Dem Raider Boyz, often shortened to DRB, is a nationally ranked step squad operating from Eleanor Roosevelt High School.  If you’ve been to school events such as the talent show, pep rally, or multicultural night, you’ve probably seen them perform.  The club has been a cornerstone of ERHS for 22 years.  This is thanks to a consistently great lineup of performers making it onto the team, going through rigorous training to perfect their skills.  With an interest meeting coming up on April 20th in room 022, you may be asking yourself, do you have what it takes to be on the team?

Twice every school year, DRB holds interest meetings and tryouts to get new performers for their team.  Only a handful of the numerous applicants across all grade levels make it in.  I interviewed two members of DRB, Esong and Grayson, to determine what it takes to get on to the team.

Sophomore Grayson Hough is one of the most recent members of the team.  He got in during the first round of tryouts this school year.  When asked if there are any specific exercises or training to go through to prepare for the team, he responded that “the hardest thing is snapping to the move, and the ballistic motions like rapid arm circles.  It requires a lot of flexibility and then strength with quick twitch muscles.”  As for the best muscle groups to train, he said that “legs is a given,” but “there’s no muscle group that’s more or less important than another. Your core to hold the move, shoulders, lats, biceps, everything gets hit.”  Grayson says that he has had “serious muscle development since joining DRB,” calling it a “full body workout that inevitably targets every muscle group.”    

Sophomore Esong Ayompe is also a recent addition to the team, but he’s more experienced.  He joined in the second round of tryouts last year as a freshman, meaning he is nearing a full year on the team.  When he was asked if he had a training regimen to prepare for DRB, he advised push ups, to prepare your muscles for the burst movements, as well as ab exercises to prepare your core.  His routine begins with “stretches, russian twists, then bicycles,” to prepare the body and work out the core.  Then he goes into push ups, in groups of 3 sets of 10.  The types of push ups he goes through in order are “standard, diamond, shoulder tap, pike, and explosive.”  He says to “start with the first 3, standard, diamond, and shoulder tap” then add on pike and explosive as you improve.  

If you want to be a part of DRB, and are prepared for the time commitment and physical demand, try out.  Grayson Hough says that “it’s going to be hard at first and you’re gonna have serious doubts, wondering if this is right for you,” but “you just have to push through and manage your time wisely.”  So, do you have what it takes to be a part of DRB?  Come find out.