Cheers to Methuen High alum Kaitlyn Savary, who made the cut to become a New England Patriots Cheerleader! This year, 24 cheerleaders were selected from hundreds of applicants. Photo credit David Silverman
Coaches noticed something special about Kaitlyn Savary when she was a cheerleader for Methuen Pop Warner and Methuen High School, and apparently the New England Patriots did as well.
For Savary, 25, the hardest part of becoming a New England Patriots cheerleader was deciding to try out again after not making the team in her freshman year of college.
“Going back was a challenge. I knew I hadn’t been as committed to dancing over the last few years, so taking the leap and going for it was scary, but I didn’t want to live the rest of my life not knowing if I could have made it,” said the MHS Class of 2017 alum.
The road to Foxboro began when Savary moved to Methuen when she was about 12 years old. She’d been a dancer for much of her life and loved to perform. Her entire family is passionate about football and especially the New England Patriots. Cheering combined both of her interests, so she tried out for Pop Warner Cheer.
Her Pop Warner coach Lisa Francis had seen the determination, drive and talent Savary possessed as a young cheerleader.
“She had great bones to be a cheerleader. But most importantly, she had the fire and determination, and Kaitlyn believed in herself,” Francis said.
The team made history in 2012, when Savary and team won every competition and ultimately became the first Pop Warner cheer team in the history of Methuen to become the National Champions at the competition in Orlando, Fla.
Savary excelled while attending Methuen High, demonstrating an aptitude for science and cheering for four seasons. In her junior year, the Methuen High Rangers Cheer Team won the 2016 State Championship. (Then-coach Samantha Smith
This Methuen Pop Warner cheer team made history in 2012 as the first Methuen team ever to win the National Championships in Orlando, Fla. Kaitlyn is at far left, standing in a position called “Pulling a Scorpion.” Courtesy photo
didn’t return MethuenLife’s request for comment before the paper went to print).
In her freshman year of college, when Savary was cut during the Patriots audition, she regrouped and considered her priorities and how her future would evolve. She decided that, at that point, her efforts should be spent on her studies and her career. She temporarily put aside the Patriots cheerleading goal and focused on school.
Savary continued to keep active, but without the intensity of the dance workouts, performances and team connections she had grown accustomed to. She felt that a piece of life was missing when she wasn’t performing. Once she had earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and started her career as a research data specialist at the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she was ready to take a new look at the Patriots’ cheer team.
Last February, she sent in her audition video for consideration.
The tryouts are intense. Two hundred to 300 candidates, who must be 18 and hold a high school diploma, send in a video to be evaluated prior to the in-person finals. This year, 39 people including Savary were selected from hundreds of applicants. She was one step closer!
In her junior year at Methuen High, Savary’s cheer team won the State Championship. Courtesy photo
When the hopefuls are gathered in person, the coaches evaluate dance ability and performance skills. They watch to see which applicants are dedicated team players. They look for individuals who will represent the Patriots organization well and place a high value on the supportive and cooperative nature of their teammates.
“Tryouts can be stressful, but you make so many good friends,” Savary said. “They are amazing and all hard workers. We keep each other going and hope to inspire one another.”
The process lasts two months. Since every applicant has a full-time job or is attending college, many of the practices are at night or on weekends. Prospective cheerleaders participate in a Patriots Cheerleaders Workshop and Prep Classes, choreography practices as well as public speaking classes, and a two-week bootcamp.
On the last night of bootcamp at Gillette Stadium, the roster was whittled down to fewer than 10% of the original applicants. Twenty-four cheerleaders performed one final routine and listened to motivational speeches. At the end of the evening, they turned to the NFL’s newest and largest outdoor screen, the giant Jumbotron, which congratulated the remaining cheerleaders. They made it!
“I immediately called my mom; she’s my biggest fan. I tried to Face Time her the image on the screen, but she couldn’t read it,” Savary recalls. “She, my dad and my brother were so supportive of me and excited for what is to come. I am also so lucky to have such support from my work. It means the world to me to keep dancing as an adult because that is so rare.”
Methuen’s 2012 Pop Warner Team was talented, focused and came together as a team to win every cheer competition. Savary is in the top row, third from right. Courtesy photo
Patriots Cheerleader contracts run from April to February, when the football team hopefully gets into the playoffs. There are both female and male team members and they practice twice per week; they perform at home games and sign up for appearances, plus there are some trips.
Savary had already participated in two appearances at the time of her MethuenLife interview – Team Walk for Lowell General Hospital and the Patriot Place School’s Out celebration. She looks forward to taking part in appearances that champion the Robert Kraft campaigns against anti-Semitism through Stand Up to Jewish Hate, and to the organization’s support of veterans and Dana-Farber.
Savary’s excitement was palpable as she relayed some of the highlights that she’s experienced so far including being coached by Alexandria Walker, a former Patriots and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader with a strong legacy within the NFL cheer space. In addition, Savary traveled with the cheerleaders to Costa Rica, and participated in Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame induction.
Of course, the biggest thrill is yet to come: The first time she cheers at her favorite team’s game is the Aug. 8 pre-season game at Gillette Stadium vs. the Carolina Panthers. The regular season starts Sept. 8.
For more on Savary and the Patriots Cheerleaders, visit www.patriots.com/cheerleaders.
