The Power Within

BY Raiderdrive-Area Chica Sports: By Paul Turse
Layout and photos by Larry Garcia

“There is always a fan in the bleachers

Wildly cheering the star of the game.

If only the power within him he knew,

It could be he who would merit that name.”  —Paul L. Turse, Sr., from “If Only They Knew.”

In the lines above, the poet is talking about a male fan who is unaware of the athletic potential that remains unutilized within his body and spirit.  However, the lines could apply to any female fan sitting in the stands, admiring not the prowess of the men on the field, but responding to the grace and symmetry of the cheerleaders on the sidelines and wondering “what if.”

Thus, the poet could very well have added this line to the poem:

There is always a girl in the grandstands,

Idolizing the cheerleader career.

If only the power within her she knew,

It could be she who would lead that cheer.

Third-year Raiderette Lyndsey understands only too well how a lack of confidence can be an impediment to achievement.  “But I know for me personally, I've wanted to be a Raiderette since I was in 8th grade—and never had the confidence to go out for it,” Lyndsey explained.  “And I didn't try out until I was 24 years old.  And so, l try to tell all the little girls that if you have a dream, whether it be cheerleading or sports, or whatever it may be, don't wait.  Go for it because only you can make your dreams come true.  So, I try to get that message across."

Thus, one of the most important tasks of a Raiderette, like Lyndsey, is to try to get little girls to find that power within and have the confidence to try to fulfill their aspirations, no matter how big or small.  Not all of the Raiderettes realize that they are role models.  "I have actually never considered myself a role model, but just with the charity events that we've done, it is so neat to see the faces on some of the little girls that you get a chance to meet or even the people that are in my hometown,” noted Lyndsey. 

 Mothers are constantly approaching her and asking if she can meet their daughters because the youngsters want to be cheerleaders one day.  “So it's really nice to be able to take the time out and actually touch other people,” Lyndsey indicated.

"When I’m not in my uniform, what can I do just as myself to help little girls?” she constantly asks herself.  “Thus, I always try to make sure I make eye contact and say hello or smile because a lot of girls don't get that from other women, I don’t think," the hazel-green-eyed brunette added.

Just as Raiderettes can influence youngsters, so can little girls have an affect on the cheerleaders.  "My next door neighbor.  She's eight years old.  Her name is Ashley.  She asked if I would come to her cheerleading practice.  She wanted to show me off.  That was the first touching moment by a little girl that I had.”

That someone had thought of her as being more than just Lyndsey, but as a “celeb” was an illuminating moment for her.  "Because I don’t personally look at myself in that way.  I’m like ‘me,’” she humbly explained.

When not carrying out her Raiderette functions, Lyndsey could really be the girl next store.  She likes country music, hip-hop, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and fishing.

And, yes, she has a fiancé and is looking forward to a ring and having children.  Soon it will “all start falling into place,” she asserted.

But for now, Lyndsey will continue with her Raiderette mission and strive to motivate all of the fans, and not just those in the bleachers but also those who do not understand what it means to be a Raiderette.  She realizes that the power within means more than just cheering; it means being able to influence others and change their perceptions, especially when it comes to the negative attitude that some individuals have toward cheerleaders—the belief that these women are nothing more than the flash of their silver pom-poms.

Despite her engaging personality and professional demeanor, such prejudicial thinking is nothing new to Lyndsey.  "I've actually experienced it a lot, but it's been nice to actually meet some of the people who do have those stereotypes on us because it seems as though their attitude always changes once they get to meet us.  They get a chance to see that we are actually intelligent girls and are very respectable, and I think that we've done a pretty good job of changing the stereotypes.”

Although the Raiderettes have made headway, it will always be a battle to completely change attitudes:   "I think that that stereotype will probably always be there.  I know that my first year, when the ESPN special came out, it was so nice that a bunch of people that had seen the show came up to me and said, ‘I didn’t realize how much hard work it is.  You guys are like athletes.’"

As a result of some of the up-close-and personal segments provided in the series The Season:  “The Making of a Raiderette,” Lyndsey felt that the viewing audience had a chance to see that the Raiderettes "aren’t the ‘quote unquote’ dumb cheerleaders.”  Indeed, Raiderettes have come from all professions imaginable:  nurses, administrators, teachers, probation officers, business owners, flight attendants, legal assistants, and medical technicians—to name but a few.  Lyndsey herself is a registered dental assistant and a massage therapist.  Of course, many come from the most difficult profession of all:  motherhood.

Another aspect of the Raiderette program that should help in making the general public view these women in a different light is the strict code of conduct to which they must adhere, not just in their professional lives but also in their personal lives.  The Raiders organization is constantly trying to enhance the image of Football’s Fabulous Females by sending their women out into the public as goodwill ambassadors of the franchise and the league.

“The only way to break through the [stereotyping] barrier is actually meet and talk to people.  When that happens, “Bingo!” exclaimed Lyndsey.  “They have always stereotyped us in their minds, and then after they meet us, their whole attitude changes."

Although the public still needs to be educated about Raiderettes, the Raider fans appreciate and respect their cheerleaders.  “Raider fans are what make the game absolutely amazing!”  Lyndsey exclaimed.  “My first professional football game was a Niner game….  I felt like I had to sit in the stands and whisper, and there was no cheering and yelling going on or anything like that.  And coming from my perspective as a cheerleader that’s not what you want.  So, you go out there and you get nothing but love from your fans.  They love their team; they love their cheerleaders.  I just think they’re the best fans out there.  They’re what make the Raiders so phenomenal.”

  Moreover, it is not just the male fans who learn to feel at ease with Raiderettes, but women as well.  “There are actually a lot of Raider-fan women out there who are comfortable with meeting us, and they get our autographs, as well, and that’s really touching.”

Aside from teaching little girls to cheer, the Oakland Raiders Jr. Raiderette program does much to foster good relationships between the community and the franchise, enhance the image of the Raiderettes and build the confidence of little girls for all endeavors.  “I’ve actually had this one little girl who’s become my friend from Jr. Raiderettes, so I’m always over there talking to her mom.  I look for her [little girl] every year.  So, hopefully, she will be there this year too.  It’s really a good opportunity for the parents to see that cheerleading is also a sport.  And they sort of want their children to get into it as well.  So maybe that’s something that would also help change the stereotype.”

Perhaps the most important aspect of cheerleading training is the confidence-building factor—an attribute that hopefully carries over into other aspects of life, Lyndsey believes.  “Personally, I do feel—I know from myself—that it has improved my confidence.”  It is this factor that the parents want for their children, and many agree that the program fulfills that desire.

Atron Gregory, 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 of being a junior and working with the Raiderettes.  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,” Gregory believes that when the young girls work with the Raiderettes “it gives them a lot of self-confidence.”

Rachel Lopez 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 indicated that daughter 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 unless she had good grades is evidence of the motivation factor.

Raylene Gutierrez wants the experience to be positive for her daughter:  “I hope she gets great confidence later on in herself and she believes in herself and knows that she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”

The success of the Raiderettes is very much due to their congenial natures and personality traits, both of which enable them to communicate, very often with nothing more than a smile.  "I think I'm just a social person, so when I have interactions with people I just automatically smile,” Lyndsey explained.  The Raiderette smile is infectious and can have a wonderful effect on everyone, even those who are seriously ill.

Lyndsey and a group of Raiderettes visited one of the VA hospitals in California, where they had the opportunity to perform for the patients.  In appreciation, the staff and the families had a gathering for the Raiderettes.  A woman approached Lyndsey and informed her that her father was too sick to come out to the lounge and see the Fabulous Females perform.  Thus, the cheerleaders proceeded to the man’s room and gave a private command performance for the man and his family.

Lyndsey described the experience:  “We were just kinda flirting with this guy, and he was the sweetest man ever, and he knew he didn’t have much longer to live.  And his daughter looked over at me, and his wife looked over at me, and said, ‘Thank you so much; this is the first time we’ve seen our father smile in three months.’  And I thought that was the neatest thing ever that I could, you know, kinda bring that to the family because they had seen him just miserable.”

 Because none of the guests or staff had cameras, Lyndsey went out to her truck to get hers so that the family could have a special moment to share and remember.  “And we took a picture with this gentleman, and I sent it back to him, and his daughter replied and said thank you.  And he had it up on his wall, and he passed away a week after he got the picture.  So I was really glad that he got to see that and his family got to see him smile.”

Lyndsey demonstrates that power within, not only to have confidence but also to affect others by shattering stereotypes and by inspiring them to achieve, to go that extra mile, and above all to smile.

So, if you are an aspiring cheerleader sitting in the stands wondering “what if,” because you do not have the confidence to tryout for the squad, take a glance on the sidelines and look for Lyndsey.  The 5’6” beauty will be dazzling all in the stands.  When you see her, remember these words:

She might have been the girl sitting next to you,

But for the power within her that she knew.