Part-time Job, Full-time Thrills
By Chad Courrier
Mankato Free Press
The stadium is full, the noise deafening.
It’s about 10 minutes before Sunday’s football game begins, and the Minnesota Vikings are in the tunnel, ready to take the Metrodome field.
The mascot roars though the inflatable Vikings ship on a motorcycle, followed by an explosion of nine flag wavers and 34 cheerleaders who form a spirited gauntlet for the players.
Kaylee comes running onto the field, pom poms held high, flashing her usual huge smile, and the squad quickly breaks into its first routine.
“It’s an adrenaline rush that I’ve never felt before,” she said. “It’s the most exciting time of the day.”
Kaylee, who grew up in North Mankato, is a first-year member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, whose policy prohibits the publishing of last names. She grew up as a fan of the Vikings, watching games on TV with her parents Dave and Marcia and occasionally making her way up to training camp at Minnesota State.
“But I only went to one game before (this season),” she said.
Kaylee spent 13 years as student and teacher at Dance Express in Mankato. She graduated from Mankato West in 2006, then spent one semester at the University of Minnesota before transferring to Gustavus Adolphus, where she received a nursing degree in May.
Her dance coach at Gustavus pointed Kaylee toward professional cheerleading, and she thought about joining longtime friend Lexi Zimmermann, who is currently a cheerleader for the Minnesota Timberwolves. “I chose the Vikings, and I’m glad I did because of the season we’re having,” she said.
It’s been an enjoyable nine months for Kaylee, between the public appearances and the games. The Vikings cheerleaders do between 400 and 500 appearances per year, with each cheerleader doing one or two per week. Kaylee’s favorite was a charity function at Gillette Children’s Hospital, in part because she hopes to be a pediatrics nurse some day.
“The appearances are fun,” she said. “We see a lot of people who never get an opportunity to come to the games.”
Kaylee said she has three practices per week, including a two-hour refresher on game day. She gets paid for games and appearances, which makes it a nice part-time job.
On Sunday, she traveled to the game from her parents’ North Mankato home, where game-day excitement helped her answer the alarm at 3:30 a.m. and jump into her frozen car. She had to be on the field by 7:15, hair, makeup and outfit ready for two hours of pregame preparations.
Kaylee is on her feet throughout the game, finally leaving the Metrodome about an hour after the game ends.
“Game day is so exciting because you only have 10 of them (each season),” she said. “When my alarm went off (Sunday morning), I was already excited.”
She’s guaranteed one more home playoff game, and the cheerleaders don’t travel to road games. However, if the Vikings were to qualify for the Super Bowl in February, the cheerleaders would be there.
“I’m really hoping we go to Miami,” she said.
Kaylee hopes she can continue cheerleading in the future, though that will be determined after she finds a nursing job. Tryouts will be held again in April.
“I didn’t think it would be so tough to find a job,” she said. “The economy has made it tough. But I’m hoping January is a lucky month.”
If she finds a job that doesn’t fit with cheerleading, she at least has a lot of good memories from this season.
“Getting to know the rest of the girls has been great,” she said. “I have 33 new best friends.”
