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October 25, 2011

Jessica: A blast from the past

Oct. 21 was an incredibly special game, not just for the current Outriders but for the Stamps cheerleaders of the past 40 years as well.

We called out to all Outriders alumni to join us for the PinkPower game halftime show where we planned to perform a fun and very pink dance to raise breast cancer awareness. The experience was a complete blast (from the past)! Jessica_111025.jpg

It was so much fun to meet all the women who have been a part of the Outriders from the beginning and who have mastered the art of cheering our boys on from the sidelines and continue to do so to this day from their season-ticket seats.

After a couple rehearsals with all the ladies at our gym, we eventually moved to field practice where I really began to see the inner cheerleader burst out of the alumni! A few of the girls brought their old pom-poms with them to really get into the spirit. Some would yell out cheers as we were dancing and many reminisced and shared entertaining stories of the crazy moments they had on the field and sidelines.

As a rookie, it made me realize I still have so many more memories yet to experience! Field practice went great and everyone was all smiles, but the best part had yet to come. After practice, we threw a little pizza party where all the alumni brought in their old news articles, pictures and scrapbooks of everything Outriders!

It was amazing to see how the team has evolved over the years. From Farrah Fawcett hair and red high-heeled knee-high boots to jumpsuits bearing only a little midriff to the massively huge pom-poms, it was all good times sharing pictures of what the Outriders have worn on the field throughout the years.

For me, this game was even more special because my Mom was a part of it! She was an Outrider herself in the ’80s and as soon as she heard there was an alumni game, she signed up and brought her old pom-poms and cheerleader spirit to the practices! I’m not going to lie, it was the weirdest feeling practising beside my mom on the field and asking each other, “What comes after this step?”

Many of the current Outriders kept telling me how similar my mom and I are. It was the most fun and the ultimate bonding experience!

Finally, game day was here and what an exciting game! Not only did our boys take the win but the current and alumni Outriders were all decked out in pink and excited to dance together for the halftime show! I remember seeing this swarm of pink make its way down the stands a few minutes before halftime as all the alumni ladies made their way towards the field with their PinkPower shirts and neon pink pom-poms! The crowd was so excited as the ladies stepped onto the field and the alumni were bursting with energy!

Right before we went on, my mom couldn’t stop talking about how nervous she was and it made me laugh. It was finally my turn to calm her and support her before a performance! We got to dance beside each other the whole halftime show and there are not too many girls who can say they danced beside their mom on the field of a CFL game!

The show was a success and it was great seeing so much support for breast cancer awareness by the Outriders, both teams’ players and especially the many fans sporting their awesome pink Stampeders gear! I hope we can make it an even bigger success next year!

Thanks for reading my blog Stamps fans! GO STAMPS GO!

Jessica
>> Jessica’s bio