'We love to dance, we love to perform, we do it for the love of the Raiders'
Where one goes, the other follows. The Oakland Raiders on the field, the Raiderettes cheerleaders on the sidelines.
It will be the same on Sunday at Wembley Stadium as the NFL juggernaut lands back in England for its annual visit. The Seattle Seahawks are the ‘visitors’ for the first of three fixtures on successive weekends in the capital making up the London International Series 2018.
It will be the same back in the United States for the rest of the season, and it will be the same when the franchise eventually relocates to Las Vegas in 2020.
Except when it comes to that 550-mile move to Vegas, one party could be more affected than the other.
“It would be a life-changing move and I think all of us are taking it day by day and year by year,” confesses Kara, who is in her fourth year on the team.
The personnel of both the team and the cheerleading squad changes each season depending on successful draft picks and auditions.
But unlike the full-time contracts awarded to players, Raiderettes combine their commitments with full-time jobs, making relocation tricky.
Take 30-year-old Kara. On Sunday she will perform in front of a worldwide audience of millions. Next week, she will be back at her office managing the day-to-day operations of a technology firm in her hometown of Sacramento, California. She already completes a four to five-hour round commute three times a week to attend practice, often after a full day at work.
“My day to day is filled with bearded nerds, a lot of dudes, a lot of reading code, inspecting code and fixing code," explains University of California, Los Angeles graduate.
"I live this dual life of extremely high-level tech executive with a lot of computer science and then I transition to a super-empowered feminine position filled with glamour and flashy sequins and sparkles.
“There are a lot of misconceptions. A lot of people tend to project what they think it takes to be a cheerleader.
“They don't understand the mental aspect and how you have to be excellent in so many areas of your life to get to this level. I find being a cheerleader really empowering.”
She is not alone either in challenging the labels so quickly attached to both cheerleaders and the Raiderettes, who are described on their official website as ‘football’s fabulous females.’
Sasha, 28, works for a cyber security technology company in San Francisco, Anabelle, 26, a financial technology company a few streets down.
They agree the biggest misconception they face is over their knowledge of American football.
“You have to understand the game to be on those sidelines,” says Anabelle.
“You are thinking about your dances, your choreography, the time on the clock, everything has a moment in the game and you have to know what's going on in the field so you can react the right way and cheer in the right moments.
“Some girls might not be as used to the sport. But once you get adapted, you really pick it up. By the end of the season you basically want to be a referee.”
In June 2017 Raiders quarterback Derek Carr signed a five-year contract worth $25 million (£19 million) a season, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL based on average salary.
Contrast that with a month earlier and 90 former Oakland Raiders cheerleaders received compensation from a $1.25 million (£950,000) settlement following a class-action lawsuit. The cheerleaders claimed they were paid less than minimum wage - $125 (£95) a day - and refused overtime pay despite working nine-hour days with no lunch break.
The lawsuit is not unique to the Raiders franchise, nor is the numerous whistle-blowing stories about life as a cheerleader, particularly in the #MeToo era. There are six franchises that choose not to have cheerleading squads at their games: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers while others argue for them to be removed completely. So why do so many still aspire to do it?
“We do this because we love to dance, we love to perform. We do it for the love of the Raiders,” explains Sasha.
She describes life as a Raiderette as being like a part of a sisterhood. The idea of family looking after their own may explain their fierce loyalty to the franchise, even in the face of criticism.
As is tradition, surnames of cheerleaders were not disclosed during this interview and they were not allowed to reveal how much they are paid, nor any rules - such as appearance and behaviour - they have to follow
Sasha, however, does say: “We're employees at the end of the day. As employees you have certain things you have to accomplish, such as practice three days a week.”
As employees impressively holding down two jobs, there are going to be some difficult decisions when the Las Vegas move happens.
The Oakland Raiderettes are in London for the Oakland Raiders vs Seattle Seahawks NFL game at Wembley on Sunday live on BBC Two and Sky Sports, kick-off 6pm
