09/28 — Hey Jets fans! This is Lauren Z. from the Flight Crew. What an exciting start to the season! As a rookie Flight Crew Cheerleader, I have been looking forward to the 2009 season, and now it’s finally begun. I am so proud to be standing on the sidelines, cheering for the NY Jets!

These last few months have been quite a whirlwind for me, as the Flight Crew has been in training camp since June. I’ve learned so much this past summer, one of which is how to manage your time properly. Between practices, promotions and non-related Jets events, life can get pretty busy. I know in this day and age everyone is extremely busy. So I decided to write this, especially for future NFL Cheerleaders, to show that it all can be done if you have good time management skills.

The Flight Crew consists of talented, hard working, young women. When we’re not at practice, a promotion or a game, we are busy with other aspects of our lives. Some are students in college, while others have full-time jobs or a career. I myself teach preschool gymnastics during the day, and also teach at a dance studio and coach a high school dance team at night. It is important that these jobs do not conflict with time on the Flight Crew.

Thankfully, I’ve been able to work it all out with time management. I’ve kept my daytime job and work every morning, then I travel to practice at night. We have dance practice two to three times a week, so on the nights we don’t have practice, I’ve been able to teach at the studio and the high school.

It is also important to me to spend time with family and friends. I enjoy seeing them on nights when I don’t teach or have practice and I’m happy to see them at Jets events and games. I am lucky to have supportive family and friends who are just as excited for me at these appearances as I am!

Being this busy, it is important not to run yourself down. To avoid an overworked feeling, you must live a healthy lifestyle by eating properly and getting enough sleep at night. NFL Cheerleaders must keep their body healthy and fit so this means exercising daily. When I have free time in my day, I practice the Flight Crew dance routines. This is a great way to use time wisely. By dancing, I am able to exercise while also preparing for practice or a performance.

As you can see, the life of an NFL Cheerleader can be busy morning, noon and night. But it is completely worth it! It is a dream come true to perform in front of thousands of fans, and I am so thankful to have this opportunity. I love being able to learn all these great dance routines and then perform them at the games. And I am very lucky to have great friends on the Flight Crew to share this experience with.

So to all future NFL Cheerleaders, remember to go for your dreams with commitment, dedication and time management! See you all at the next Jets home game!

—Lauren Z.