On the Leeward Side

In navigation, the leeward side is where the wind exerts its energy and force, and thus helps propel a ship on its journey. But Loreen Lee does not pilot a ship, yet somehow she seems to cruise through life as if driven by some divine wind—whether she is helping and teaching other aspiring Raiderettes, explaining the essence of being a Raiderette, advising young people to pursue their goals, training to be physically fit, shattering stereotypes, or raising morale on foreign shores.

When it comes to helping and teaching others, Loreen is propelled by a gentle wind, one that is willing to help push and guide aspiring young cheerleaders wishing to be part of the Raiderette squad. It was indeed an impressive sight at the 2002 Raiderette tryouts, held last May, to see Loreen working with a group of candidates, trying to improve their steps for the dance competition, which would begin in a few hours. No detail too small, Loreen pointed out the slight imperfections that the candidates had in their routines, seemingly mindless that any one of these young women could be the one to edge her out and take her coveted place among the elite sisterhood of Raiderettes.

However, despite the phenomenal talents of all the candidates, Loreen was able to breeze through the auditions and regain her spot for the third year running. No matter how forceful a wind may be, it must eventually subside. So, too, Loreen was able to calm down a bit after the hectic and grueling day of the Raiderette tryout finals, especially after she learned that she had been selected. It was hard for her to recall how she felt when the names of the newly selected cheerleaders were called out: “I knew my number, and that’s all I needed to know. I was really nervous from there.”

When asked how it felt to succeed for the third straight year, she excitedly responded: “Oh, you can tell in my voice. I don’t know. I’m hoarse from screaming, my eyes are dry from crying. It’s a sigh of relief.”

But the expenditure of effort that went into the audition was well worth it, according to Loreen. “Hard work today paid off, and I gained a whole new family,” she said in reference to her Raiderette sisters.

How did she feel trying out for her third time? Was it any easier? “No, no different,” she replied. “Actually, it was more nerve-racking this year and my second year. I was telling other people, ‘You think that just because we are vets, everything should come a bit easier. That’s not necessarily the case.’”

Loreen went on to explain that even the veterans are nervous and anxious when they go before the judges at the tryouts. But the newcomers, although they may be apprehensive, don’t really know what a fantastic opportunity they will be missing if they do not succeed.

“And because of that, if in fact they don’t make it, it’s OK,” Loreen concluded. “They can chalk it up to experience for next year. And for us, the veterans who are trying to return, we know what to expect, so we put that much more pressure on ourselves…. I had butterflies in my stomach.”

As in any sporting activity, and cheerleading is no different, when it comes to competition, the young upstarts who are trying out for the team or squad may have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, whereas the vets may have lost some of their original intensity. Does Loreen still have that bright-eyed enthusiasm she had three years ago? “Oh, sure!” she confirmed, dispelling all doubt. “Actually, I think all of the girls on the squad have that energy.”

Loreen went on to point out that just the fact of being accepted back into the squad or being admitted into the squad for the first time is sufficient motivation to put forth one’s best effort. The impetus to keep up a high level of intensity carries over to the stadium during game time. Even for the long-time veterans, the energy level just multiplies. Loreen explained:

“Even on the field, I don’t think there is anyway people can actually say, ‘Oo-ka-y, you know, well, I’m doing this for another year, so I’ll take it easy.’ But there’s no way you can really take it easy. It’s just so exciting and adventurous. You know, it’s one of those things that when you’re out there on the field in front of 65, 000 people, you really can’t slough off. The energy just pumps you up so much.”

Speaking of getting pumped up, Loreen is a whirlwind when it comes to conditioning. She has been an avid weight-trainee for about seven years and has been a long-time advocate of physical fitness. Has emphasis on working out helped her to be successful as a Raiderette? “Sure, it has really made me confident about myself overall,” she said. “But I don’t think that would have stopped me from trying out. I probably still would have tried out, even if I hadn’t been working out.”

Loreen pointed out that when people are really into bodybuilding, they often concentrate on increasing muscle mass.

And that concept is not the ideal aesthetic for Raiderettes. The fans don’t really want “to see a big bodybuilder out there [on the field],” she opined. “They want to see slender, petite people. So I still try to stay pretty lean. Not too big for my height. I’m only five foot three. But it [weight training] does definitely add some spark into it [cheerleading] because I feel a lot stronger. Because of that, I have more endurance; so, yeah, that comes into play as well.”

There are perhaps few individuals today who are stereotyped more than cheerleaders. Many feel that pro cheerleaders have nothing better to do with their lives except workout and dance all day. But that is not the case. Being a member of the Raiderettes, for example, is just a part-time activity for the women, who must balance career and family responsibilities in order to fulfill their obligations to the franchise, which include being role models and ambassadors of good will.

Loreen understands the nature of stereotyping. “Awhile back, I was probably stereotypical, too,” Loreen admitted, “in the sense that…. Wow! Cheerleaders! I could never do something like that. That’s out of my league—that’s something I couldn’t do…something for people with a lot of time on their hands.”

However, it’s all about strict discipline. Loreen explained that she has a full-time job, but she makes the time because being part of the Raiders’ franchise is something she feels that is important: “You do it out of the love for dancing, the love for the game and the team and the squad.”

Loreen certainly was a breath of fresh air as she explained how being a Raiderette is more than just making a cheerleading squad but, rather, is symbolic of universal achievement that can inspire youngsters to go after their goals.

“Everyone has different goals and accomplishments in life. For some people, you have a certain limit that you want to hit for yourself or a certain goal…something you want to achieve, some kind of dream. Some girls would love to do beauty pageants, just to say they’ve been able to do to it. The fact that they’re even accepted into the pageant is quite remarkable because not everyone is able to. And I feel it’s very remarkable that I am able to make the squad.”

So, to those young people who may have reservations about their abilities, Loreen would say, “Never underestimate yourself and never judge a book by its cover.”

Thus, for Loreen, making the squad is no different from any personal accomplishment that helps to define an individual. She feels proud just to be accepted into the squad, regardless of the effort it takes, especially since she believes that her endeavors as a Raiderette will make her a better person. Loreen elaborated:

“It is work; it is discipline, but in the end, it totally pays off. The experience is invaluable … later on in life, it will still reflect on how I view things and how I think about things. It just helps you grow…. I mean it’s literally a big part of your life. It’s not just a little bit of work. Especially if you do it season over season, it really develops you into more of a mature person—someone who’s able to understand discipline and understand pressure… understand how to calm yourself in excitement, how to talk to people, how to approach people.”

These people skills, no doubt, have helped lead to her success as an account executive and her work as a DJ, and, in the latter case, drifting into uncharted waters, so to speak. About her gig on the airwaves, Loreen explained: “A lot of people are surprised about that because I’m a female and it is a male-dominated occupation. But I love music, and I don’t see what’s wrong with a female being a DJ, so I do that from time to time.”

People skills are essential for Raiderettes, who play a key role as representatives of the Raiders’ franchise. Loreen explained that being a Raiderette is not just about cheering. Football’s Fabulous Females have many marketing and public relations duties during their tenure, including community and charitable activities. “We do so much outside of cheering. We don’t just go to practice and go to games. It’s a lot more than that,” she concluded.

The Autumn Wind is known symbolically as the force that drives the Raiders’ team on the field, but it is also the one that frequently sends Loreen and the Raiderettes—not just to the local communities but also to foreign shores to spread good will. As part of her duties, Loreen, along with a few squad members, traveled to Mexico City, where they visited hospitals to help cheer up the patients, especially the children. Not knowing Spanish, she had to learn how to ask names in the native language in order to reach them on a personal level. Loreen recounted the experience:

“What was really sweet was that we performed for the kids because down in Mexico, they don’t have any football leagues, so the cheerleaders meant a lot to them. They know about football, but they don’t have any of that where they are. So, we performed a couple of dances for them. They seemed all excited to have us. What was a really, really nice surprise is that they made each and every one of us a little picture and they signed it. You know, I think I could cry….” As she recalled her encounter with the children, Loreen stammered with emotion, nearly breaking into tears.

She and most of the girls had tears in their eyes, Loreen explained, because it was a touching moment. The children apparently did not view them just as visitors who would merely come, sign a few autographs, and disappear into the sunset; rather, they perceived their beautiful and gracious visitors with a more personal perspective. Loreen did not think that the children “would think of them at that level.” She summarized her feelings at the moment, regarding the memento the children gave their newly acquired friends: “To have a heartfelt little souvenir…it was so wonderful.”

While most view a hurricane as a destructive force, it can be seen as a positive symbol of energy and unstopability. It is also a symbol of the self.¹ While there may be powerful emotional forces raging without, the eye of the hurricane represents the inner calm that all seek. It is perhaps no accident that the hurricane icon² resembles the yin-yang symbol,³ indicating the harmony of outward power with inner peace. So it is with Loreen Lee—despite her energetic exterior, there lies deep inside, a gentle personality that just keeps on cruisin’ in the wind. Now, is it just a coincidence there may very well be a Hurricane Lee in 2005 and a Hurricane Lorena (pretty close) in 2007? Well, at least the names are on the list.⁴ But luckily for all of those in Loreen’s path, they don’t have to wait that long to see or feel her inspirational force, whether she is cheerleading, teaching and helping others, breaking barriers, spreading good will, serving as a role model, or just being Loreen.

¹Henry Reed offers a brief review of Divine Tempest: The Hurricane as a Psychic Phenomenon by David Schoen, who presents the “self” theory in Creative Spirit.net

²Hurricane symbol can be viewed in “All about hurricanes,” Pensacola News Journal, Saturday, June 1, 2002

³The resemblance to the yin-yang symbol has been noted by Duane K. McCullough in Spirit of Atlantis, v.3, Chapter 2, “Follow the Sun,” Our World CompuServe.com.

A special thank you to Loreen for granting this interview and to Mary Barnes, Al Locasale, and the Raider organization for their cooperation.

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On the Leeward Side: Cruisin’ in the Wind with Loreen Lee