Ultimate Cheerleaders (The First Five Years)

New England Patriots Cheerleader Alison Preston is one busy lady. This week she's off the cheer for her team at Super Bowl XXXIX, and then next week she flies to Hawaii to cheer at the Pro Bowl.

Back in September Jody Wolf of The Bedford Bulletin profiled Alison.

Alison Preston never dreamed of being a New England Patriots cheerleader until a former member of the squad encouraged her to try to out.

Even then she never imagined she would make it. Now she's cheering for her third season in a row and serving her second year as a line captain. After the Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2002, Preston met Dance Vision owner Heidi Sullivan-Laroche, a former Patriots cheerleader, who encouraged Preston to try out because of her dance experience.

They met at a local pageant through Preston's former dance teacher at the New Hampshire School of Ballet.

She had danced since she was 7, but she had never been a cheerleader. The Patriots cheerleaders use a lot of dance routines, so she fit in perfectly.

Her mother, Sharon Preston,, thinks it's great. "I'm really proud of her because it's extremely competitive to be one," she said.

To make the team this year, Preston, 21, attended auditions in April with 400 other potential cheerleaders. Cheerleaders have to audition each year, she said, regardless of whether they were on the squad the year before. Not all 24 from last year made the team, and only 13 new cheerleaders made it this year.

Sharon Preston said she gets nauseated from the intense competition when she goes down to Boston each year with her daughter.|

"It's stressful every time we go down," she said. "We were absolutely thrilled to make it and stay on it. It's a big feat."

Preston has enjoyed her time as a Patriots cheerleader.

"The opportunities and experiences I've had are incredible," she said.

Her mother tries to get to Patriots' games as often she can. When she doesn't go, she watches them on TV. "I'm thrilled when they show the cheerleaders on TV because they don't often," she said.

As line captain, Preston helps teach dances to a line of cheerleaders. She has also gone on trips to boost the morale of soldiers overseas, attended the 2004 Super Bowl, and been featured in Maxim magazine.

Last Thanksgiving, she went with other three Patriots cheerleaders to visit soldiers in Turkey, the Azores, Germany, England and Italy. In May, she toured Japan, Korea and Hawaii.

Preston was one of four girls selected from the team to go overseas, said her mother.
"She's got to have personality, showmanship and compassion," she said. "You have to be a giver, not a taker."

Her boyfriend, who has been obsessed with the NFL since he was 6, was jealous she got to go to a Super Bowl before him, she said.

"It was unbelievable experience," she said. "I will never forget it." On top of cheering, Preston, a 2001 graduate of Manchester West High School, is a full-time student at the University of New Hampshire. She is in her senior year, majoring in kinesiology and athletic training.

Her mother said she does a good job balancing, even with the overseas travel.
"She's very directed and organized," she said. "She is able to maintain almost a 3.5."

Her major and her after-school job tie in very well.

"I'd certainly like to do athletic training for a NFL team," she said.

Her schedule consists of practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays with games on Sundays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she goes to class in the morning, then works with gymnastics teams for major, then goes down to Foxboro for practice. Then she turns around to make class at 8 the next morning.

"It's a lot of work, but it's worth it," she said.

She is used to the time commitment that comes with extra-curricular activities, because of her dancing history, she said. She tries to carpool to Foxboro with girls on the team who are from around New Hampshire. There are two girls on the squad from Goffstown.

"The team is very close," Preston said. For many of the Patriots cheerleaders, cheering is a hobby. Lots of the girls are teachers or have other full-time jobs, she said.

"This isn't all that we do," she said.

While Patriots cheerleaders don't attend away games, there are lots of promotional events to attend. "That's a great time to show we aren't just girls who smile and wave on the sidelines," she said.

Preston usually does three or four promotions each month. A couple weeks ago, she and four other cheerleaders went to a Nashua Pride game and performed between innings.

It was nice to attend an event close to home, as most events are in places such as Maine or south of Boston, she said.

Although she wouldn't disclose a dollar amount, Patriots cheerleaders are compensated for each hour of practice, promotion, and game, she said.

For younger girls interested in being cheerleaders, dance experience is the most important, she said.

"You have to have a love of performing," she said. "We are out there performing for 68,000 fans, you have to have energy."

Girls have to be 18 to audition to become a Patriots cheerleader, but there is a junior cheerleading camp for younger girls.

"It's a great opportunity to have girls come and see what we do," Preston said. "We have 24 different girls who bring something special to the team."