Qualifications
We at Shmoop are all for equal opportunity. We don't, however, run the National Football League, where all cheerleaders are female. Gents, if you really want in to the NFL, but aren't cut out to run around with footballs all day, you might want to check out the mascot listings.
If you aren't flexible and coordinated, you're probably not going to make the team. You'll need to perform high kicks in a line without looking unnatural or awkward, and that takes much more skill than you might think.
You also need to be at least eighteen years old, and while a dance background isn't a requirement, most of the time you'll be expected to at least be a pretty fast learner (source).
You need to be well-coiffed and not shy about using beauty products—lots of them. It takes the average cheerleader hours of doing makeup and hair styling to get that "natural" look just right for the cameras.
But football is serious business, and the NFL takes its business very seriously. Since cheerleaders often represent the organization, some overzealous clubs will even test you to make sure you understand the basics of the team and facts about the NFL. You're not just a pretty face—you're a pretty face who knows football.