Hello Vikings fans!
Reflecting back on my experience at Pro Bowl, I cannot believe how much time has flown by since then. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you got to come along for the ride and see what I was up to. I also got share my journey at our end of the year banquet. But, I thought I would also share here too! Here's a quick look into my Pro Bowl week!
After the long 12 hours of traveling, I walked off the plane, was greeted with fans, our contacts, and the other PBC. That night they greeted us and gave us a nice, short welcome speech, as we immediately had to dive into a 3 hour rehearsal. They mentioned that this year was going to be different with the draft and all the new events. It was awesome! I was eager to have the experience and couldn't wait to get going!
We started every day at breakfast getting to know each, individual girl. I was so honored and excited to talk about my team and the wonderful organization that I'm apart of. It made for a great way to start the day.
After breakfasts, we would have a 3 hour rehearsal with our lines. They were hard work but so fun.
We would run the 12 dances we all learned from a video and make sure that we were all doing the same thing. Surprisingly, we all were on the same page!
The first day we were there, we got drafted to our teams. I was on Team Yellow 1, which was also the "tall team!" My PBC teammates on my line were from the Colts, Bengals, Texans, Chargers, Jets, and Chiefs.
After the draft, we took the iconic "Rock Picture." The wind was out of control, but the weather was perfect. They needed the sun and lighting to be very specific so we only had a 15 minute window to get "the shot." It turned out great!
Every "line" was able to do different special events throughout the week. My favorite was our children's hospital visit. My line was honored to be chosen to visit the critically ill children, connect with them, and bring a little cheer to their day. Some kids had to stay in isolation so all we could do was wave outside their door, but the nurse assured us that that was enough to make their day. Seeing the amazing power we as cheerleaders had to impact and make someone smile was incredible. I will forever cherish that day.
The next night was the big draft for the players. I loved seeing the Vikings fans come all the way and represent the best fans in the NFL. We as cheerleaders also got to perform together for the first time, which made the Draft extra special for us.
Signings, appearances, and the Draft party filled our other nights, along with more 3 hour rehearsals during the day. One day we had a rehearsal after breakfast, one after lunch and another after dinner, with signings in between- so much fun!
The day before the game was Ohana Day (meaning family) which is the day open to the public and locals. Again, seeing all the Vikings fans representing our great state, being able to give a wave or exchange a "Skol Vikes!" was my favorite part! They also had fun games and competitions that we got to participate in. Shout out to Viktor for making a great attempt at the "Cheerleaders vs Mascots" football game, but the cheerleaders did come out on top!
And finally, the last day was GAME DAY. We got there early to run through everything, and were confident and felt ready! Not only was it my one of my first outdoor games (when the Dome collapsed and we played at TCF was my first outdoor game officially) it was my first rain game as well! It definitely added a whole new element to game day that I've never had to think about. It was pouring, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way- it was SO fun! We had to laugh about it. It was an experience and it was perfect.
That night, the final night, we ended our time together with an inspirational speech from our directors along with a great dinner. We received our special Pro Bowl rings that is a PBC tradition.
We just enjoyed each others company and reminisced about the week we had had. It was an inspiring yet bittersweet night. And like that, my Pro Bowl week came to a close.
Going home and being able to reflect, I couldn't be more proud to be apart of this amazing organization and be able to interact with, hands down, THE best fans in the NFL. Proud to bleed purple- Skol Vikes!
Cheers XOXO
Pam, 5th Year
