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You've Come a Long Way, Granny!

By Raiderdrive.com: By Samurai Raider

12/11/03

Raiderette Kathy Ferrin has come a long way—from Los Angeles, where at age 24, she was a Raiderette in 1986-87, to Oakland, where at age 40, she is once again cheering for the Silver & Black. In fact, three to four days a week, she travels a long way. The Orange County resident commutes to the Bay Area for Raiderette practices, games, and mandatory public appearances. But perhaps her greatest journey of late has been the transition from mom to grandmom.

Kathy retired in 1987 from the Raiderettes to concentrate on being a mother, but she returned in April 2003 to regain a spot on the squad. On November 9, 2003, at the Raiders-Jets game, she cheered for the first time as a grandmother. Although the Raiders lost in overtime, she still had much to cheer about.

"My gosh, I just feel absolutely wonderful,” Kathy said after the game. Little Makenzie was born to daughter Karrah at 4:45 in the morning of Nov 8 at the Long Beach Memorial Hospital. And Grandma was there on the “sidelines,” watching her being born and cheering throughout the miracle of birth. “It was the most beautiful sight in the world," Kathy declared. "I was definitely with my daughter all day and all through the labor."

While the team might not have had much to look forward to after the game, Kathy certainly did. "She's just so beautiful,” Kathy said regarding the newborn, “and I'm just so happy, and I can't wait to get home to see her."

While Kathy always possesses charm and grace on the field, during the afternoon of Nov 9, she seemed to emit a special glow, one that stayed with her despite the outcome of the game. Perhaps that glow was the result of knowing that there are more important things in life to cheer for. While cheering for the team, did Kathy have a cheer in her heart for her granddaughter? "Oh, I sure did,” she declared. “My cheer in mind was I can’t wait to get back and just hold her. She's so adorable.”

If she is anything like her grandmother, Makenzie must be quite the little charmer. Kathy can best be described as having a face like Gina Gershon and a figure like Demi Moore. Mary Barnes, Raiderette Director, remembers the fantastic muscle tone that Kathy had back when she first met her in 1987: “Kathy was what we then called "buff" way before it was the popular thing. She had muscles on her muscles. Although she was before her time in having that kind of toned body, it wasn't long before all the Raiderettes wanted that hard body look.”*

Barnes was astounded that Kathy’s physique had not changed much: "Fast forward to 2002. Kathy accompanied a friend to Raiderette tryouts and I ran into her in the hallway. I thought to myself, ‘my goodness, that girl looks just like Kathy Ferrin did 15 years ago.’ And it WAS Kathy, looking as fit and as gorgeous as ever...and yes, looking like she did 15 years ago.”

Will the real forty year old please stand up? During the game, Kathy blended in so well with all of the younger women that one would be hard pressed to tell which of the young women was the forty year old. Kathy’s dancing was right in rhythm, and her timing was as precise as any of the younger girls. Even though she had something else on her mind, she did not miss a step. While the Raiderettes were rocking, was there any danger that she might start singing "Rock-a-Bye Baby"? Apparently, her Raiderette discipline was able to help her contain her enthusiasm on the field. “I don't think I'd quite be doing that,” she said, laughing. It was difficult for Kathy to say much, and she apologized, implying she would need time to calm down. “I'm sorry. I'm just like still in awe. I'm so happy.”

Raiderettes can’t do much on the sidelines other than try to keep up the spirits of the players and the fans, but grandmother Raiderettes can inspire both daughter and granddaughter long after the game is over. Although she could not say much after the Raiders-Jets game, back in April 2003, Kathy was quite eloquent.

“When giving my ‘grandmotherly’ advice to Karrah, I would tell her to follow her dreams and not be afraid to fail or live life to the fullest.” Certainly, coming back to tryout for the Raiderettes after so many years demonstrated the courage to strive for a dream and the ability to attain what you go after, a heritage Kathy wishes to pass on.

“I really feel that she [Karrah] will be able to accomplish everything in her realm of dreams. I know that I have instilled values that will be continued on and shared with her child, my grandchild.”

Kathy, a financial advisor by profession, had some advice that cannot be bought and goes beyond dollars and cents. She said she would advise her daughter to maintain the value system that was handed down to her from early childhood and transmit these ideals on to her own child: “Our roots, the meat of our value system, are something that I have learned from my grandmother/mother. Family is a precious gift, and as a future grandmother, I have realized the struggles of life—‘been there, done that!’”

However, Kathy knows that her daughter can’t just rely on Mom’s words, but she will eventually have to learn from her own experiences and “go through the trials and tribulations of life before she will gain the understanding of true love and sacrifices that have been shown to her.”

Kathy noted that now Karrah will realize what being a mother is all about and will relish Kathy’s grandmotherly advice. “She will know where I was coming from all those years [as her mother]. Now, I am not only her mother, but a grandmother to her precious gift of life.”

Kathy knows deep inside that her daughter’s values are firmly established. “I am confident that she will be able to create her own family ties and values. She will be able to look back and remember her own roots and value system that have been instilled in her. My advice to her is to realize that the sacrifices she will make are not out of obligation, but out of unconditional love. No matter how frustrated she may feel with her child, or with her own mistakes in life, she will know that mom, and now grandma, has and will always be there for her, as I know she will be there for her child.” And neither daughter nor grandbaby will have to travel too far to get the help, advice, and comfort they will ever need.

Indeed, Kathy Ferrin has come a long way as a mother, a Raiderette, and now a grandmother. However, she will go further still as a role model and, especially, as an influence on both her daughter and her granddaughter. Moreover, if little grandbaby Makenzie is anything like her granny, you can be sure that one day, she will come a long way, too.

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*Mary Barnes,” Raiderette of the Week,” October 21, 2003, Raiders.com (http://www.raiders.com/raiderettes/raiderettesNewsDetail.jsp?id=9122).