- 2020 information can be found here: http://www.iowashrinebowl.org/sb_forms.htm
- For the official Shrine Bowl site, click here.
The ICCA is proud of its affiliation with the Iowa Shriners and the participation of Iowa Cheerleaders in the Shrine Bowl. Each fall the Shriners send out a post card inviting all Iowa high school cheerleaders to a tryout for participation on this squad. The tryouts are held at the Za-Ga-Zig Temple in Altoona (east of Des Moines), starting at 9:00 am. A panel of ICCA coaches (who will later help coach the teams) choose 60 cheerleaders – 30 from the North and 30 from the South. During the last week in July, the cheerleaders meet at UNI, along with the Shrine Bowl football players. They learn a choreographed routine and various cheers through website videos provided one month before reporting to the week’s event. The routine and cheers are performed during the Shrine football game on Saturday afternoon. The cheerleaders, as well as the football players, are able to participate in the many wonderful activities hosted by the Shriners that week.
Shrine Bowl History
The Iowa Shrine All-Star Football Game is established by a group of sports minded Iowa Shriners after having seen the success of Shrine sponsored Football Games in other states. After much planning, the first All-Star Football and Basketball games were played in 1973 in Iowa City. These games were financially unsuccessful; thus the Basketball game was dropped. In 1974, after much dedicated work, the indebtedness was paid off. The contributions from this annual event now total over $2.6 million dollars in support of the Shrine Hospital programs for children. All profits from the game are distributed to the Hospital programs making any sponsorship a charitable contribution.
The Board of Directors for the Iowa Shrine Bowl Games, Inc. are structured to have 3 Shriners from each of Iowa’s four Shrine Temples: Abu Bekr, Sioux City; El Kahir, Cedar Rapids; Kaaba, Davenport; and Za-Ga-Zig, Altoona. Each member is appointed to a three-year term with a new member appointed from each Temple annually. Each Temple appoints a Coordinator to assist his Temple in soliciting sponsors for inclusion in the game program, player sponsorships, and ticket sales. The Board represents members of the business and professional community, active and retired, throughout the State. The Board appoints a General Manager each year, which is responsible to the Board for the administration of the annual All-Star game.
There are 46 graduating High School Seniors selected for each Squad by the coaching staffs. The division line for the North and South basically is Highway 30 as it crosses the State, East to West, with the western extension from Denison to Onawa. All schools bordering Highway 30 have players on the South Squad, except for the Cedar Rapids schools where the players are on the North Squad. The exception is Cedar Rapids Prairie, which represents the South Squad. In 1986 the number of players was increased from 40 to 44 to permit participation of more small schools on the All-Star squads. In the 2002 game an additional kicker was added and in 2006 a punter was added for a total of 46.
Each fall the Iowa High School coaches are requested to recommend a defensive and offensive player whom he feels will be a good representative of his school and community. He is not only a good athlete, but also one who is also academically successful, and active in school and community activities. In July the Iowa High School Coaches Association selects a Head Coach for each Squad. They in turn select five assistants so as to have one from Class 4-A, 3-A, 2-A, and 1A/A. and 8 player. The coaches select the players from the nominations submitted earlier by their coaches. Every effort is made to select players from across the State, with a representative balance in the number of players from each Temple jurisdiction.
Several years ago we added an All-Star Cheerleader program which has been very successful. They are nominated by their schools and must attend a tryout, which are held in October. There are professional trainers who are judges and assist in the selection of who will be invited to attend camp. We try to select 60 cheerleaders for this program.
This year we will hold a mini camp on campus at UNI for the hospital children . All children will work with the football players and cheerleaders to learn skills of football and cheerleading. The player and cheerleader’s enthusiasm for the day of this annual game is heightened, when they see how the profits from this game are helping hundreds of Iowa’s physically handicapped children. The operating budget is
$ 826 million, that is over $2.2 million dollars per day to run our hospitals.
The Iowa Shrine All-Star game is an event, which extends the maximum visibility to the Shiner’s great philanthropy – 18 orthopedic hospitals, 3 burn centers, and 1, which treats all types of needs in North America. This exposure is not only to the 92 players, 60 cheerleaders, 16 coaches, and 4 managers, but also their families, friends, game sponsors, and others who learn of our game through the media.
General Manager of the Iowa Shrine Bowl is Jerry Hoffman.