Titans Cheerleading Director Stacie Kinder is Devoted to Her Family, Team, and Fitness

Based on her devotion to her Tennessee Titans organization, I’ll bet Director of Cheerleading Stacie Kinder was hanging on every play throughout last Sunday afternoon, as her Titans teetered on the verge of the playoffs. The Titans did what they had to do, winning in Houston, but lost what seemed like a game of Twister with the Bengals, Jets, Broncos, and Raiders for the last wild card spot. The Titans’ season was at an end, but certainly it exceeded expectations. Stacie’s Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders also had a superb season, as they are always undefeated and untied to anyone who is fortunate enough to see them perform on the sidelines. During the past season, Stacie shared with UltimateCheerleaders her experiences of starting her pro cheer career in the AFL, then leading the Titans Cheerleaders, and her love of Nashville, her team, and her family.

Stacie just completed her eighth season with the Titans organization. Originally from the Virginia/Washington D.C. area, Stacie began dancing at age three, and went on to become dance team captain in high school, in addition to comprehensive dance training such as studying at the Washington School of Ballet. Stacie has a wide breadth of experiences in both the performing and management sides of entertainment, from being a dance team captain at her college alma mater, to a member of the dance staff for the National Cheerleaders Association’s dance division, to working on the Aloha Bowl and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to working as the fitness expert for Shop At Home television, to producing the Music City Bowl’s halftime show for six years. Being on the management side is quite natural since Stacie graduated with degrees in finance and marketing, with a minor in French, when she attended the University of Virginia.

As fitness is an essential ingredient to her life, Stacie also competed in Fitness America, finishing second at Fitness Atlanta, and ranked in the Top 25 at the national competition in Redondo Beach. Gosh, sounds like you would have to be a world-class decathlete to be able to keep up with Stacie. No really, I seriously think you need to be one, because Stacie’s husband Gary won the 1988 US Olympic Trials for decathlon, with a score that puts him 106th of all-time best decathletes. So, for an event that determines “The World’s Greatest Athlete,” that puts Gary around the top one hundred greatest athletes of all-time. Gary’s score may be a little lower than Bruce Jenner’s, but the quality of Gary’s “reality” is probably several fold better than Mr. step-Kardashian’s.

Stacie says she met her future husband, “In 1993, in the weight room at the University of Virginia. He was by far the strongest person I’d ever seen. I was smitten immediately!”

So Stacie, what would be YOUR best of the ten event track and field competition? Stacie responds, “My best decathlon event would be the hurdles or the pole vault. As a gymnast and dancer, I’ve trained both of those events with my husband, and I think I did pretty well!”

If we were to schedule a crossover competition, who would do better, Stacie in the decathlon or her husband Gary on “Dancing with the Stars”? Stacie replies, “Gary would be better, by far, on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ than I would be at the decathlon! He’s an excellent dancer; we’ve taken several ballroom classes together, and he’s an incredibly quick study.”

When Stacie moved to Nashville in 1996, she auditioned for the inaugural AFL Nashville Kats Dance Team. Not only did she make the squad, but soon Stacie was captain in 1997. Then during the 1999 season, Stacie cheered, served as the dance team’s director, and was in charge of sponsorship marketing for the Kats.

Asked what prompted her to try out for the Nashville Kats the first time, Stacie answers, “When I moved to Nashville in 1996, we had no NFL team. Coming from the Washington, D.C. area, I was very disappointed. But when the Kats inaugural season was announced, I knew it would be a great opportunity to dance and get involved in the Nashville professional sports scene. I had grown up dancing in the studio, and then dancing for my high school and college. I had aspirations of becoming a Washington Redskins Cheerleader (at that time, ‘The Redskinettes’). I’ve always loved sports, and professional cheerleading is the best way to combine my passion for dance and sports together!”

After four years away from pro cheer to start a family, Stacie jumped back in full force taking the Director of Cheerleading job for the NFL’s Titans squad. Rather being part of a new squad like the Kats, Stacie was taking over a pre-existing team, with its own “routine”, veterans, and style. About stepping into leadership of the TTC, Stacie says, “The challenges of taking over any business from another person are all very similar, whether it is NFL Cheerleading or an investment bank on Wall Street. You walk into an existing culture-some which may be good, and parts may be bad, and the employees, in this case, the cheerleaders, are all skeptical. I worked hard to allow the team members that I took over to tell me what they really liked about the existing culture and business and what they would like to see changed. I also listened to their suggestions of how to change certain areas. My advice to someone new to a team would be to be sure that the current team members don’t feel like they are getting a dictator, and instead, are invigorated with the opportunity to offer their own opinions and suggestions, and therefore, become a part of the transition process itself.”

When asked about the unique stamps she has applied placed upon the Titans Cheerleaders since she took over, Stacie replies, “The Titans Cheerleaders were an excellent organization before I began in 2004, but I’m proud of redesigning the game day uniform and giving it more of a ‘Titans brand.’ Also, we’d only had two swimsuit calendars prior to 2004, and now we sell one annually, traveling to shoot it in a beach location. The calendars are always beautiful and sell very well to our fans. I’m extremely happy to have created this product; it combines a great experience for the team as well as a great product for our brand.”

As one might expect from someone devoted to fitness, Stacie adds, “We’ve also instilled ‘Fitness Friday’ training during training camp each June when we train on the track with my husband as our coach. While the cheerleaders may not agree, I’m proud of their fitness training, and I love seeing them work hard as a team!”

In addition, Stacie has increased the national visibility of the Titans Cheerleaders, including being featured on an MTV documentary that described the life of an NFL cheerleader, Titans Cheerleader Jessi. Stacie comments, “We were so honored to have our team, specifically, Jessi, be selected to be the subject of MTV’s ‘World of Jenks.’ I was proud of how our team looked on the show and felt that director Andrew Jenks did an excellent job portraying what it is really like to be an NFL Cheerleader. It was a fun experience for all of us.”

Devotion to children is important to Stacie, both at home and with the Titans. Some of the most hectic games of the season for Stacie are the home games with the Titans Junior Cheerleaders and Junior Mascots. Asked how this season’s September 25th home game with all of the Juniors went, Stacie responded, “Our Junior Cheer and Mascot program was very successful. We had around 100 children perform with us at halftime to a mix of Latin music in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month. It’s always a little like herding kittens on the field that day, but the children were enthusiastic and well behaved so it helped the day go smoothly.” Has anyone ever progressed from Junior to real Titans Cheerleader? Stacie answers, “Current TTC Erica, is our first ever Junior Titans Cheerleader to become a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader!”

On the home front, Stacie has two young sons. Certainly, being raised in a home with an Olympic decathlete, fitness champion, trained dancer, and NFL employee must affect their dreams for “when they grow up,” plus provide special experiences related to Stacie’s work in the NFL. “My two children are definitely having a unique childhood; my entire family is very fortunate for the opportunities we’ve earned,” Stacie explains. “Presently, my ten-year-old is torn between playing in the NFL and training for the 2024 Olympic Games. He loves athletics and has done pretty well in his competitions so far, playing quarterback on his little league football team and competing in the AAU Junior Track and Field Nationals in the summer. I’m attempting, a bit unsuccessfully, however, to get him to think of some alternate, non-sports related careers as well! My baby is only five, but at the moment, I think he wants to be a singer! Because I work in the NFL, my sons are able to meet and talk with athletes that most kids their age only dream of meeting. Our kicker, Rob Bironas, came to my oldest son’s seventh birthday party, and many of the players and coaches know them by name and are genuinely interested in their lives. Working in the NFL is an incredible blessing, and I try to instill in the boys how fortunate and unique the experience is. We work hard not to take anything we have for granted and teach our children to do the same.”

Will Stacie encourage her sons to be enthusiastic dancers when they are older? “Both the boys take dance, hip hop and jazz, and I hope they will continue to have a love for dance, and mostly, feel confident when they dance as adults,” comments Stacie. “I think it’s sad when teenagers and adults are afraid to dance at parties, weddings, and other festivities. Dancing is so joyful; everyone should be able to do it!”

With so many responsibilities in Nashville, Stacie does not get many opportunities to travel with the Titans Cheerleaders on many of their trips, with the exception of their calendar shoot. “Since 2004, the Titans Cheerleaders have traveled to Las Vegas, Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Lewis in Washington, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Irwin in California, and internationally to Curacao in the Caribbean and Mexico City, Mexico. We’ve traveled to Palm Springs, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Miami, Florida for dance conventions and of course to the beautiful gulf coast of Florida for our annual swimsuit calendar shoot. Most of my best memories are when the team is completely together traveling to our swimsuit photo shoot. I enjoy seeing the ladies get to know each other better, learn from one another, and discover commonalities with a new friend. Stepping back and watching the transformation of women, who were once strangers and then, become the best of friends, is something I treasure every year. I pray that they will value these relationships for a lifetime.”

So a move to Nashville allowed Stacie and her family a wealth of experiences, many due to her connection to pro cheer and dance. Often listed as America’s friendliest cities, Stacie concurs, “I love Nashville. This town is full of kind-hearted people, and I am blessed to see their friendliness nearly every day. People hold doors open for one another, smile, look each other in the eye, use proper manners, and speak kindly. Specifically, I had a flat tire on the interstate years ago, and my cell phone had no battery. While I was contemplating my options, within five minutes, another driver pulled over and changed the entire tire for me, replacing the flat with my spare. I couldn’t believe that I’d been sent a Nashville Angel. I try to use the philosophy of ‘pay it forward,’ hoping that each time someone does a kind act for me, I have the chance to do so for another, and then, that person pays the kindness to the next.”

Well, we certainly appreciate Stacie Kinder’s kindness allowing UltimateCheerleaders to learn more about her and the Titans Cheerleaders. Thanks Stacie, and have a great 2012!