New Britain native Lasondra Greene returns to cheer N.E. Patriots
By SUSAN CORICA
New Britain Herald
May 29, 2014
NEW BRITAIN — Local resident Lasondra Greene was among the 28 women chosen for the New England Patriots Cheerleaders’ 2014 squad out of approximately 320 applicants.
The month-long selection process began in early April with open auditions. The final step of the audition process, a two-week boot camp which concluded May 3, included intensive training sessions involving rigorous fitness and physical training, choreography, public speaking exercises, and promotional appearance training drills.
Greene started cheerleading at age six for the Police Athletic League (PAL) New Britain Raiders. She graduated from New Britain High School where she was captain of her varsity cheerleading team in 2006.
The 2013 season was her first year as a Patriots cheerleader. She is one of the 17 returning cheerleaders this year, who were required to re-audition for the upcoming season, in addition to 11 newcomers joining them.
“Becoming a New England Patriots Cheerleader for my second year seems surreal,” she said. “My rookie year flew by so fast that I haven’t even had a chance to process that in fact that I am now considered a veteran New England Patriots Cheerleader.”
“I can’t help but smile from the inside out when I say that because I am beyond excited and honored that I have not only another year to cheer on the best team in the NFL, I also have another year to make a difference in the community, build lifelong friendships, and let the world know that New England Patriots cheerleaders do more than just cheer on the sidelines,” Greene continued.
The cheerleaders make hundreds of promotional appearances, she said. “Those are the moments that I hold close to my heart. Being able to put a smile on someone’s face or supporting an amazing cause or charitable foundation is why I am proud to be a part of the organization.”
“I hope that I can inspire someone old or young to follow their dreams,” she added. “It’s never too late to go after your dream.”
Greene is a graduate of Brio Academy of Cosmetology and in 2010 passed her Connecticut state board exam and became a licensed cosmetologist.
She has styled the hair of Miss Connecticut, Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen, a TV reality star, and an Olympic gold medalist, and aspires to own her own business as a travelling hairstylist.
In her free time, she also enjoys taking boot camp, hip hop, ballet, Zumba, yoga, and spinning classes.
Nowadays Greene, 25, splits her time between Worcester, Mass., and New Britain, coming home regularly to tend her to favorite clients.
“I have a very loyal clientele that has been patient and understanding with my busy schedule so there was no way I could leave them in Connecticut without their number one hairdresser,” Greene said.
“I also feel like you should be able to customize your life according to what you have going on,” she added.
Seven members of this year’s Patriots Cheerleaders squad are from Connecticut, with others hailing from Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and of course Massachusetts, as well as transplants from New Jersey, Texas, Arizona and California.
The squad rehearses twice a week and performs at all Patriots home games. In addition to performing in front of nearly 70,000 fans, the cheerleaders travel to an exotic location in the spring for the swimsuit calendar shoot. This year’s trip will be to Cancun, Mexico, in June.
Patriots cheerleaders have also visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries and have appeared on local and national television.They have also been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Maxim and Muscle and Fitness.
