Add to your team order
Light-Up LED Pom Poms
Metallic streamers with LEDs built into the pom, a rechargeable pack, and one remote that changes the whole team’s color at once.
$145 USD per pair
College drill teams are precision dance teams built around the kick line. The Kilgore College Rangerettes began in 1940 under Gussie Nell Davis as the first women’s precision drill team in the world, in red, white and blue with a white hat and boots, and Tyler Junior College’s Apache Belles followed in 1947. They dance at halftime, bowl games and parades, and alumnae remember pom routines and props alongside the kicks. Light-up poms carry the pom routine on a night field, at $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Which college drill teams set the standard?
| Team | School | Since | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rangerettes | Kilgore College | 1940 | “The first women’s precision drill team in the world”; the trademark high kick |
| Apache Belles | Tyler Junior College | 1947 | First performance September 27, 1947; the “Belles and Band” from 1949 |
| Dixie Darlings | Southern Miss | 1954 | Begun as a dance team similar to the Rangerettes, with a former Rangerette |
| Strutters | Texas State | 1960 | “The first dance team organized on any major university campus in Texas” |
Sources: Handbook of Texas: the Kilgore Rangerettes, Tyler Junior College, Southern Miss Athletics, Texas State University. The Rangerettes were started to bring women students to Kilgore and to provide half-time shows during the football season; the college’s president had asked Davis to “find a way to keep people in their seats at halftime” (source: Handbook of Texas: Gussie Nell Davis).
What do college drill teams wear?
| Team | The look |
|---|---|
| Rangerettes | A blouse, arm gauntlets, a belt and a short circular skirt in red, white and blue, with a white hat and boots |
| Apache Belles, original | A white hat, a gold overlay, white fringe panties and a full circle skirt with white boots |
| Dixie Darlings, original | A black velvet top and shorts, white gloves and white boots with black fringe |
Sources: Handbook of Texas: the Kilgore Rangerettes, Tyler Junior College, Southern Miss Athletics. The Handbook of Texas notes the Rangerette costume has stayed essentially unchanged. That is the lesson for a buyer: on a drill team the costume is the brand, and anything you add has to sit with it. Light-up poms add light without changing a stitch.
Do college drill teams carry poms?
For some routines. Rangerette alumnae remember “performing our sassy pom routine” at the Cotton Bowl, small staircases used as props, and marching with metal tambourines in the parade (source: Cotton Bowl Classic). A drill team’s show is a run of routines: kick, pom, prop and more. The kick line is about height and uniformity; the pom routine is where a set of matched poms, switched together, does the work.
How big is a college drill team, and how many pairs?
The Handbook of Texas says the Rangerettes normally number sixty-five, with forty-eight performing at one time (source: Handbook of Texas: the Kilgore Rangerettes). At our team rate of $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs:
| Group | Pairs | Cost at the team rate |
|---|---|---|
| Team of 30 | 32 | $3,840 |
| 48 performing at once | 50 | $6,000 |
| Full roster of 65 | 67 | $8,040 |
Pair counts include two spares. If members rotate through routines, order for the full roster so every performer has a matched pair.
Where do college drill teams perform after dark?
- Football halftime, the reason the Rangerettes exist; the Strutters dance in a kick line at Texas State games (source: Texas State University).
- Bowl games: the Rangerettes and the Cotton Bowl Classic marked 75 years together (source: Cotton Bowl Classic); the Apache Belles danced their first Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1950 (source: Tyler Junior College).
- Parades and inaugurations: the Rangerettes performed at President Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953 and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (source: Handbook of Texas: Gussie Nell Davis).
A night halftime is where light-up poms earn their place: the field lights are on the field, and the moment the stadium dims for a feature, a lit pom routine still reads from the top row. Charge the night before, keep spares on the sideline and give the remote to one person.
When should a college drill team order?
The Rangerettes are selected each August at a tryout camp, where as many as 150 applicants vie for some thirty openings (source: Handbook of Texas: the Kilgore Rangerettes). Whenever your team is set, that is when to take sizes and request a quote.
| When | What to lock in |
|---|---|
| Team set | Sizes for every member |
| Before the first rehearsal with the band | Request quotes for poms and any costumes |
| First home game | Poms charged and set to school colours |
| Bowl and parade season | Spares and chargers in the travel kit |
Send your first performance date when you ask for a quote and we will tell you plainly what fits.
Who signs off on a college drill team order?
| Role | What they decide |
|---|---|
| Drill team director | Routines, the look and the order |
| Band director | Where the team performs with the band, as with Tyler’s “Belles and Band” |
| College administration | Budget and purchasing |
| Alumnae | Gifts and support; more than 700 Rangerette alumnae, known as Rangerette Forevers, danced in the Cotton Bowl pregame show for the 75th anniversary |
| Boosters | Travel to bowl games and parades |
Sources: Tyler Junior College, Cotton Bowl Classic.
How do you request a quote for a college drill team?
Email or DM us with the team size, school colours, how many perform at once and your first home game. We make our light-up products ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits your date. See team orders for how a group order works.
Frequently asked questions
When were the Kilgore Rangerettes founded?
In 1940, under Gussie Nell Davis at Kilgore College. The Handbook of Texas calls them the first women’s precision drill team in the world.
What do the Kilgore Rangerettes wear?
A blouse, arm gauntlets, a belt and a short circular skirt in red, white and blue, with a white hat and boots.
How many Rangerettes are there?
Normally sixty-five, with forty-eight performing at one time, according to the Handbook of Texas.
Do the Rangerettes use poms?
Alumnae remember a pom routine at the Cotton Bowl, along with props such as small staircases and tambourines on parade.
When were the Apache Belles founded?
In 1947 at Tyler Junior College; their first performance was on September 27, 1947.
How much do light-up poms cost for a college drill team?
Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. Forty-eight performers with two spares is 50 pairs, or $6,000 at that rate.
See also: band dance teams and dance lines, Texas high school drill teams and college band dance lines.
Sources: Handbook of Texas: the Kilgore Rangerettes, Handbook of Texas: Gussie Nell Davis, Cotton Bowl Classic, Tyler Junior College, Southern Miss Athletics, Texas State University.
Team, school and contest names are used only to identify them. None is affiliated with or endorses Neon Cowboys.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
