MVC Training Program Member is ready for this year’s auditions

By Jocelyn Syrstad
Leader-Telegram
March 31, 2014

Last April I decided to try out for the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders. I mentioned the idea mainly as a joke — I never thought I had what it took to be on the team — but my youngest sister encouraged me to go to tryouts.

The day was a whirlwind of activity. About 175 women showed up for tryouts for 35 spots on the team. We learned multiple dances in front of a long table of judges and left the day physically and mentally exhausted.

I left thrilled. Going into tryouts, I thought I’d be cut after the first round, head home and chalk it up to a fun experience. But, instead, I left with an invitation to join the Training Program, a JV team for lack of a better term.

For the past 10 months I have been training weekly with my Training Program teammates, coaches and trainers. I drive to the Twin Cities every Tuesday for a two-hour practice and make sure to spend the rest of the week racking up a lot of time in the gym and sticking to a healthy lifestyle.

It amazes me to see how far I have come. One of my teammates recently pulled me aside to tell me how much I have improved. At our team banquet a couple of weeks ago, my teammates voted me “most improved glamour.” And my all-around confidence and poise has improved tremendously.

Now, a year after I walked in blind to open auditions, I will walk in to those same tryouts again this Sunday. I have no idea what my chances are. If you asked me honestly, I still think I have a lot of work left to do. But I do know I will be better than last year.

I am prepared for all scenarios — I don’t make MVC, I make it, I get invited back to Training Program, I am not asked back — and I will be proud of any outcome. I am proud of how hard I have worked over the past year and I am proud that I have made improvements.

What’s meant to be will happen. My dream, of course is to one day be an MVC and perform on the field each Sunday with my wonderful teammates, but if that doesn’t happen this time around it just simply wasn’t meant to be for me yet.

One thing is for certain, though. No matter what happens I will continue to work hard and improve myself so hopefully I am even more prepared for the 2015 tryout process.

In the meantime, I’ll leave everything on the field Sunday at tryouts and hope for the best.