By Rachel Santschi
KCChiefs.com
For as long as can be remembered, the relationship between the Chiefs and the military has been paramount to this franchise. The 2012 season is no exception and it recently manifested itself in a trip to the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the year, the Chiefs Cheerleaders have the distinct honor of visiting local military bases as well as national and international bases to show appreciation for the men and women and their families who sacrifice so much while serving our country. Recently Chiefs cheerleaders Hayley and Dionne visited the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
“One of the great things about being a Chiefs Cheerleader is spending time with our military,” Stephanie Judah, Chiefs Cheerleader Director, commented. “For Hayley and Dionne to have the chance to travel to Seattle to thank the men and women who serve our country is an incredible opportunity that I know they cherished.”
The girls flew out to the base on Thursday and spent the weekend learning about life on a military base.
“We were able to learn about our military on a new level and see how much effort and training goes into keeping up on their jobs to ensure our military is at its best,” second year veteran Hayley said.
They were welcomed to the base with tours and a unique challenge.
“We got a tour of the whole facility and were actually able to go inside of a Chinook (a CH-47 helicopter) and sit in the cockpit,” second year veteran Dionne noted. “Our tour guide explained everything from mechanicals to how to jump out of it for search and rescue. It was incredible to learn about everything their jobs entail.”
They also toured the police and fire department on base, where they were challenged to put on the firemen’s gear in less than a minute.
“At the fire station we got to get dressed up in the full firefighter suit everything from the pants, the boots and the hat,” Dionne commented. “We had to put it all on under a minute, it was difficult but we did it! They showed us their routine and let us ride with them through the base with the sirens and lights on. It was really fun experiencing what they would do in case of an emergency.”
As a way to give back, they had two calendar signings, one at the McChord Air Force branch and another at the Lewis Army branch, as well as a chance to spend an evening bowling with the families of the service.
“The signings were on opposite ends of the base,” Dionne explained. “When we arrived, there was already a line formed and Chiefs fans had huge posters, were decked out in Chiefs gear and some people even had Chiefs tattoos. They were so welcoming and happy to see fellow members of the Kingdom.”
After the tours and the signings, they decided to indulge in some fun and spent an evening bowling with the families at the base.
“The bowling night was split into two groups,” Hayley said. “First, we bowled with some of the men who worked on the helicopters, many of whom were avid Chiefs fans. Then we bowled with some families from the base. One family was originally from Kansas and diehard Chiefs fans! Their daughter, Krissy, is terminally ill, so it was amazing being able to share a special night with them.”
The girls were thrilled to know that their visit to the base lifted the spirits and raised morale of the service members and their families.
“Everyone we met was extremely grateful and excited that we were there visiting them,” Hayley commented. “It was an unbelievable experience and I’m very thankful we were able to visit.”
Joint Base Lewis-McChord has invited the cheerleaders every year and the girls are always delighted to be a part of the weekend activities. Several military bases around the world have also invited the Chiefs cheerleaders for visits.
“We also have the unique opportunity to visit our troops overseas,” Judah said. “This January, we will be sending cheerleaders to Japan and Alaska for military tours. In 2011 and early 2012, we did tours to Iraq and Kuwait. These were very special tours and we were honored to have participated.”
[Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders]
From 2011 – Bonnie of the Nets Dancers
By Charlotte Cowles
NYMag.com
The Brooklynettes do not walk, they bounce, and usually in unison. When five members of the dance team arrived at Barclays Center’s 40/40 Club before practice last Thursday night, they bobbed up to the table in a straight line, like birds in formation. They all wore gleaming black spandex tights, black Adidas sneakers, and black-and-white hoodies zipped to the same mid-chest height to show the tops of their sports bras, which were emblazoned with the Brooklynettes logo in graffiti-style writing. Their makeup was TV-ready, with thick strips of false eyelashes and liquid eyeliner. They looked like real-life Barbies, only with better posture and brighter smiles.
The cleverly titled dance team affiliated with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, the Brooklynettes began their first season at the new Barclays Center in Prospect Heights this fall. Ten of them stayed on from the former New Jersey team, although they all had to re-audition for the twenty spots in June, alongside 400 other Brooklynette hopefuls who came out for the grueling weeklong trial process.
For those unfamiliar with the world of NBA entertainment, it’s important to understand these women are not cheerleaders. Many are professionally trained dancers with agents and long résumés. Two of the women I spoke to hold dance degrees from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Ailey School at Fordham, respectively. Some came to the Brooklynettes from other NBA teams, including the Knicks and the Sixers, and others have performed in Broadway shows.
Read the rest here.
From 2011 – Christi of the Washington Kastles Cheerleaders
Thanks to Pro Bowl Dan for these photos from last week’s Indianapolis game where the Colts Cheerleaders were decked out for the holidays!
[Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders]
By David Hinojosa
The Monitor
I have never met Amanda Michel in my life.
But within, say, 20 seconds of our first conversation over the phone, I could tell it takes a whole lot to get her down in the dumps. That eternal optimist voice just jumps out. You know it when you hear it.
That optimism spills over full brim these days. As a second-year member of the Houston Texans Cheerleaders, life is good for the Harlingen-native and UTPA graduate.
“I love the Texans and the organization,” said Michel, who graduated from Harlingen South in 2005. “Everyone that works there is great, and we’re all a part of the team. It’s like everyone in the Valley. It reminds me of everyone back home.”
Michel is a proud member of the Texans organization. She’s active on social media, promoting the Texans constantly. She appreciates the opportunity to represent it because it wasn’t an easy climb there.
Michel, 25, graduated from UTPA with an English degree in the spring of 2010. During that semester, she decided to audition for the Texans’ cheerleading squad. She made it to the last stage of the process, which meant a month-long training camp that would determine the team for the 2010 season.
And for her, that meant commuting from the Valley to Houston two to three times a week for rehearsals. She’d get out of class, drive to Houston, drive back to the Valley to return to class the following day. Her parents flew her up and back once to help her cut down on the driving.
“I had a lot of nerves,” Michel said of her feelings during that time. “I still had classes to take. I was stressed out at school. I was hoping that I’d make it on time. Looking back at it, it was a real fun process.”
Michel made appearances on behalf of the Texans cheerleaders as part of that audition. She felt like she was part of the team. Michel had put in all that time and work during that semester only to find out in late March that she did not make the team.
“I was sad, especially to have gone so far,” Michel said. “When you are in the audition camp, you feel like you are on the team. You are wearing the Texans’ gear and the colors. I had to go back home and finish my last semester. I had to figure out what I wanted to do and start my career.”
Although Michel didn’t make the 2010 squad, she was determined to try again.
“I was extremely sad, but I think that’s what gave me that push,” Michel said. “I have always been an optimistic person, but there were times when I felt bad. My parents bought me a round trip flight to and from Houston. I felt like I totally wasted their money when I didn’t make it. But I have no regrets.”
After graduating from UTPA, she decided to move to Houston with the main purpose of trying to make the Texans cheerleading squad. She searched for jobs in the area and landed a spot as a freshman English teacher at Galena Park North Shore High.
The following spring she tried out again and made it, beginning her first season on the Texans’ squad in 2011. That just so happened to be the breakout season for the gridiron version of the Texans. Michel has witnessed the team’s rise first hand.
“Finally, they are getting up there and showing everybody what they are all about,” Michel said. “We’re in the playoffs. We still have things we need to work on, but we are getting better.”
Michel grew up in one of richest parts of Dallas Cowboys’ country. While she skirted the question about whether she was a Cowboys fan growing up — “I’ve always been a big supporter of the NFL,” she says — she is extremely grateful to one person who represented the Cowboys a decade ago.
Michel first came across Nora Cano, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, in 2007. Cano was director of the Snakecharmers, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ dance group, when Michel first made that squad in 2007. Michel danced for the Snakecharmers for two seasons before deciding to try out for the Texans.
“She really got out there and tried to make a professional team,” Michel said of Cano. “She’s one of the best directors I’ve ever had. I thank her for her passion. I like to say she played a big role to where I’m at right now.”
And right now, Michel is happy. She’s happy to be a Texan. She’s happy to be in Houston. And she’s happy that she didn’t give up.
“I’ve learned that you can pursue your dream and goals,” Michel said. “It might not happen the first time around, but you can make whatever you want a reality.”
The eternal optimist. Always.
From 2010 -A Hartford Colonials Cheerleader
Congratulations to five-year veteran Whitney!
Watch a video of the announcement here.
[Whitney at DallasCowboysCheerleaders.com]
From 2009 – Wizard Girls Assistant Directors Brianne and Kelly
By Daniel Langhorne
Orange County Register
Those visiting Roy Freitas for a haircut at his old-school barbershop in Old Towne Orange can spot a calendar of the Sea Gals, the Cheerleaders for the Seattle Seahawks, hanging on the wall behind his line of red-leather barber chairs.
This is a prized treasure for Freitas. It’s signed by his daughter, Krystal Freitas, who has cheered for the team for two years. When prompted, Freitas proudly boasts she is not the only NFL Cheerleader in the family. Her older sister, Jessica Freitas, is a member of the Flight Crew, which cheers for the New York Jets.
Roy Freitas holds a photograph of his two daughters, Krystal and Jessica, both cheerleaders for the NFL.
Both were born and grew up in Orange. They attended Orange Lutheran High and took very different paths to the NFL, each following their love of dance.
“It really puts us on the same level, and we completely understand each other,” Krystal Freitas said.
Krystal Freitas tried out for the Sea Gals with 300 other women and made the cut after a grueling series of auditions. Making the cut once doesn’t guarantee a spot the next year – veterans have to try out every April.
“It’s pretty stressful, because you have a great thing and you had that experience, (and) you don’t want to let that go,” she said.
The idea of trying out for an NFL cheer squad didn’t come to Jessica Freitas – professionally trained as a ballerina – until her sister had been with the Seahawks for a year. She had cheered for professional teams before and decided to give it another go. As a ballerina, Jessica Freitas performed for audiences in major theater houses but said there is no comparison to performing in front of tens of thousands.
“Being on the field at MetLife Stadium is a whole other ball game,” she said. “When you’re standing there representing the NFL, it’s a really cool feeling.”
The tight uniform tops that NFL cheerleaders wear might be tough for some dads. But Roy Freitas said he doesn’t worry.
“I’m still a dad,” he said. “Onstage, I don’t look at them as my daughters anymore, they’re cheerleaders.”
