By Raiderdrive-Bay Area Sports Drive: By Samurai Raider
Photos: Doug Farrell Raiderdrive-Bay Area Sports Drive
Published by Larry Garcia

While many might want to forget the 2003 season, one of the bleakest in the franchise history, Raiderette Lisa Ray still gives the team and the fans something to cheer about.  In a sense, Lisa represents the resiliency of the Raiders.  Surely, she has seen the Raiders during the silver times and during the black times.  In fact, one could call her the Timmy Brown of the Raiderettes.  Although Brown (37) has been with the team for 16 consecutive years, Lisa has been a Raiderette through three consecutive decades, as has the famed wide receiver.  Like Brown, who joined the franchise in 1988, Lisa has seen the ebb and flow of personnel, and she has seen the good times and the bad times.  Lisa began in 1986, cheering for just one year, when the team was in LA.  Then in 1992, she returned for two more years and then took a break, but when she was ready to return, the team had moved to Oakland.  It was some 8 years later when Lisa tracked the team down, and then in 2002, she once again donned the Raiderette outfit and has been on the field right up through the 2003 season.

You talk about running difficult routes.  Well, like Brown, Lisa has a rough route, too, one that takes her from her home in LA to Oakland, three to four times a week for practices, games, and charitable events.  You talk about going long! 

At 39, an age that Jack Benny coveted, Lisa is not hesitate about telling her age when asked.  In fact, she is proud of her age.  “I’m not old,” she declared.  “I may be more mature…”fine—like wine,” she added with a laugh.  “I am just kidding,” she said, flashing a bright smile.¹  It might be interesting to point out that Max Schubert, a wine connoisseur, once noted that claret wines aged between 40 and 50 years “were still sound and possessed magnificent bouquet and flavour.”²   As modest as Lisa might try to be, there is no denying that when it comes to her many attributes, she is indeed as rosy and as smooth as any claret; and based on Schubert’s observation, the thirty-nine-year-old Lisa can only get better and finer.

She might be kidding about the getting-better-not-older issue, but the subject of age with many women is no joke.  But not for Lisa.  “You know, life is too short, and you just can’t worry about the little things,” advised Lisa.  “And things will happen in life.  And it may not always go your way.  But if you are forever being depressed or stressed and such, it shows in your face and your health and everything else, and then your reflection on life.” 

When that starts to happen, explains Lisa, you just need to “take a deep breath and say, ‘No, I’m here, my life is good,’” even though it might not be exactly what you envisioned.  “I think everybody else, from the inside, will feel so much better about themselves.  And that shows, and you just tend to feel younger.”

Lisa apparently believes that there is an inner beauty that emanates from within, and that enables one to stay young.  “You could be 60 years old and look like you’re 35,” she explained.  “And I do know people as such, and they always tend to be the happy people.  They are just very happy, and they have such a great outlook on life.  And the people who look a little bit older, or beyond their years, tend to be the people who are more stressed and let little things get to them.”

Lisa knows that there are greater losses in life than football games.  “I lost my first-born son when he was three months old.  That gave me a rude awakening at a very young age about life and death.  And then I lost my mother, and that was very hard,” she said quietly and solemnly.  “And it makes you realize.  It makes you remember what’s important in life.  And to savor all the good things in life.  You know, life might not be perfect,” she continued, but if you are surrounded by family and friends, “you are just blessed.”

Lisa also believes that if you can surround yourself with children, you will be further blessed and will stay young, at least as far as outlook and spirit are concerned.  For that reason, it may be that Lisa’s most satisfying moments are when she works with children, especially with the Jr. Raiderettes.

  “Kids make me happy, and I’m just thrilled to be around them—makes me feel like a kid and, therefore, act like a kid,” the veteran cheerleader explained, her enthusiastic laugh belying her nearly forty years. 

“I think it’s [youth] just a reflection on how you feel.  But yet, if I need to be a coach, an adult, and be sophisticated, and whatnot, and be educated at work, you know, I can flip over to that.  But yet, I think that makes me a better person, much more of a whole person—being able to relate to children.”

Lisa sincerely believes that this is her obligation:  “To instill in the children what I know, what I’ve learned in my life, my failures and such, and what I’ve learned from them and still motivate them when adults.”

Lisa further explained that it is very important for Raiderettes to realize the profound impact that they have on fans and especially on children:  “People will look at you, whether it be a child or an adult, and the littlest things that you may not realize you’re doing, children watch you and look.  And I know this because my own children look at me, and they will look at other Raiderettes.  And my daughter will ask me, ‘Mommy, is that what a Raiderette is?’  ‘Or is normal for a Raiderette to do that?’”

Lisa does not necessarily comment on whether the behavior pattern was positive or negative.  “I’ll say, ‘Ooh, you know what, that girl probably didn’t realize she was being watched.’”  Raiderettes need to be aware of even the little thing because they are “officially in the public eye,” especially when it comes to little girls.  “So you do definitely need to be aware of what you’re doing,” she said with a knowing laugh.

Lisa did not think her daughter would be paying much attention to the actions of the cheerleaders, or even care that her mother is a Raiderette.  “No, they’re very much aware.  Children are just so innocent in their minds and so impressionable,” she noted.

It is precisely because young girls look to the Raiderettes as role models that many parents want their daughters to participate in the Jr. Raiderette program.³    Julie Cunningham says that her daughter Kaitlin idolizes the Raiderettes and looks at them as role models.  “Her dad’s been a [Raiders] fan for years, and so she’s a fan.  And she thought that this would be a lot of fun to be part of not only the cheerleading squad but to be part of the whole Raider organization.”

Gregory Atron, a season ticket holder, said that his 11-year-old daughter, Victoria, has seen every game since she was 5 years old.  He gives a dad’s perspective on daughter Victoria’s being a junior Raiderette and getting the opportunity to work with the professional cheerleaders, by explaining that the little girls learn discipline:  “I hope the one thing she [Victoria] picks up from this experience is you have to do what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it.”  Moreover, he noted the great attitude that the Raiderettes have as far as helping others.  “If she can take some of these things away from this experience, it would be great for us and for her, I hope.”

Long-time Raider fans Scott and Nellie Lopez believe the program has been a positive influence on their daughter, seven-year-old Mika.  Scott noted that Mika has really made an improvement in terms of discipline:  “She knows that when it’s time to come to practice or game time is getting close, she knows that she’s got to have her stuff done, and she needs to get her homework done if she wants to be a cheerleader.”

 Aside from learning to cheer, Nellie wants Mika to maintain the Raiderette perseverance:  “I think it takes a lot of hard work and discipline to do these performances.  So, I think she is learning a little bit of that.”  Above all, Nellie wants her daughter to appreciate hard work.

“She’s learning she has to finish something she starts now…and the cheerleaders [Raiderettes] have helped her,” Scott concluded.

Lisa noted that although the little girls liked to fool around and have fun during the practices, just like the big Raiderettes, and even though they did not always appear to be paying attention, “when the music comes on…all of a sudden, they totally turned it on, and it’s just amazing.”

Lisa was amazed that when the moment to came to be professional, the Jr. Raiderettes paid attention, lined up properly in their assigned units, and knew exactly what they needed to do.  “It’s kind of like the Raiderettes.  We like to have fun, too, and have a ball, but game time,” she explained, “we feel that adrenalin rush.  We walk onto the field and see the fans—like ‘OK, this is it,’ and we just turn on our smiles, and it’s performance all the way.  And it just shows how much you love what you’re doing.  And that’s the key to these girls, too.”

Lisa further noted that the love extends from year to year, as the returning girls do not forget their mentors from the prior year’s experience:  “They come up and they hug you and say, ‘I remember you from last year and thank you for helping me.’”

It is especially rewarding when the parents come up and express their gratitude for the help and attention given to their daughters.  “It’s also nice to be complimented for being a mother, in there with a family and a career, but yet able to take time to be a Raiderette and help the kids,” Lisa added.

When not carrying out her Raiderette duties, Lisa works as an administrator and CFO of a computer software firm, which is her fulltime responsibility.  Her other job is working as a director for children’s pageants.  “I work with children on a regular basis, and I help them build their self-esteem,” she explained.

One of the prime programs that help build the self-image of young girls is the Jr. Raiderette program.  It is the confidence building aspect that mothers like Raylene Gutierrez believe makes the Jr. Raiderette experience positive for the girls:  “I hope she [her daughter] gets the great confidence later on in herself and she believes in herself and knows that she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”

Rachel Lopez agrees and believes that the program will give her daughter, Sesilee, “the drive, the ability to want to get out there and cheer and to do something positive.”  Lopez further indicated that Sesilee has made great strides in school as a result to the program.  “Her self-confidence has really skyrocketed.  It helps her improve in her academics as well.”  The fact that Sesilee was not allowed to participate in the program unless she had good grades is evidence of the motivation factor.

Because the Raiderettes have to stand in front of “tens of thousands of people every week and be able to perform at their optimum quality,” Atron believes that when the young girls work with the Raiderettes “it gives them a lot of self-confidence.”

It is not just in front of the fans here at home in the Associates Network Coliseum that Raiderettes have to perform.  Their duties often stretch to countries such as Germany, Mexico, Bosnia, and Japan.  This past summer, the Tampa Bay Bucs and the NY Jets had the opportunity to display their talents before the Japanese fans in the American Bowl, an annual game played in the Land of the Rising Sun.  “Each team was asked to select a cheerleader to represent that team on a tour for the NFL—on tour in Japan,” noted Lisa.  “I was just absolutely honored to be selected to go to Japan…a total of 18 chosen by the NFL.” 

Aside from getting the opportunity to work and bond with other cheerleaders from around the league, as they worked to learn the routines, the women gave three to four dance performances a day, aside from cheering at the game.  Although doing the routines in front of an audience was exciting, the biggest thrill for Lisa was to get the chance to help the women bond with the fans by utilizing her Japanese.  “I felt comfortable, and I was able to help other cheerleaders that didn’t speak the language,” she said excitedly.

Although Lisa was born in the States, she moved to Japan when she was five years old, attending an international school for 8 years in Yokohama.  She returned to the States at age 13, but she continued her language study.  And even now, while on the job, she has maintained her linguistic skill by doing business with software clients in Japan.

Commenting on the hospitality of the Japanese people, Lisa explained the fantastic reception she and women received:  “We were just superstars.  It was just amazing.  I mean we love our fans here, but when you have 50 photographers waiting for you outside. ‘Oh, wow, you’re here for us?’” she said, laughing and trying to capture her original bewilderment when she encountered the hordes of fans and photographers that had flocked to meet the women. 

When Lisa talks and laughs, she exudes a genuineness that would make one wonder if she is fully aware of her charm and radiant personality.  Perhaps what makes Lisa so endearing to all who meet her is her sincere infatuation with being part of the Raiderette program.  “I love what I do.  It’s not just about the dancing… but sharing with my family, my daughters,” she said, explaining the appeal.

As far as making it a family affair, Lisa’s nine-year-old daughter, Brittany, explains why she likes being a Jr. Raiderette:  “To have fun cheering with my mom and stuff and learning cheers and cheer at the game.  It’s really fun.” ⁴

Brittany is no stranger to the field, however.  She was a Jr. Raiderette last year, and amazingly enough, nine years ago, she made her “debut” on the field.  Yes, Lisa was pregnant with Brittany while she was cheering during that season.  Lisa definitely believes in sharing the experience with her family. 

However, what truly satisfies Lisa is the fact that the impact she is able to make goes beyond the stadium both physically and spiritually.  “So far beyond!” she modestly exclaimed.  “It’s wonderful.  I am very blessed to be able to do the things I have done.”

We, too, are blessed to have her vibrant personality offering a ray of hope to young people today.  Despite the despair, dissention, and discord of the 2003 football season, Raiderettes like Lisa prove that the silver lining that these women display is more than the vests on their uniform and demonstrate that a commitment to excellence on the field and winning games are really only small parts of the Raider franchise, for there are more important victories in this lifetime, and these triumphs start by spreading good will throughout the world and by making a commitment to our children.

Notes:

¹Interviews with Lisa Ray conducted at the Jr. Raiderettes practice on Nov 8, 2003, Raiders facility, Alameda, CA; and after the Raiders-Jets game on Nov 9, 2003 at the Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, CA.  

²Penfolds.com  (http://www.penfolds.com.au/Vineyards&Winemakers/Schubert.html).

³Interviews with parents conducted at the Jr. Raiderettes practice on Nov 8, 2003, Raiders facility, Alameda, CA.

⁴Interview with Brittany conducted at the Jr. Raiderettes practice on Nov 8, 2003, Raiders facility, Alameda, CA