From shaking pompoms to hitting the books
by Jorn Anderson, staff writer
The Golden Gate Xpress
March 1, 2009
It’s nine in the morning and Chelsea Bell is awake and getting ready for her big day.
She goes over the material; she has been studying the entire week, hoping not to mess up. Her heart beats rapidly as she quickly gets dressed, puts on makeup and rushes out the door.
No, Bell is not getting ready for a final exam or hurrying off to a job interview. She is preparing to perform as a Raiderette in front of as many as 63,000 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Bell, 21, a transfer student from Diablo Valley College, is a BECA major at SF State.
She’s been a member of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad, appropriately named the Raiderettes, for two years, but will be taking a year off from the squad this upcoming season.
As a Raiderette and a college student, Bell is used to performing under pressure.
Consequently, she made an interview with the [X]press look like a breeze.
[X]: How long have you been a Raiderette?
C.B.: This is my second season with “football’s fabulous females.”
[X]: What is your typical preparation like for game days?
C.B.: Game days are pretty crazy. We get in around 9 a.m. for a 1 o’clock game and we’ll practice on the field … so we’ll run a full game before the game. Then we have to go back to the locker room and get in uniform and get ready to go out for player intros.
[X]: What are your emotions like before the game?
C.B.: Definitely for my first game I was extremely nervous. Putting on that silver-and- black uniform and stepping out onto the field in front of 60,000-plus fans is pretty nerve-racking, but as you go along you start to get used to it. You never get fully used to it though, because it’s pretty crazy.
[X]: So how does one go about becoming a Raiderette?
C.B.: Well, I’ve been dancing and cheerleading my whole life. I’ve been performing since I was seven. I found out about auditions through my dance teacher and went out and auditioned and made the team on my first try, which is very fortunate.
[X]: What’s the tryout process like?
C.B.: The first tryouts are a quick preliminary round. It’s just a short interview, you know, say your name and a couple things about yourself. They make a cut from there [after the first round] and if you make it to the final round, which they will announce that night, you come back the following Sunday. [At the final round] you perform a routine that you would have previously learned. They will announce the final team that evening, so you’ll know before you leave that night.
[X]: What was your reaction when you found out you were going to be a Raiderette?
C.B.: I was in shock (laughs). It was crazy. It was unbelievable, really. My parents have been season ticket holders since they [the Oakland Raiders] moved back from LA, so I pretty much grew up going to the games and watching the Raiderettes, hoping one day I’d be out there and … it came true.
[X]: What’s the best thing about being a Raiderette?
C.B.: Oh, that’s a tough question. Honestly, there are so many things we get to do like charity work and promos. I’ve gone to Wyoming to do a promo, and I’ve gone down to LA and shot a commercial for the Super Bowl. But honestly I think my favorite part is performing on game day, absolutely.
[X]: What is it like performing in front of 60,000 people?
C.B.: It’s amazing. There are really no words to describe it. You step out on to the field and you can hardly hear yourself think (laughs). It’s pretty cool.
[X]: What’s the toughest part about being a Raiderette?
C.B.: Time management really comes into play, especially going to school full time. You really have to work that out and fit it into your schedule. We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9:30 p.m. plus another practice on Saturday and Sundays are game days. Then on top of that you have all the other appearances we do, calendar signings, charity work, promos and all the other stuff we do. It’s a lot of work.
[X]: What type of charity work do you do?
C.B.: We work with a lot of underprivileged children around the Bay Area. We go to their schools and read to them and help them with their homework. We answer as a team to over 300 charities a year. A lot of people just think, “Oh, you’re a cheerleader. You just have your pompoms and you go out there,” but we do a lot of good work.
[X]: Who’s your favorite Raider player?
C.B.: My favorite Raider player is Steve Wiznuski. He was an offensive lineman years ago who’s retired now. I met him when I was younger and thought he was the greatest thing because he was so nice to me. He was an awesome offensive lineman too.
[X]: Have you had any embarrassing moments as a cheerleader?
C.B.: I’ve fallen performing, which is pretty embarrassing (laughs). But you just shake it off and get over it because that’s part of being a performer.
[X]: Why did you decide to come to SF State?
C.B.: I transferred from Diablo Valley College in Concord and came to SF State because of the broadcasting program. I took a few broadcasting classes at DVC and it sparked an interest. I’m still trying to decide whether I want to be a dance major though.
[X]: How do you like it so far?
C.B.: I love it. The faculty is very helpful and the campus is very beautiful. I haven’t gotten to see all of it since it’s only my second semester and I commute so I’m not really on campus that much.
[X]: What’s easier for you: Taking a final or performing in front of 60,000 screaming fans?
C.B.: I will get out in front of a million people over taking a final (laughs). I was born to perform; I’ve been doing it forever so I’m pretty used to it.
