Hi, Jets Fans! It's Sara from the Flight Crew!
With New Year's Eve around the corner, I like to take time to reflect on my accomplishments of the year and set new goals for the upcoming year. My New Year's Resolution/Goal for 2010 was to audition to become a New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleader!
While I attended college at Syracuse University, I was on their dance team. We performed at home football games as well as men's and women's basketball games. I loved the experience of dancing in front of a large crowd and being part of such an exciting atmosphere.
Since then, it has always been a dream of mine to become a professional cheerleader. However, after graduation I stopped dancing for a few years to focus on my career in communications and coaching.
On Dec. 31, 2009, as New York City was ringing in the New Year, I had only one thing on my mind: that I was going to audition to become a New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleader. I knew that I would have to work very hard, considering I had not danced in several years. From January to May, I increased my workouts, took dance classes and worked on my flexibility and kicks.
Here are some strategies that I used in accomplishing my resolution/goal:
Write down your resolution — I wrote my goal in big letters on a few signs and placed them on my work desk and around my room. I was reminded every day that I needed to work toward that goal.
Research —I did some research and took Flight Crew Cheerleader prep classes to make sure that I knew what was expected come audition time in May. It may be helpful to read some online articles, a book or talk to an expert for good tips and ideas.
Create a plan and a timeline —I had six months until May auditions to prepare. I identified what I needed to accomplish within that timeframe and came up with a game plan for myself.
Put your plan in to motion!
Track your progress —I kept a journal and a log of my progress, including workouts and dance classes. This helped me to keep on track and tweak my routine as I went along. It helped me to recognize my strengths and weaknesses and make adjustments.
Share your resolution with your friends and family —Family and friends can be extremely encouraging! I had colleagues that would work out with me during my lunch hour and friends that would join me at dance class! It helps keep up with the motivation and makes the journey fun!
Set small, realistic goals along the way —Sometimes working toward a huge goal can be overwhelming. Start by setting smaller goals. I started off in January taking dance class every other week and working out 4 times a week. With time, I was able to increase my workouts, add in weight training and take more advanced-level dance classes.
Reward yourself if you are doing a good job —If I had a few successful weeks, I would reward myself with a massage or a little shopping trip! Just make sure that your reward doesn't sabotage all your hard work!
I hope you find these tips helpful! I'm so glad that I was able to fulfill my goal for 2010 and lifetime dream of being a New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleader. I'm really excited about setting some new goals for 2011! See you at the next home game! Go Jets!!
—Sara
