Second year vet Sierra greets fans during the morning tailgate
Despite being the “unofficial” Detroit Lions dance team, the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders draw women from miles and miles away to be part of the squad. Of course, there are women from the local metro area, like second year veteran Sierra, but three of the dancers, including co-captain Shannon, roll in from practically “Another World” away, from Bay City, Michigan, up north. And, as you would expect from someone whose dad was a Cowboy (a Dallas Cowboy, that is), Kaiti drives in from the Wild West; two hours west, from East Lansing, Michigan. What prompts these young women to devote such time and effort to be part of the Lions unofficial team? Sierra, Shannon, and Kaiti shared with UltimateCheerleaders their motivations to be part of the popular DPC.
Shannon, in her second season with the squad was born and raised in Bay City, which is about a two hour drive from Detroit. “I attended college at Saginaw Valley State University where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Business/Communications,” Shannon says. “I am currently employed as a customer service representative with a Michigan-based bank. I hope to return to school in the near future to earn my Master’s degree and pursue a job in human resources.”
Shannon (left) started her morning in Bay City, and by 9:30 was at the Eastern Market tailgate
Meanwhile, two hours to the west, Kaiti drives in from Michigan State to be part of the team. “I grew up in the small town of Hartland, which is about an hour outside of Detroit,” explains Kaiti. “My family has always instilled in me a big love of football! My father was an MVP player at Michigan State in the early 1970’s and was actually drafted to the Dallas Cowboys, where he played for a short time. I always knew that if I couldn’t play football myself, I would get as close to the game as possible! I currently attend Michigan State University. I am a senior majoring in Health, and I plan on attending nursing school next year to obtain my RN license. My ‘full-time job’ is school right now and I also work part-time as a bartender at a local college bar. My big goal is to become an Emergency Room nurse and work at a hospital downtown.”
Sierra was born in Detroit and has always lived in the Detroit metro area, including a time near Pontiac, the location of the Lions’ former dome field. Next semester, Sierra will begin her studies at Wayne State, as she explains, majoring in, “Criminal Justice, my minor is Dance. My dream job is to go into law enforcement, leaning towards forensic science.”
Unlike most cheer squads, the big performances by the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders occur long before kick-off, as they perform extended dance sets at tailgate locations around Ford Field. So, the DPC members don’t have to just be there early, they have to be in Detroit for hair, make-up, and in uniform to be ready to perform at 9:30 in the morning. Shannon explains, “Game day for DPC is a very long day especially for me and the two other girls that come from Bay City. Our day begins between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m.; shower, eating breakfast, and then heading out for our two hour trip to Luigi Bruni Salon to get our hair and make-up done. We spend about an hour there getting prepped and ready, with lots of hairspray and lip gloss to ensure our style will last all day. Somehow, with the excitement of the game, each other’s support, and a lot of coffee, we make it through the almost ten-hour day with very little down-time.”
Fans love getting photos with Kaiti (top) and the rest of the DPC
For MSU’s Kaiti, planning to the n’th degree is key, as she says, “My preparation begins days in advanced. I try to follow a strict sleeping, nutritional, and fitness regimen as closely as possible at all times. However, that can be challenging when you live in a big college town like East Lansing! The self-discipline pays off though as I am usually not struggling to get in work-outs or diet in unhealthy ways when it’s time for games. On game days, I wake up about four hours before I am scheduled to be in attendance for hair and make-up, because my drive is just under two hours. My wake-up ranges from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. I try to get a lot of sleep, and even pack up my game-day bag days before, just in case! I fill up my gas tank and have a new CD ready to go the night before as well, my expressway pump-up CD!” Wow, anyone under the medical care of Kaiti when she begins her career as a nurse will benefit from one well-prepared health care provider!
And although Sierra doesn’t have a long drive to get to Detroit, it doesn’t mean that sleep was abundant for her either prior to this season’s first real home game. “I was rolling around all night long, because this is the first regular season game,” recalls Sierra. “Nerve wracking!”
The game day for the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders extends from morning performances at tailgates, to greeting fans for extended periods after the game. When asked if her cheeks ever get sore from a day chock full of smiling, Kaiti responds, “My cheeks can get a bit sore from smiling, but I’ve noticed that right at the moment when I feel my smile hurting is the same time a fan will come up and say, ‘I am so happy to see cheerleaders at a Lions game, finally!’ When a lifelong season ticket holder makes that remark, it hits you what this is all about.”
Sierra and the DPC greet fans in the concourse during halftime
Continue reading From Near (like Sierra) and Far (Shannon and Kaiti), the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders Demonstrate Dedication and Devotion
