Requirements

• Before signing up for a drill team tryout, check with the organizers for information on requirements for team members. Some school teams will require previous drill team experience, especially at the collegiate level. Other teams can require previous dance experience, specific height or weight requirements as well as good grades. If you do not meet the requirements, ask the team leader if there are exceptions or what you can do to meet the requirements.
  
  

Appearance

• The drill team may appear in team format, but each individual on the team must be dressed and have the proper appearance. Find out dress code requirements for the tryout, such as tights and leotards, shorts and the required type of footwear. Do not wear logos on your shirts and wear clothes for comfort and flexibility rather than a fashion statement. Remove all jewelry before the tryout and wear makeup that will not run. Keep your hair pulled back and in a bun, especially if you have longer hair. This will prevent your pony tail from whipping you in the face during faster paced moves.
  
  

Practice

• Before any tryout, study the drill team's routines. You can view video libraries at the school or obtain tapes of the routines from the drill team leader. Drill team tryouts will require you to perform several routines by memory, so practice memorizing routines ahead of time. Practice routines solo in front of friends and family to get used to performing in front of a crowd. If you have the time, take dance or drill team lessons from a cheer or drill team camp.
  
  

Attitude

• The drill team may not cheer to liven up the crowd, but instead they may have the goal of bringing spirit with dance movements. As a drill team member, you need to be upbeat, positive and constantly smile. Smile throughout your tryout, even during times you mess up. If you miss a move or receive a critique, take it positively, but also learn from those mistakes. Come to the tryout with a positive attitude, even if you are nervous or think you will not make the team. In the event you do not make the team, be gracious and do not act inappropriately -- there are always tryouts the next year.