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>> HANAH STARTED DANCING AT JUST TWO-YEARS-OLD, AND NOW HELPS LEAD PRACTICE AS ONE OF THE CAPTAINS. >> WE’RE SUPER EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A LOT OF PROMISING TALENT COMING TO THE TEAM. >> HERE AT THE UNDER ARMOUR PERFORMANCE CENTER IN OWINGS MILLS. >> THE SEASON REALLY STARTS FOR US IN ABOUT MARCH. THAT’S WHEN WE OPEN UP OUR TRYOUTS AND REALLY KICK THINGS OFF WITH OUR TRAINING CAMP THAT HAPPENS IN MAY. WE’RE PRACTICING FROM THERE ON OUT PRETTY MUCH TWO TIMES A WEEK. >> THE CHEERLEADERS, MADE UP OF A DANCE AND STUNT TEAM, STRETC >> HERE WE GO. >> AND THEN PUT POM POMS IN HAND, WITH 13-YEAR VETERAN JAIME LEADING THE COUNTS. >> MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT GETTING READY FOR THE SEASON IS OBVIOUSLY MEETING THE ROOKIES, MEETING NEW PEOPLE ON THE TEAM, AND THEN REALLY JELLING AS A TEAM >> IT COMES DOWN TO TRUST. YOU GIRL HAS TO TRUST YOU, AND YOU HAVE TO TRUST YOURSELF THAT YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LET THAT GIRL FAL >> THE TEAM LEARNS TRUST PRACTICING MORE THAN A DOZEN SEASON-LONG SIDELINE ROUTINES AND LEARNING A NEW ENDZONE ROUTINE FOR EACH GAM >> WE’RE GOING OVER OUR CHOREOGROPHY FOR EVERY ROUTINE. EACH PRACTICE IS JUST A WAY FOR US TO GET ONE MORE REP IN. >> THE RAVENS CHEERLEADERS HOPE TO MOTIVIATE THE PLAYERS AND THE FLOCK TO FLY HIGH DURING PRESEASON AND THE ENTIRE YEAR. >> WE’RE PRETTY MUCH READY TO GO. WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH, BUT I’M VERY EXCITED FOR THIS YEA >> WE’RE EXCITED TO SEE WHERE MARQUISE BROWN TAKES US THIS YEAR AND LAMAR JACKSON. WE’RE J

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NFL preseason begins in August, and the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders are hard at work preparing for their first big performance.Hanah B. started dancing at 2 years old and now helps lead practice as one of the captains at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills. The cheerleaders are not allowed to share their last names for security reasons."We're super excited for this year. We have a lot of promising talent coming to the team," Hanah B. said. "The season really starts for us in about March. That's when we open up our tryouts and really kick things off with our training camp that happens in May. We're practicing from there on out pretty much two times a week."The two weekly practices are three hours long, but the practice includes much more than that."I give them all what I call homework," dance coach Leslie A. said. "They need to practice on their own, and I'll see videos on social media of the cheerleaders working outside of our normal practices."The cheerleaders are made up of a 54-member dance-and-stunt team. They stretch to warm up and then put pompoms in hand to go through routines with 13-year veteran Jaime A. leading the counts. "My favorite part about getting ready for the season is obviously meeting the rookies, meeting new people on the team, and then really jelling as a team," stunt cheerleader Jaime A. said. "It comes down to trust. Your girl has to trust you, and you have to trust yourself that you're not going to let that girl fall," cheerleader Melvin I. said. The team members learn trust by practicing more than a dozen season-long sideline routines and learning a new end zone routine for each game.Aaron D. is a part of the only NFL team to have male stunt cheerleaders. The men throw female cheerleaders in the air, toss high baskets and build pyramids."We're going over our choreography for every routine. Each practice is just a way for us to get one more rep in," cheerleader Aaron D. said.Part of the preparation for preseason is making sure their bodies are in tip-top shape."I really have to watch my diet and make sure I'm doing cardio and lifting weights," Jaime A. said.The Ravens cheerleaders hope to motivate the players and the flock to fly high during preseason and the entire year. "We're pretty much ready to go. We have a couple things we need to work through, but I'm very excited for this year," Leslie A. said."We're excited to see where Marquise Brown takes us this year, and Lamar Jackson," Hanah B. said. "We're just excited to be there cheering them on."Hanah B. and the rest of the team are hoping for lots of touchdowns and a stingy defense on the field.The cheer squad was formed in 1998. Most cheerleaders balance their football life with second and third jobs.