Gold Rush cheerleaders prepared to hype up 49ers, fans at Super Bowl
SAN JOSE — At the last practice before the biggest game of their NFL career, the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders gave their all — and more — into perfecting and amplifying their support for the Niners at the Super Bowl.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Kaitlin Allanson told CBS News Bay Area. "This is the kind of journey that you get to talk about when you're old and gray at the dinner table talking to all your friends and family and how you were part of that special day in that Niners, hopefully, victory."
This moment has been years in the making for rookie and Bay Area native Allanson, not only for herself but for her family.
"On my dad's side, his family grew up in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and they emigrated to the U.S., and they specifically picked San Francisco because of this the city of all this opportunity where they could build their lives, have families and really just enjoy everything that the US had to offer," she explained. "And one of the things that really bonded them together when they first got here was a love of sports … So, four generations later, fast forward, growing up the Niners and sports in the Bay Area were everything to me. And so, to be able to represent this organization, it's almost like a lifelong dream fulfillment, and I wish that I could tell all of those generations that built this life here that, you know, I've made it and I can share this with you."
This year, the Niners will appear in their third Super Bowl since 2013 — their seventh overall appearance. Perhaps the third time's the charm to bring home a sixth Lombardi Trophy.
That was the case for Allanson, who made the team on her third attempt.
"To be someone that can say I went for my dreams and didn't take no for an answer," she said.
It's a tenacity held by every member of the 31-person squad.
Not only do they appear on the field at every home game, but hours later they show up to their full-time day jobs as lawyers, veterinarians, and account executives.
"Being on this team, you really get to do it all. You get to have a full-time career," said Allanson. "In my case clock into my 9-5 and be at work, but then also fulfill my passion on the weekends. And so having such a full schedule makes you even more productive and more efficient in areas that you need to be and then also just fills your account more than any other you know, lifestyle or passion could."
It's a bit of a juggling act, but one Allanson said she wouldn't trade for the world.
She grew up dancing in San Rafael and refused to let go of her passion until she made it all the way.
"I think everyone in this team grew up dancing and has dreamt of performing in a stadium as big as new Levi's or Allegiant stadium," she explained. "So, to look up and feel like you know, that childhood version of you would be so proud. And then not only that, but to do it alongside some of your best friends, 31 of them, and be a part of an organization. It truly just doesn't get better than that."
Unlike the football team, the Gold Rush only gets to practice once a week on Saturdays. Coach Shasta Sprenkel said they're as ready as ever.
"The Super Bowl of course is elevated, it's bigger than what we're even used to at Levi's stadium which is hard to beat and so we have to dance bigger, be louder, just be so excited the biggest fans and we are ready to see this team win," she said.
On the field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Allanson said she's most looking forward to starting the game with the national anthem.
"You're thinking, 'Wow, isn't it incredible that I get to stand here, be in these shoes and live this dream at this moment," Allanson said.
And her parents will be in the crowd, she said, but she won't recognize them by their faces for the most wholesome reason.
"They're so excited," Allanson said of her parents. "If you see them in the crowd they come to every single game. You may not see their face because they hold their phone right next to it and videotape every single moment. So, this is not just a journey for me and my teammates and you know, the 14 hours, but this is a journey for every single person that touches those people and is involved in their lives."