James, East Coast Correspondent – Page 121

By Konstantine Fekos
Meadville Tribune

Carolyn Crandall (far right) waves during a pre-game ceremony at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Crandall, then Peterson, was part of the 1968-69 Steelerettes squad

Action on the field, bright stadium lights and fellowship from the Rah-Rah Sisterhood all made Conneautville’s Carolyn Crandall feel like a celebrity at Heinz Field when she was recognized as an alumna of what’s said to be the NFL’s first cheerleading squad Sunday night.

“I just felt like I was on top of the world,” she said. “It was fabulous.”

Crandall was acknowledged with about 15 of the former Steelerettes, the collegiate cheerleaders who spurred the team on during its 1960s seasons.

“They were probably the first NFL cheerleaders,” Crandall said. “They were girls who attended Robert Morris (School of Business) at the time and went to all of the home games.”

The Steelerettes, commissioned by then-owner Art Rooney Sr., predated the Terrible Towel and Three Rivers Stadium, when the Steelers shared Forbes Field and University of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Stadium.

Sunday’s homecoming celebration brought former Steelerettes back on the field to lead the Terrible Towel Twirl pregame before the Steelers hosted the Cincinnati Bengals.

The ladies were joined by renowned former Steelers Franco Harris and Mel Blount, who served as honorary team captains.

The festivities are part of the larger NFL Homecoming initiative, which organizes efforts to reconnect football legends with their former teams and current fans.

“It was entirely an experience I will never forget,” Crandall said. “A once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Crandall, a Meadville High School and Robert Morris graduate, now working as a sales order processor and logistics coordinator for Ainsworth Pet Nutrition in Meadville, looks back on her days with the Steelerettes quite fondly.

She recalled squad tryouts involving a considerable amount of Robert Morris students, all hoping to be one of the select few to cheer alongside the 1960s Steelers.

“You had to compete with the other girls for a spot; there were quite a few trying out,” she said. “It was a nice accomplishment, I felt, to be selected as one of them.”

Crandall’s mother would drive her down to Pittsburgh twice a week during the summer before her college career to practice choreographed routines with the Steelerettes, she recalled.

“I was a varsity cheerleader for four years at Meadville High School, so it was right up my alley,” Crandall said. “Cheerleading was huge back in those days. You were either a cheerleader or a baton twirler or something of that nature.”

Crandall cheered for the 1968-69 season and still has the Steelerettes squad jacket to prove it.

“I remember being down on the field and feeling so tiny and small; when these guys would run by you, they’d look enormous,” she said. “When you heard the tackle and how they hit, you felt lucky to be standing back. Those guys were like freight trains.”

Although her cheerleading career came to a close during the dry spell before the Steelers’ successful 1970 season, Crandall nonetheless enjoyed her days with the Steelerettes and attends reunion functions when she can.

“When I was younger it was a big deal,” she said. “My mom and dad both saw me on TV a couple times. It was a thrill for them to see me there.”

Other NFL teams must’ve been thrilled as well, because the idea of cheer squads began to take off in the 1970s, but without the wholesome collegiate image the Steelerettes projected, Crandall said.

“Cheerleaders back then were cheerleaders,” she said. “Bobby socks, saddle shoes, vests and sweaters or whatever with pom-poms and skirts past the knee. Now they wear these skimpy outfits.”

The traditional Steelerette look is still on display by uniform at the Heinz History Center.

As Robert Morris evolved over the years from a two-year school into a full-fledged university, interest in national teams supposedly waned and cheerleaders began accompanying new collegiate teams onto school fields and basketball courts.

By eventual joint decision between the Rooneys and RMU, the 1969-70 season would be the last time the Steelerettes entertained a crowd as an official NFL squad, though their sisterhood lives on through the women who still keep in touch today.

“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, the Steelers never had cheerleaders,’” Crandall said. “I just chuckle and say that we were the first.”

Allen Americans Ice Angel Rookie Alexandra. She is a graduate student.

Photo courtesy of James Higgins

The Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders made their 2013-14 debut at the 1st Mariner Arena back on November 23rd.

With Director Elizabeth “Liz” Guardalo still out on maternity leave, Blast Alumni Jane and Karen able managed the night.

The 2013-14 Squad

Blast Cheerleaders with the Bay Area Shuckers Dance Team

[Blast Cheerleaders Gallery]

[Blast Cheerleaders on Facebook]

By Rachel Santschi
KCChiefs.com

Chiefs Cheerleader, Summer will experience an opportunity of a lifetime, representing the Chiefs in Hawaii during the 2014 Pro Bowl.

Summer is a first grade teacher from Springfield, Missouri and is in her fifth year as a Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader. To learn more about Summer check out her biography here.

“Summer is a five year member of our team and a two year captain,” Stephanie Judah, Chiefs Cheerleaders Director, explained. “She has been selected as the 2014 Pro Bowl representative of the Chiefs Cheerleaders. It is a huge honor to represent our team at the Pro Bowl; we are so excited for Summer and extremely proud of her.”

After the announcement was made, I spoke with her about her reaction to the being selected, her experience as a Chiefs Cheerleader and her future trip to Hawaii.

R: Tell me about you experience as a Chiefs Cheerleader.

S: That’s a pretty loaded question just because there’s been so many things that I’ve been able to experience being a Chiefs Cheerleader for the past five years. It’s been really amazing being a part of this team. There have been so many people I’ve met and friends I’ve made through this experience. There are also so many opportunities to interact with the community and I feel privileged that I’ve been able to meet passionate Chiefs fans, do so much with the military and represent the Chiefs as a Cheerleader. It really has been a life changing experience.

R: Did you ever dream you would be cheering at the Pro Bowl one day?

S: No, not at all. I was on the squad for four years before I was nominated so for the past few years I’ve seen so many girls be that role model for the team. I never honestly considered it because there are so many wonderful girls that could go, so I never thought it could be me. It’s a huge shock to me still but I’m so honored.

R: How did you find out you were selected to go to the Pro Bowl?

S: Every year the whole team votes, usually around October or November, for their top five choices of who they want to see go to the Pro Bowl. All we know is that sometime in November or December the announcement will be made during a game. Right before we perform, the staff will tell us to stay on the field and then we realize we are about to find out. It’s a fun way to find out. This year there were six nominations, so those were announced on ArrowVision and then a few seconds later, they announced the girl chosen to go to the Pro Bowl.

R: What was your reaction?

S: I saw my picture, they put a lei on me and next thing you know we were off and running. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that I was chosen to go to the Pro Bowl.

R: What are you most looking forward to about this trip?

S: I’m really excited for all the new experiences and the people that I will meet. I’m excited to meet girls from other NFL teams, hear their stories and get to know them. Plus, I’ve never been to Hawaii before so it should be really fun.

R: What does it mean to you to be selected and to represent the Chiefs?

S: This is a huge honor. I’m really nervous but also really excited. There is only one girl from each team that is able to represent their city and their team, so I’m nervous, but I’m also extremely excited to see the Chiefs Kingdom in Hawaii. This is a huge honor and I’m so thankful for the opportunity.

[Summer at KCChiefs.com]

By Leslie Bailey
IndyStar.com

Regina Jones never intended to settle down in Indianapolis — let alone be a dancer and cheerleader for its NBA and NFL teams.

The Indiana native had been living in New Jersey when she moved back temporarily to be with a family member battling cancer.

“I thought, ‘If I’m going to be here, I want to do something fun — I’ll try that Colts thing,'” she said. Not long after, Jones married and settled down in Indianapolis.

Jones, a former Rutgers University dance major and Club MTV dancer, spent four years as a Colts cheerleader before taking a break and having a baby daughter.

At 30, she found herself wanting to get moving again and auditioned for the Indiana Pacers at the encouragement of Pacemates choreographer Monique Alhaddad.

“She suggested I try out, but I was so out of shape — it had been a couple years, and at 30, the weight doesn’t just jump off of you.”

Despite large numbers of younger competitors, Jones made the squad.

During her time as a Pacemate, Jones and her husband decided to buy a home. She fell in love with real estate and began working on an accelerated course to earn a real-estate license, studying during breaks at games.

“I would take my real-estate book and sit on the floor (of Conseco Fieldhouse) studying. The music would come on, I’d shut my book, run out there, do my little whatever, then run back,” she said.

She joined Carpenter Realtors in 2001 and is now manager of its Northwest office.

Through her relationships with the Pacers and the Colts, Jones, 45, was able to help players with rentals and sales. She lists former Pacers Reggie Miller and Ron Artest (“a fabulous person and a fabulous dad”), Colts running back Donald Brown and former Colts receiver Aaron Moorehead as clients.

“I have clients you’d know and clients you don’t — they’re all awesome. I don’t care if I sell a million-dollar house or a $7,000 house, I love it,” she said.

When she’s not working real-estate transactions or managing 15 sales associates at Carpenter, “I’m either wing mom or dance mom,” she said.

Her daughter, Alexandra, 14, is a ballerina, and her son Dillon, 20, is in the Air Force training in fire protection — each taking their parents’ paths respectively. Jones’ husband, Jim, is a firefighter with the Indianapolis Fire Department.

The remainder of her time is spent serving the community through her work as a past president and member of the Realtor Foundation.

We sat down with this month’s Woman to Watch to talk philanthropy, the Dave Mathews Band and why 2013 is her year to be fearless.

When I first started talking to my now husband, a Colts player had taken a fancy to me. And not that athletes aren’t real, they’re fine people, but I had to consider what I was looking for. People get caught up in celebrity, but they’re no different. … You just have to ask yourself, “Do I really want to date somebody who looks in the mirror more than I do?”

One morning I was up for a 3 a.m. feeding with my daughter and Dr. Cornell West was on TV talking about service. I couldn’t shut it off. We all get consumed by doing things for ourselves and our children, husbands, career. You do all of those things because you want to. But do you ever get outside and expand to people who can do nothing for you but you’re willing to do something for them? And at that moment, I said, “I’m going to do something.” I said it out loud, and two days later my phone rang. It was a member of the Realtor Foundation, and she invited me to an auction. That’s how I got started with them.

I’m not a crazy dance mom. I stay out of the teacher’s way. I’ve had opportunities to teach where my daughter dances, but no. I have all these things I have to teach her, so I have to step away and let somebody else teach her.

My best friend Marizel’s daughter, Maddy, has leukemia right now. That’s what scares me most. I try to be hopeful, but I can’t imagine this world without Maddy in it. Then I get aggravated at myself because then when you fear it, are you giving into it? So my word this year is “fearless.”

I used to do the handbags and nails thing, but as I’ve gotten older, I’m spending money on experiences, like a Dave Matthews Band concert — I go to six or eight of them a year.

On my wish list is taking my daughter to Paris, go to London — be able to travel the world. But when I go, I want to do something philanthropic. It doesn’t have to be the whole trip, but that’s my dream.

People would be surprised to know that I’m a Trekkie. I am a big “Star Trek” fan.

A few weeks ago, I was in Vegas for a convention and my girlfriends told me that I’m kind of stuffy and conservative, but I don’t think I’m like that at all. I’m like, “I jaywalk! Sometimes I don’t feed the meter!”

In June, I’m going to Jamaica for 10 days with Ben Davis Christian Church. We’ll be working with two orphanages … (and) with the Boys and Girls Club of Montego Bay. My husband thinks it’s great, but he also reminds me there are people in Indianapolis who are in need.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream makes me feel better on a bad day. You can call me corny or cliche or something cheesy from Pinterest, but if you’re having a bad day, girl, you just got to start counting your blessings.