18-year-old cheerleader also coaches youngsters at Britton
School.
MORGAN HILL – She has the dedication to succeed. She has the heart to serve.
Elizabeth Berry, one of the top three youngest Raiderette cheerleaders, has given the Raiders an extra spark in her first year with the squad while juggling her school responsibilities and duties coaching young cheerleader hopefuls at Britton Middle School.
“She’s done an excellent job with the girls,” said Britton Principal Jim McDonald. “She is very enthusiast around our students and the adults and is excellent with the kids. When I came to Britton, she was one of the first students I’ve met. I have followed her career through high school. I have always been impressed with her attitude and maturity. She is a special young lady.”
Berry, who was named as the Raiderette Rookie of the Year, turned 18 (the minimum age for cheerleaders) right before tryouts began last year.
Berry said she always knew she wanted to be a professional cheerleader, but said she planned on completing her schooling first. Berry, who had a friend try out for the squad last year, decided to try out to be a Raiderette this year in hopes that it would help her get recognition for a future tryout. She never dreamed she would be excepted in her first year trying out right after high school.
“The average cheerleader is about 26,” Berry said. “I figured I would make it when I was 21 or 22. It usually takes two or three years because there are so many girls there.”
There couldn’t have been a better year to be a Raiderette, Berry said.
“It has been a very good year for us,” Berry said. “We had a lot of good things happen. It was an experience of a lifetime. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Most women do not become cheerleaders for the pay.
“You can’t really make a living off of it, but it has some good perks,” Berry said. “No one is there for the money. Most of us are full-time students, full-time mothers or full-time workers.”
The team members have made a lot of money off the calendars, which were the top calendars in the western United States selling about 45,000. Each cheerleader attends 10 charity events throughout the year. They also do paid promotions throughout the year.
The Raiderettes have become really close, Berry said.
“From what the veterans say, this is probably one of the closest groups,” Berry said. “It is almost like each women is just like you. We have so many things we do the same. But at the same time, we all bring our own individual qualities to the squad. When we lost the game on Saturday, we filled up with tears. It was not just because we lost the game, but because we know we won’t be standing next to the same girl any more. They are all like sisters – big sisters because I am the rookie.”
The Raiders season ended at Super Bowl XXXVII with a 48-21 rout in the hands of Tampa Bay Sunday. It wasn’t all fun and games for the cheerleaders.
“We had a curfew, which was not cool,” said Berry, whose family also got to attend the game. “There was a lot of work to do.”
The team practiced on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the week before for the Super Bowl. They went through a full rehearsal at the stadium on Friday. On Saturday, Berry and a few of five of her fellow Raiderettes kept busy by attending a press conference with the San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy, Tampa Bay Mayor Dick Greco and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown.
She did get to attend one of the largest fireworks shows over the bay on Friday night.
Berry, who is used to performing in front of large crowd, said it was a whole new experience.
“I remember being in that stadium and getting chills and butterflies when I looked up at the sign that said Super Bowl XXXVII,” Berry said. “At first, when I heard we were going, I thought it was no big deal. Once I got there, I realized how big it was. Not many people get to see a Super Bowl in their lives.”
The Raider nation came out in full force to support the team.
“It was overwhelming,” Berry said. “There were Raider fans out of control. San Diego was awesome. It was swarming with silver and black.”
While she was down in San Diego last weekend, Berry was able to meet several of the performers like Celine Dion. Berry was also able to use the opportunity to do a little networking in the sports broadcast field – a career she eventually hopes to go into.
Berry said she hopes to continue cheering for a couple more years then transfer from West Valley to the University of San Francisco to continue her Communications and Broadcast Journalism major. She hopes to get a Masters degree at USC.
During the regular season, Raiderette practices run each Tuesday and Thursday night and Saturday morning. Each training session starts with a 30 minute warm-up stretching session.
“In the beginning of the season we did a lot of conditioning across the floor,” Berry said. “Then we started learning all our routines. The week before the AFC Championship game, we had to learn a new dance. It was hard for some of the new girls, because it was a dance they did last season that we didn’t know yet.”
Berry started helping out coaching cheerleading at Britton last year. This is her sixth year of coaching after coaching Pop Warner for four years. Berry started cheering when she was 4 years old.
“A lot of times girls at that age (and I know because I was there) are not the easiest girls to work with,” Berry said. “They all have been great. They’re kind of like my younger sisters. It is nice to know that I am a roll model for future generations especially since I’ve had people I looked up to help me with my goals. I’ve known a lot of these girls since they were in the fourth grade.”
Berry, who recently moved to San Jose to be closer to school and practice, was named as the Most Outstanding girl of the 2002 graduating class. She was one of two cheer captains her senior year at Live Oak.
During her senior year, Berry trained under cheerleading coach Lana Wright.
“She has been so helpful,” Berry said. “A lot of what she taught is what they looked for. She taught me more of the dance technique and helped us liven up to the crowd.”
Berry has never been one to shy away from crowds and said she was able to stay calm her first time out this year.
“I was trying to tell myself it is just like cheering at Live Oak,” Berry said. “Going from the Live Oak stands with about 200 people in it to 62,000 people, there is a little difference there. Really your main focal point when you are doing your dance is what is in front of you. I just don’t use my peripheral vision. That is one thing I enjoy about performing is that I don’t get the nervous jitters.”
Berry is able to tune everything out when she goes out.
“A lot times when I perform, I subconsciously know what I am doing,” Berry said. “But a lot of times I kind of blank out. You lose your train of thought in the process of it and you just let yourself go. You are feeling the crowd, and you’re so excited. Before you know, it is over.”
Berry likes the composition of the Raiders this year.
“Bill Callahan did a great job for a first-year coach for the team,” Berry said. “We do have a lot of older guys on the team, but we got an awesome rookie class. They have the best guidance in the NFL under guys live Jerry Rice, Bill Romanowski and Rob Woodson.”
This season was a strong season for the Raiders, but Berry did not know if the team could repeat next year.
“This year we had an awesome season,” Berry said. “It is too bad it turned out the way it did. I am glad the team was able to bring us so far. Hopefully we have as good of a team next year if not better. We have been waiting for a Super Bowl for a long time and we finally got there. That just gives us an incentive to want to go back next year.”
