Bandette of The Week...the 2016 Buffalo Bandettes

This week, we're taking a look at the 2016 Bandettes squad as a whole. It's not something we normally do but this year's squad has really called for it and let me explain why. Being a cheerleading/dance team coach, especially in the pros, is an incredibly taxing job. It's not as simple as scheduling practices and telling people what to do. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes like taking appearance requests, coordinating those with the ladies on the squad, coordinating performances and gameday duties with the parent organization, choosing performances, uniforms, and so much more. This season, Erin has stepped back to a part-time advisory role and Mandy and Stephanie have become full-time coaches as well as helping MaKenzie and Janelle in their roles as the actual captains. Making things more difficult was the fact that only 6 of last season's Bandettes returned, with 1 returning alum and a total of 8 brand-new rookies.

The Bandettes in late March

The 2016 squad has been exceptional in my opinion because of how they pulled together.  Stephanie and Mandy jumped into the roles of coaches at tryout time while continuing to perform alongside their squad, Between them, MaKenzie, and Janelle, the two gameday captains, and Jennifer, the appearance captain, they have provided strong leadership and the entire squad has shown the dedication and desire to put together an outstanding product. The Bandettes have long been known for being a close-knit team that is generally resistant to the cliquishness that can pop up on larger squads. They took that a step further this season, I believe. When rookie Sarah found out she was going to be leaving for her dream job out of town, her squadmates made her final month as a Bandette as special as possible. Stephanie even told her they could FaceTime with her during practice after she left if she wanted to see what they were doing or even learn a routine. The way the captains and coaches have kept things going and the whole squad pulled together all season long is something that I know Erin is as proud of as I am impressed by.

Bandettes coaches and gameday captains Mandy, MaKenzie, Janelle, and Stephanie

They had one extra thing to overcome as, for some unknown reason, the Bandits organization didn't update their website in regards to the Bandettes. The girls all submitted bios and the photos were available but the link to the Bandettes page instead went to their Facebook page instead. It could very well have derailed our Bandette of The Week series this season but we had some help making sure it could go on. In addition to her duties as coach and everything she has going on in her private life, Mandy asked questions of her squad to help us put together a great series this year. I know this season's series has been pretty popular and I wish I could take all the credit for that but a lot of the credit should go to the squad for letting us know who they are in a way a generic bio just can't do.

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2012 Buffalo Bills season ticket holder draft party. Some of the players were greeting fans in the locker room and before taking off for the evening, Arthur Moats brought his daughter Kaylor by to meet the Jills. Shown posing with Kaylor are Christina, Lisa, Omarlla, Courteney, Loren, and Emily.

Christina, Lisa, Omarlla, Courteney, Loren, and Emily with Kaylor Moats

Bandette of The Week Stephanie

This week, we finish up our 2016 Bandette of the Week series by taking a look at 5th year vet Stephanie.  After serving as a co-captain last season, the longest-tenured vet on the squad is now not only a captain, but along with fellow captain Mandy, has been a coach for the squad as well ever since tryouts. Being a coach/captain is only the latest accomplishment in a fulfilling career for her after 1st getting named NLL Girl of The Year her rookie season and getting her picture on preseason publications the following year. Her sense of humor is only matched by her sense of responsibility and is a natural leader on the Bandettes with not only her experience but her personality. It's said that a boss stands back and tells you what to do but a leader shows you by example and Steph has been setting a great example to everyone around her for years. She's hardworking always with a smile on her face and treats everyone with warmth and sincerity. One would think someone with her beauty might be unapproachable but she's as easy to talk to as anyone I know. It doesn't matter if she's just met you or she's known you for years, she's still going to be genuine and fun to be around. Stephanie's secondary photo is from the Home Opener against Edmonton. While greeting fans coming into the game, MaKenzie and Stephanie posed for this photo together.

MaKenzie and Stephanie

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2009 Jills Open Workshop. One of the things that the veterans look forward to most is reconnecting with squadmates they hadn't seen in over a month. Posing for this photo shortly after showing up to learn the routine at Fusion are Ayeshia and Valerie.

Ayeshia and Valerie

Bandette of The Week Janelle

This week, we take a look at the gorgeous Janelle as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. She originally tried out because she wanted to keep her dance career going. She stays for several reasons, the excitement of the games, the thrill of performing in front of the large appreciative crowds in Banditland, and the new friendships she gets to make every season. In her 3rd season on the squad, she takes on the role of co-captain on Mandy's line and it's a well-deserved role even discounting her amount of experience on the squad. She's big on hard work and she's about as low-maintenance as they come so she's able to stay focused on getting the job done. Working in the medical field, that focus will serve her well as no one wants someone unfocused doing MRIs or X-rays on them. Janelle's secondary photo comes from the recent game against the Knighthawks when Tavares' number was retired. The Bandettes were split up in groups of 5 greeting fans coming in and Janelle was part of the group stationed right inside the gates on street level. Shown posing for the camera are MaKenzie, Jessica, Janelle, Karley, and Stephanie.

MaKenzie, Jessica, Janelle, Karley, and Stephanie

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2011 Draft Party. The Jills booth was always a popular one with the fans...and some players who were there. We had visits over the years from Booker Edgerson, Arthur Moats, and, in 2011, Al Bemiller. Shown here are three 2nd year vets in Emily, Amanda V, and Jill E.

Emily, Amanda V, and Jill E

Bandette of The Week Syidah

This week, the beautiful Syidah graces our page as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Always sporting a gorgeous smile, she's been dancing in acro and jazz since the age of 7 and moved on to ballet and modern dance during her college years. She joined the squad last season after seeing how exciting it was for not only the Bandettes, but the fans as well after watching our videos. Once she got her chance to perform during a game, she loved the excitement even more. She gets to do what she loves out on the field and bond with a great group of teammates on and off the field.
While Syidah is clearly enjoying the present, she's also got big plans for the future with plans to write a novel and to produce a musical. She's also hoping to travel to Thailand to ride an elephant and to Dubai to see the world's tallest building and the world's second-largest shopping mall. It's just a shame that interstellar space travel is so far away or else she'd visit the solar system whose star was named after her. Maybe the citizens of one of the planets in that star's system would worship her for the beauty we see every game.
Syidah's secondary photo is from the game against the Georgia Swarm held back in February, Before the game, the whole squad was near the escalators to the 300 level on the west side of the arena signing their new calendars, Shown smiling for the camera are Jackie, Syidah, and Deanna.

Jackie, Syidah, and Deanna

From the Jills comes a photo from 2008. Within a few weeks after tryouts were completed, the Jills typically held a Congratulatory Party to introduce the new squad to the public. Part of those parties included dance performances with veterans and sometimes rookies. Shown posing for the camera are 4 vets who danced at the 2008 party, Nicole, Eileen, Katie, and Omarlla.

Nicole, Eileen, Katie, and Omarlla

Bandette of The Week Tirzah

This week, the stunning Tirzah graces our page as our Buffao Bandette of The Week. Dancing on Mandy's line on gamedays, she's the final rookie to be featured for this season. Tirzah, whose name means "she is my delight" must have brought a lot of joy to her parents when born and now she brings it to Banditland with her dancing and beauty. She's been dancing most of her life and the chance to join a professional team was a goal of hers. The close-knit family the Bandettes have been known to be over the years made them a perfect choice since she also wanted the chance to make new friends and the friendships she's gotten have exceeded her expectations.  Some may wonder about the choice she made since the Bandettes are the only active pro team in town at the moment but it actually was a bigger choice than most might realize. Tirzah isn't the type to stay tied down thus far in life. She just up and moved to Nashville for a year and did the same with Dallas. Maybe she'll move somewhere else next year...though we obviously hope she stays put for at least a few more years...both in Buffalo and on the Bandettes. Tirzah's secondary photo comes from the Open Practice held back in December. In a photo taken while fans were still coming into the arena, Mandy's line posed for some photos, including this photo of the 4 young women who were new to the squad this season. Posing from left to right are Amanda, Tirzah, Angela, and Rachel.

Amanda, Tirzah, Angela, and Rachel

From the Jills comes a photo from an Open Workshop, an event we should be getting photos from around now if not for Stejon shutting down operations. This photo comes from 2009 and was taken as things were winding down at Fusion Dance Studio. Shown posing for the camera are Kristin M and Angelina.

Kristin M and Angelina

Bandette of The Week Deanna

This week, the lovely Deanna graces us with her beauty as the Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Deanna has that girl next door vibe about her and is about as friendly and easy to talk to as they come. She's been dancing since she was 6 and part of that was something that set her up to join the Bandettes...she started off as a Junior Bandette. She and her family have been long-time season ticket holders and after her experiences as a Jr Bandette and watching the squad perform, she talked about joining for years. Now that she has, she's one of the younger girls on the team and is enjoying the friendships she's building with the older girls and getting to learn from their life experiences and apply them to her own life. Some girls join a pro cheerleading/dance squad just to experience it and retire after a single season...though that happens very little with the Bandettes. Deanna is hoping to keep doing it for a few years while getting through college with her chemistry degree. As much as she's enjoyed going to games with her family over the years, nothing quite matches gamedays since she's been on the NLL's premier dance team! Deanna's secondary photo comes from the Opener back in January and was taken just before the girls headed out to perform at 3rd intermission. Shown posing for the camera are Deanna and Jessica.

Deanna and Jessica

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2012 Open Workshop held at the Bills Fieldhouse. While most of the ladies were warming up and getting stretched, a few posed for photos, including this one of the dance co-captains. Shown here are Lisa, Emily, and Loren.

Lisa, Emily, and Loren

Bandette of The Week Jackie

This week, our Bandette of The Week feature introduces you to Jackie. A rookie dancing on Mandy's line, the 1st thing you notice about her is her height, this blonde-haired, blue eyed gal is the tallest on the squad. Jackie had to wait just a bit longer than the rest of her squadmates to perform for the fans as she had a job interview the day of the Open Practice but finished up in time to see them perform. She's looking to advance in her job now and put her degree to good use as a physician's assistant. Dance has been a big part of her life for a long time and once even got to dance at the Orange Bowl with her high school dance team. Since graduating last spring, she had really gotten to miss dancing with a team and when she saw the chance to join the NLL's premier dance team, she went for it. Since doing so, she's had nothing but good experiences with the close-knit community the Bandettes are and loves getting to perform with them. She's also a big fan of the Jr Bandette program and loves getting to interact with the next generation of Bandettes.
One thing that's been trending of late is the heightened interest in superheroes on TV and in the movies with a couple dozen movies in theaters this year alone. One of the most successful of those movie franchises was the Dark Knight trilogy starring Christian Bale and it just so happens that Jackie was a huge fan of that trilogy. A tall blue-eyed athletic blond beauty isn't your typical comic book fan so if you think a guy could really hit the jackpot with a girl like that, you'd be right...and a bit too late since her guy popped the question...in Rome.
Jackie's secondary photo comes from the Home Opener against Calgary. After a late Bandits goal, members of Mandy's line  are shown cheering on Dhane Smith's game-winning goal. Shown from left to right are Amanda, Jackie, and Rachel.

Amanda, Jackie, and Rachel

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2007 Jills Open Workshop, an event that we should be seeing now if not for Stejon Productions' decision to shut down operations. Shown posing for the camera are a pair of beauties who were about to embark on their 3rd season together, Brianne and Amanda P.

Brianne and Amanda P

Bandette of The Week Karley

This week, our Bandette of The Week is the adorable Karley. Dancing on Stephanie's line on gamedays, Karley's enthusiasm for being a Bandette seems to be hard to top. I first got a chance to talk to her one-on-one briefly after the Open Practice when she was unable to perform. When the Opener rolled around, she couldn't be more excited and she looked ready to burst during pregame. Truth be told, she reminds me of Jills alum Jess L (2007-10)  in regards to her enthusiastic approach to performing. She just loves being on the field and performing in front of the crazy and devoted fans in Banditland and nothing gets her through life more than getting to dance. When she's not dancing or hanging out with the squadmates she's loved getting to know these past few months, she's an outdoorsy type of girl and it doesn't matter what time of year it is. The last few months, she's been out on her snowmobile but with the weather warming up, she's ready to jump in the truck and go find a nice spot to catch some fish. In the future, she's planning on finishing school and visiting Ireland one day, where her ancestors came from. Karley's secondary photo is from the recent home game against the Georgia Swarm. Prior to the game, the Bandettes signed their new posters for the fans. When there was a lull in the line, I grabbed a few photos, including this one of Amanda, Rachel, and Karley.

Amanda, Rachel, and Karley

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2007 Jills Open Workshop. One of the fun things about the Open Workshop is the reunions. In this case, the Jills' original 3 Musketeers joined together for a photo. Shown posing are Jessica Z, Kaitlin B, and Valerie. 2007 ended up being JZ's and Kaitlin's final seasons but Val went on to become a captain and a Pro Bowler before retiring after the 2012 season.

Jessica, Kaitlin, and Valerie

Bandette of The Week Amanda

This week, returning alum Amanda C takes the spotlight as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. After spending a portion of the 2013 season as a Bandettes Ambassador, she returned to the squad with renewed focus and dancing up a storm on Mandy's line. Getting to dance again was what drove her to return to the squad and while she appreciated the opportunities she got by being an Ambassador, dancing was always her goal. She has been dancing since the age of 4, after all. This season, she's been loving being back on the squad with how crazy the games have been and her squadmates, only 2 of whom, Stephanie and MaKenzie, were on the squad with her in 2013. When she's not dancing, she's looking to finish her education and do a bit of travelling...to Spain perhaps. Obviously that travel would have to be during the summer with Bandettes in the spring and Bills games in the fall. Yes, she's a big Bills fan as well, something which I would say runs in the family as I've known her uncle for years through Bills games and tailgating. It makes me wonder if she shares his love of cooking since she also shares his love of chicken wings. Amanda's secondary photo is from the game in Toronto a few weeks ago. Prior to the game, the Bandettes joined the Toronto Rock Cheerleaders in greeting fans coming into the game. Shown posing for a photo are Angela, Rachel, Amanda, Janelle, and Jackie.

Angela, Rachel, Amanda, Janelle, and Jackie.

From the Jills comes a photo from a 2009 Away Game party. That season, 103.3 The Edge held away game parties at The Aud Sports Bar in Depew and for the Jets game in October that season, Alyssa and Vincenza were on hand. Here they are trying out the DJ booth.

Alyssa and Vincenza

Bandette of The Week Rachel

This week, raven-haired beauty Rachel gets the spotlight treatment as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Spending her gamedays on Mandy's line, she's been dancing since she was three years old. Truth be told though, she was probably dancing even in the womb. Through her time on the Bandettes thus far, there's one thing I've noticed about her that stands out...how happy she is when she's dancing. Her smile never seems broader than when she's out at midfield performing. She's been dancing with a local dance company for several years now but although she enjoys it immensely, she longed to take it to a professional level and tried out for the Bandettes. It's been said many times on this site how close-knit the Bandettes squad generally is and that's been one of Rachel's favorite aspects of being a Bandette. She relishes the friendships she's built with her squadmates and the times shared together at practices and games. Away from dancing and the Bandettes, Rachel has the goal of joining several Jills and Bandettes alums in making Buffalo the home to some of the most beautiful nurses in the country. She doesn't plan to only ply her trade in the Queen City however as she has plans to volunteer abroad in Cambodia, helping the villagers in the historic city of Siem Reap. Rachel's secondary photo is from the Home Opener against Edmonton. You can see from the look on her face how focused she can be when she dances. Shown in this picture are Jackie, Rachel, and Tirzah.

Jackie, Rachel, and Tirzah

From the Jills comes a photo from the Buffalo Jills Fundraiser held at SoHo in September of 2008. Shown posing for a photo are a pair of 2008 rookies, Rita and Ashley. Rita left the squad for a few years but returned in 2012 while Ashley moved to Carolina and had a 3-year career with the TopCats.

Rita and Ashley

Bandette of The Week Jessica

The UB Dazzlers have sent a few girls to the Jills and Bandettes occasionally in the past and this year, the Bandettes received 2 of them. Last week, we introduced you to Angela and now we introduce you to Jessica, our latest Bandette of The Week. Not surprisingly, Jessica and Angela had talked about joining the Bandettes during their time together as Dazzlers. In the lull between her last performance as a Dazzler and Bandettes tryouts, Jessica was already missing the thrill of performing at games as well as the teamwork involved in putting together a memorable dance performance while representing the organization, whether it be her college or the Bandits. One thing she's especially loved is getting to expand her circle of friends and knowing how close-knit the Bandettes generally are, I have a hunch she may end up spending several years as a Bandette performing and making new friends every year. As a photographer, who wouldn't love having her stick around several years given the fact that she's always grabbing a squadmate for a photo op not to mention the fact she seems to never be seen without a smile. Away from the squad, she's a market development specialist and is looking forward to growing in her career but wants to travel a lot as well, but especially to European countries like Germany and Italy. Considering her love of sushi, Japan is probably high on her list as well. Jessica's secondary photo is from just before halftime of the Blackwolves game in early February. Before escorting the Junior Bandettes out for their performance, Jessica and Sarah posed for a quick photo together.

Jessica and Sarah

From the Jills comes a photo from their Calendar Shoot Fundraiser held in September of 2008. For the price of a ticket, fans could hang out at SoHo all evening long with the Jills and get their fill of pizza, wings, and beer. Shown posing for a photo are a pair of then-2nd year vets, Angelina and Vincenza.

Angelina and Vincenza

Bandette of The Week Angela

This week, Angela grabs the spotlight as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Spending her gamedays dancing on Mandy's line, she's always had a passion for dance and getting to dance on the professional level with the NLL's premier dance team is a dream come true for her. A former UB Dazzler, Angela had a little help in preparing for what to expect at tryouts considering her Dazzlers coach is a Bandettes alum. Away from dancing, she has plans to become a school psychologist and do a bit of traveling, to Hawaii for the beaches and to Italy for the pasta. Wherever she travels, she'll probably be looking for pet-friendly resorts since she definitely loves her little Yorkie. Speaking of love, with Valentine's Day this weekend, Angela is not the typical girl. Roses are fine but her boyfriend will know to leave the chocolate behind. A pasta dinner is a faster way to her heart than candy. A trip to Universal Studios would also really get her attention as she'd love to tour the Harry Potter parts of the theme park, based on some of her favorite movies. Angela's secondary photo is from last month's game against Toronto. Before the game, some of the Bandettes posed for some photos before heading out for pregame. Shown posing for the camera are Angela and Jessica.

Angela and Jesssica

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2010 Buffalo Auto Show. Kaitlin and Amanda were on-hand to help judge a tailgate food competition and posed with a little girl with hopes to follow in their footsteps on the sidelines at the Ralph.

Kaitlin and Amanda with a future Jill

Bandette of The Week Sarah

This week, we begin taking a look at the rookies in our Bandette of The Week series and launching it off will be Sarah, who dances on Stephanie's line on gamedays. She chose to try out after being enthralled by the Bandettes' dancing over the years and jumped at the opportunity to join in the excitement. In truth, perhaps a college job may have helped her fit in as a Bandette more than anything as she spent some time working at Disney World. As most longtime readers are well aware, there is definitely a big Disney connection to the Bandettes as long-time coach Erin Y is perhaps Western New York's biggest Disney fan and former captain Meghan F is a travel agent working with Disney. In any event, Sarah is loving the friendships she's building on the squad and how it's affecting her life as a whole. This past week has been perhaps her favorite part so far as being a positive influence on children is a big deal to her and she probably got to do that more this past week, working with the Junior Bandettes, than at any other time thus far. As much as she's loving all the time spent as a Bandette, I have a strong hunch she's glad there are no home games in the final weekend in February so she can spend some time glued to Netflix for the release of Fuller House, the upcoming sequel to her all-time favorite show. Sarah's secondary photo is from the recent game against the Toronto Rock. Shown cheering on a Dhane Smith goal late in the 2nd quarter are MaKenzie, Sarah, and Jessica.

MaKenzie, Sarah, and Jessica

From the Jills comes a photo from the Tailgate Warriors set in Lot C before the 2009 preseason game against Chicago. Several of the Jills made appearances throughout the day and we got some photos with some of the local celebrities on hand for the show. Shown posing for this photo are Ayeshia, Keisha, Kelly Ann, and Kristen with famed Wing King Drew Cerza.

Ayeshia, Keisha, Wing King Drew Cerza, Kelly Ann, and Kristen

Bandette of The Week Jennifer

This week, the Bandettes Appearance Captain gets the featured spot as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. In her 2nd year on the Bandettes, Jennifer gets to show off her leadership abilities in her new role on the squad. A Chicagoan by birth, she's a huge sports fan and especially basketball. It's just a shame that thanks to her youth, she wasn't old enough to really appreciate the runs of 3 consecutive titles by her hometown Bulls. Jennifer isn't planning on being satisfied with being a pro dancer and a fan as she intends to pursue a career as an athletic trainer after getting her Master's degree. Jennifer's secondary photo comes from the Bandits' Opener against Calgary. As the Bandettes were waiting to head out to perform near the end of the 3rd quarter, Jennifer, Syidah, and Ti got together for a photo together, the three ebony beauties on the squad.

Jennifer, Syidah, and Ti

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2008 Buffalo Jills Calendar Release Party. Things were winding down late in the evening and a few of the Jills posed for photos. Shown posing for this photo are then-2nd year vets Jill and Ayeshia.

Jill and Ayeshia

Bandette of The Week MaKenzie

4th year vet MaKenzie steals the spotlight as our Bandette of The Week. This season, this future nurse officially takes on the role of Stephanie's co-captain, an adept pairing since besides the fact they're the two longest-tenured girls on the squad, they spend a lot of time together away from the Bandettes as well. Light-hearted and low-maintenance, MaKenzie has always been the outgoing type and loves making people laugh. If she has her way, she'll eventually be doing that around the world as she's hoping to travel a lot in the future, though we hope she restricts it to the offseason for as long as possible so we can see her on the Bandettes for several more seasons. While she has a personality all her own, she also reminds me of past Bandettes captains like LB and Justina in that she likes to keep me on my toes.  MaKenzie's secondary photo comes from the Bandits Opener against the Calgary Roughnecks. At halftime, the Bandettes showed off some new t-shirts and the captains and co-captains got together for a group photo. Shown posing for the photo are Mandy, MaKenzie, Janelle, and Stephanie.

Mandy, MaKenzie, Janelle, and Stephanie

From the Jills comes a photo from the Jills' last Comedy show held 4 years ago at the Tralf with master hypnotist Jerry Valley. Before the crowd came in, we grabbed a few photos of the Jills. Shown posing for the camera are Omarlla, Sara, Courteney, and Loren.

Omarlla, Sara, Courteney, and Loren

Bandette of The Week Mandy

We start up our annual Bandette of The Week series by taking a look at one of the beautiful captains on the squad. Mandy is in her 3rd season on the squad and her 2nd as a captain, which says a lot about how dedicated and focused she is on making sure the Bandettes remain the premier dance squad in the NLL. Never one to let things just happen, she's the type who makes things happen and she's used that drive to help her earn degrees in dance and communications. Her dedication is likely a big factor why she got named captain in only her 2nd season and now, with so many rookies on the squad, she's one of the most experienced on the squad with only Stephanie and MaKenzie having been Bandettes longer. Besides the experience and wisdom that comes with all her time in college and dance, perhaps Mandy's greatest attribute is her positivity. No matter what she's working on or going through, she does it all with a smile on her face. As a matter of fact, I think I've only seen her frown once....and it was staged expressly for a photo. Mandy's secondary photo comes from the Bandits Open Practice held back in December. Shown posing for a photo is most of Mandy's line. Posing from left to right are Amanda, Angela, Ti, Janelle, Mandy, Rachel, and Syidah.

Amanda, Angela, Megan, Janelle, Mandy, Rachel, and Syidah

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2013 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Shown as they come off the field just before halftime are Emmy and Allysha.

Emmy and Allysha

Bandette of The Week Erin

While we may have finished up our look at the dancers that make up the Buffalo Bandettes last week, it goes without saying that their coach deserves some love as well. Erin's been doing the job basically on her own most of the season and with a small amount of experience among the girls on the squad, it must be a challenging job but with well-chosen captains in Lauren, Mandy, and Cheri, things have run as smoothly as they would with 2 coaches. She started off her pro career in 2003 as a member of the Buffalo Bombshells, cheering on the Arena Football League's Buffalo Destroyers and came to the Bandettes in 2004, where she made captain in only her 2nd season. In 2010, she stepped away from the spotlight and became the Bandettes assistant coach and head choreographer before becoming the head coach last season. Away from the squad, she's a happily married mother who likely has all Disney stuff in the baby's room. Erin is a huge Disney fan and even missed a few Open Practices in the past because of previously scheduled trips to Disney World. Erin's secondary photo comes from the recent game against New England. Posing for a quick photo before the game are Erin and Stephanie.

Erin and Stephanie

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2010 Buffalo Bills Open Practice. Several of the Jills dancers greeted fans as they came in for the practice before performing onfield. Shown posing for a photo are Natalie and Loren. Sometimes, a pair of Jills or Bandettes develop a pretty special bond beyond the ones they develop with the rest of their squadmates and pictures like these of a pair that became the best of friends are not only special to them, but a blessing to be able to take.

Natalie and Loren