational. There was an theme of women's rights and women's empowerment throughout the book that I DID NOT expect to find in a book with this title. It gave me a different view of situations that I've viewed from the outside, but never the inside. I had assumed that professional NFL cheerleaders made a good living since they are stars. I was shocked and horrified to find that they make about 1/3 of minimum wage!!! Laura didn't even make enough to cover her cheerleading expenses!

I loved the fact that in everything she does she considers her daughters' (now 13 and 15 years old) reactions aloud in the book. I was, however, left wondering if she allowed them to read the book. It is a brutally, deeply revealing account of her life. On the one hand, the book would not have had such a powerful impact if it wasn't so revealing of her personal, private secrets. On the other hand, there are revelations that are difficult for a 15 year old (and especially a 13 year old) to understand.

I would recommend this book to everyone, whether they have the remotest interest in football/cheerleading or not! It was a tale of inspiration and changed the way that I see cheerleaders and cheerleading.

[Maraezimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book through Goodreads giveaway program.

I enjoyed this memoir that describes Laura Vikmanis' journey to rebuild her life after a devastating marriage and divorce by pursuing a dream that she had given up as a young woman. I love second-chance stories and stories about people challenging the status quo, and it's certainly challenging to get out there and try out for professional cheerleading, an activity that is traditionally "reserved" for younger women. Vikmanis takes us through her early childhood and formative years, and then describes her marriage to an abusive man and the effect that marriage had on her self-esteem and her ability to live the life she wanted to live. She then explains how she became interested in trying out for the Ben-Gals, the grueling tryout process, and inside details on what it is like to be a professional cheerleader (the weight and appearance requirements, the tough schedule, etc), particularly one who is older than most.

I did feel that there were sections of the book that could have benefited from tougher editing - for example, we don't get into her cheerleading career until after page 100 (in my copy). While some of the information about the years leading up to that moment is definitely important and helps explain how Laura became the person she is today, other portions could have been cut down.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys these types of stories or to anyone who feels that s/he is too "old" to pursue a dream. Vikmanis' story is certainly inspiring.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I'd actually enjoy a book about a woman (a 40-year old woman!) trying to become a Ben-Gal :) From the very first page, Laura captured my attention. I enjoyed reading about Laura's personal life, as well as her cheer leading life. I had no idea cheer leaders are paid so little in such a high grossing sport!! Seems a bit unfair, considering the amount of money, practice and time the girls put into it! Thanks for the wonderful read!

[DKM · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I appreciate the author's success in overcoming her abusive marriage and low self-esteem, her sometimes narcissistic tone grates on my nerves, and she often over-shares personal details that do not enhance the story. I cringe to think of her teenage daughters reading this book. One-night stands are nothing to be lauded. Sexual promiscuity does not make one brave. And, hey, do we all really need to know the author first masturbated at the age of twelve?

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even remember how this book came on my radar, but after months sitting on my shelf I finally picked it up. I have a cold and so I thought it would be an easy and fun sick-bed read.

Laura's journey is crazy heart warming. Abusive relationships, lots of troubled times, but the joy she finds in dance and pursuing her dream is seriously inspiring.

As a former professional cheerleader it took me back to those days of dancing in the freezing cold in a leotard in the middle of a stadium. At the time I loved that job, but as I got older I developed a raging feminist streak and began hating on cheerleaders, this sexualisation of women and the stupidity of team sport in general.

This book really made me walk a mile in Ben-Gal boots and reminded me everyone has their own journey and that even though there is so much wrong with the idea of "cheerleaders" e.g. the weigh-ins, the terrible pay - $750 a SEASON?? Are you kidding me?! Even when I was 17 and cheerleading in a Australia as an after school job we got more than that, the swimsuit calendars, the eating disorders, it's basically a mess...

But it reminded me of how much I loved cheerleading, being the centre of attention, having a bunch of girls - friends around all the time, and DANCING.

I wonder if it's too late to pursue my dream of being a professional ballet dancer...?

[Wellington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book from a recommendation from CNNSI to give a window in life as an NFL Cheerleader. More than half of the book was more about how Laura decided to become a cheerleader.

The working conditions of an NFL Cheerleader are horrid working for under minimum wage and making some serious lifestyle changes ... It makes feel sorry for the lowly NFL cheerleader, so I can't just ogle as I please.

Not sure if I would have enjoyed hanging out with the young Laura who was insecure and self-defeating. And as she auditioned and eventually made it to become a Ben-gal, she further distanced herself from me in her shallow goal of becoming an NFL cheerleader.

But maybe it's not that shallow of a job. It might even be an exalted job.

The current Laura I would like to meet, thus moving this book to four star status. The current Laura inspires people to improve themselves in ways I wish I could do. People read about the forty year old cheerleader and decided "Hey, I can change my life as well."

[Minna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read.
More power to Ms. Vikmanis for taking back her life and fulfilling her dreams. I was especially pleased that she repeatedly took time to include her children in her plans and involve them in cheerleading events when appropriate.
However, she repeatedly mentioned feeling judged by others. Maybe she has more therapy to work through, because I doubt so many people thought so poorly of her as she said. Maybe in the 60s or 70s. Not in 2008. At least, not in Ohio. Cheer up Ms. Vikmanis! I'm sure most of the people you felt were judging you were just jealous of your success.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not about the pom-poms is really not about the pom-poms. It is a story of a woman who decides she wants to do something - to become a Bengal Tigers cheerleader - and does it. What makes this such an amazing story is that Laura was coming out of a terrible abusive marriage that had torn down all her self esteem and she was 40 years old. Before her marriage Laura was happy and athletic and she wanted to get that feeling back. When she saw the open call for the Ben-Gals she went for it, becoming the oldest NFL cheerleader. I admire the strength Laura showed in moving beyond the abuse, self doubt and achieving her dream.

August 2012

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vikmanis was married to Brian for 14 years, a marriage that ended when she finally decided she did not need to put up with his verbal abuse any longer. With two young daughters and a damaged psyche, she starts to rebuild her life. A dancer and cheerleader when she was growing up, she decides that she wants to try out for the Cinncinati Cheerleading squad, the Ben-Gals, and she makes it! She becomes an inspiration to women (and men too I suppose) who hear her story and understand that they are not too old to reach for their own dreams.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, whose best man at her wedding was Laura's ex-husband.

I have to admit, I was expecting the author to come across as a shallow, bubble-headed, bimbo. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she seems to be a very nice, intelligent, pulled-together, woman. She was able to remove herself from a bad marriage, and become a role model for her daughters of a strong, empowered woman. I found her book very inspirational! I wish I had the discipline she has.

[W. Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a breezy memoir that has moments. It's really two books. Part one of the narrative is all about empowerment as the author recalls her disastrous marriage, and her journey in self-discovery. Part two recounts the author's stint as a 40-year-old NFL cheerleader. In some parts it's quite raw, but the writing style is clear and engaging. The author finds her inner happiness through this journey, so that gives the book a positive takeaway as well. Vikmanis narrates her own audio book and this familiarity strengthens her story.

[Amanda Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fave lines.....

I will begin to believe the cruel things he says About me, the words he hurls in my face. I will lose my nerve, my laughter. I will lose my
Spirit until one day, I won't even remember that I had one.

I couldn't tie my self-worth to someone else's opinion of me.



His positive attention was
Like a glucose drip and when he withdrew it, even for a moment, I felt like I was dying.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably say 3.5 stars actually. I won this on first reads. It was a quick, easy read. At times I found myself annoyed with the author because I did not agree with various decisions she made but it was well written. I don't think it was inspirational though. I am glad others found inspiration in it.

[Ember · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting, due to the sheer fact that I didn't know a lot about professional cheerleaders in the NFL. After reading the book, I think for all the work they do, they should be compensated more!

[Maryellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute memoir about a woman who fights her way out of an unpleasant life, and through her own hard work finds success. Good for her!

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura Vikmanis's story is interesting, but the book isn't a gripping read.

[Kiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting glimpse into the world of professional cheerleading.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even people over 40 have dreams. You're never to old to make your dreams come true.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story ... she set her goal, worked hard to achieve it, and set a great example for her daughters in the process.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an ex-cheerleader I really LOVED this book! It was so interesting to me to read about what goes on behind the scenes.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

very impressive!!! It wouldn't be my goal on turning 40 but still quite an achievement. Good for her!

[Deborah Dietzler · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a challenge for me to offer criticism because that's not the stuff I want my life to be about -- and Laura's story is filled with the criticisms she received through the years. I was drawn to the book for several reasons, one being that Laura and I are the same age and the other because I enjoy memoirs about women reinventing themselves in mid-life.

That said, there were two areas of weakness for me. First, though I am not at all prudish, the frequent references to the author's sex life were a bit off-putting and didn't appear critical to advancing the book's message. Second, the use of the first person pronoun "I" was so frequent there were moments I stared at the page I was reading to allow them to jump out. It would seem that the editor could have worked to change syntax without loss of meaning and this may have strengthened the finished product.

It was indeed inspiring to read about a woman who had a dream that would be very challenging to achieve and who was willing to put in the work and make the sacrifices to make that dream come true. For its example of perseverance through adversity, the book is worth a read.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

author shares her whole life to date, and dates. her parents divorce. she attends school and upon returning home meets a guy who seems nice. marry, two children, he is a violent brute. divorce.

at page 100 she wonders if she can be a pro cheerleader? this shares her many experiences to mold herself into a near superhero to become a pro cheerleader. insightful, b/w images, swearing.

[Lauren Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this hard to read in a post-Time's-Up world, since a lot of it centered around women being required to be a certain weight or wearing specific clothes.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable book about escaping from a bad relationship and remaking your life. Even though I don't share many interests with the author, it was inspiring.

[KO · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to find out more about NFL cheerleading, but this was more about leaving an abusive marriage. Thought it was cute, but I probably won’t read again.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was SO MUCH FUN! Really enjoyed it!

[Lance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating:
2 of 5 stars (disappointing)

Review:
On the surface, this book sounds like a real inspiration to anyone who thinks his or her dream cannot be achieved. Laura Vikmanis divorced her husband after fourteen bad years of marriage and was a single mother who wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She loved to dance in her younger days and became inspired to try out for the Ben-Gals, the cheerleading squad of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. She didn’t make the cut on her first try, but that didn’t stop Laura. She worked even harder and made it during her second tryout and at the time of publication was on the Ben-Gals for three years. Her story was an Internet hit and a movie is in the works on this story.

So, this book is a must read for everyone, right? The message is clear, and yes, it is nice to see a woman who was so depressed and lacking in self-confidence to achieve her dream. However, the path that Vikmanis takes the reader while becoming a cheerleader is full of contradictions and uncomfortable passages. On the latter point, that may not be the case for all readers. But it would have been better to know that certain personal topics like Laura’s sex life (discussed far too often, IMO) and her reasons for breast augmentation surgery would be discussed in such detail. Some readers, including myself, may feel uncomfortable with such personal information. Obviously, some of this information is needed to set the story, such as her husband locking her in their bedroom. But I really didn’t need to know that she didn’t achieve orgasm until she slept with the first man she met after separation – and on their first date. Details like that are not really necessary for understanding this story of hope and inspiration.

I also felt that Vikmanis contradicted herself by wondering why first her father, then her current boyfriend would want to look at magazines like Playboy, yet she does work as part of the Ben-Gals such as posing for calendars, getting the breast surgery and working hard on her physical appearance beyond staying in dancing shape. If women being portrayed as sex objects bothers her, then why does she engage in that type of behavior or work in that field? Especially when she states that many male fans at special events bother her because they try a “boob hug.”

I felt she also came across as judgmental on those who may disagree with her choice of profession or surgery decision. While some of that criticism of those people may be justified, the story just seemed to be filled with too many of these, when being judged by others so much, whether her husband, father, or other women, supposedly ruined her self-esteem. Again, it felt like one big contradiction between the message that was sent and the message trying to be sent.

The book is mainly about overcoming a horrible past and working on self-esteem. For the most part, the book does that. But again, some of the details to show how much better Vikmanis feels about herself now just make me shake my head. An example of this comes near the end of the book. She states that one of her daughters is embarrassed because some of her friends call her mom a “MILF.” However, Vikmanis says that the comment “makes me secretly smile.” Really? Getting THAT kind of attention from teenagers makes her smile? If you are not familiar with the term “MILF”, I won’t spell it out here – type it into any search engine and you will see what the acronym means.

There is a big positive to the book, however, and that is her description of what goes on at NFL cheerleading tryouts, practices and games. These ladies work just as hard as the players and their pay is far too low for the work they do – at the time of publication, the Ben-Gals made $750 for the season. They have routines, need to make weight goals, and are getting less exposure on television as networks chase advertising dollars. I thought that the writing about this issue and the activities of an NFL cheerleader were well illustrated here, as only one who has the experience can write.

This wasn’t enough to overcome the disappointment I had with this book, however, as I felt it was too much personal information and emotional. I felt it overshadowed the powerful message to keep pursuing your dreams no matter your age or past life.


Pace of the book:
Very quick as I finished this in about two hours. I admit that I did read this more quickly than most books as I just wanted to get past all her personal woes, and concentrated on the passages about the cheerleading itself.

Do I recommend?
I would recommend it to anyone, especially women, who want an inspiring story of overcoming a bad marriage and self-doubt. If the reader is uncomfortable with very personal stories, whether about sex, domestic abuse or eating disorders, then he or she should pass on this book.

[Keryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. I didn't have high expectations for this book, but I was intrigued by the title and thought it might be a fun, inspiring read. Instead, it was whine, whine, whine. While I appreciate the fact that she removed herself from an abusive marriage and pursued a life-long goal of becoming a cheerleader, she complained throughout the book about body issues even though she is a dietitian. I finished it only because I am trying to hit my book reading goal for the year, and even then, I barely made it to the end.