What It's Like to Try Out for the New England Patriots Cheerleading Team
This year was my favorite by far. I felt more confident and more prepared than ever before. This process forces you to figure out who you are and what you bring to the table. It forces you to realize your worth and be confident in your individuality.
Nevertheless, my name wasn’t on the final roster after yet another journey through preliminaries, finals, and boot camp. Did I fail? Yes, yes I did. Am I OK? Better than ever. Failure means progress, and I’ve learned to embrace it.
The toughest part, for me, has been that there are so many things that go into the selection of this team. While you don’t get specific feedback, the director tells the group at boot camp: “Maybe this year, it just wasn’t your year; come back next year if you don’t see your name on that roster,” and all you can do is take that sentiment and run with it. But I think she’s right. I’m not where I want to be, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have what it takes. I think it’s a great feeling to be able to tell yourself, “I’m not even at my best yet.”
Each year I’ve been fairly public about all of it, too, posting pictures from the auditions and RSVPing to NEPC auditions on Facebook. But I’ve never been embarrassed when people have asked about the result. No, I still didn’t make it, but failure fuels my fire. I’d rather people question my aspirations than understand by excuses.
The best thing I did during this process was to refuse to see the other women as competitors. Instead I embraced them as potential teammates. Getting caught up with negativity and “Why her?” is self-defeating.
I can tell you firsthand it’s very intimidating to walk into a competitive situation with hundreds of beautiful, accomplished women. But instead of finding rivals, I’ve found lifelong friends. These women are such a big part of why I continue to audition. Some are on the team and some aren’t; I’m blessed to have been touched by the encouragement I’ve had from the Patriots Cheerleading organization. Everyone has their own story and journey to the sidelines, and no one gets there alone.
Because I’m more afraid of never trying than I am of failing, I’ve made it a personal mission to keep learning. Failure in one area doesn’t mean I don’t have what it takes to accomplish other goals, like landing my dream job in finance or running 26.2 miles. Two weeks after being rejected by the Patriots squad for a fourth year, I crossed that finish line of the Boston Marathon surrounded by friends and family.
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No, I never choose the easy route. I choose to risk failing over taking a path that leads to a place I’ve already been. Despite not having reached my goal—yet—I will be back next year. I promised myself I’ll keep going back until it no longer makes sense. I think I’ll know what that means if and when the times comes, but now, I’m getting ready for next year.
