A Greenfield woman recently achieved her dream of becoming an Indianapolis Colts cheerleader.
Cierra McFarland, 21, shares a little bit about herself and her journey to making the team.
Q: What motivated you to want to try out for the Indianapolis Colts cheerleader squad?
A: What motivated me to audition was my passion for dance. What drew me to the Indianapolis Colts cheerleading team was everything that they stood for. I always thought that they were phenomenal performers and I knew that I wanted to pursue dance professionally once I graduated high school, so it was always a matter of when, not if, I was going to try out.
What finally gave me that extra push to audition was when they started their next chapter of Colts cheerleading. I knew that I wanted to be a part of stripping the stigma away from professional cheerleaders, and also be a part of making such a notable difference in the dance community as a whole.
Q. What does that “next chapter” look like?
A: When the Colts Cheerleaders revealed their new uniforms in 2019, they posted on social media that the new approach was designed to elevate the Colts Cheerleaders as one of the top Cheer and dance squads in the NFL by departing from many of the stereotypes often associated with professional cheerleading, and redefining what it means to be a cheerleader and an athlete-performer.
A very notable difference has actually been within auditions with removing elements that had been a part of the process for years. They have also highlighted who the cheerleaders are, more now than ever, outside of performances and appearances to show that they offer so much more than just entertainment. I aim to show that my brains, hard work, and determination is what has brought me the most success so far and what solidified my spot on such a prestigious team this year.
Q: What was your tryout experience like?
A: Tryouts began on April 26 and ended on May 17. I would describe the audition process as the hardest thing that I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of, both physically and mentally, but the most rewarding experience as well. Everyone was so supportive and although we were all competing for a spot on the team, we all encouraged one another to do and to be our absolute best. It was like having a dance party with all of our new friends for an entire week once the finalist workshops began. There were 45 other extremely talented finalists who should all be so proud of themselves for making it through such an intense process.
Q: Based on what you’ve heard from fellow members of the squad, what do you think your experience as an NFL cheerleader will be like?
A: I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the Colts organization. Current and former cheerleaders have all told me that I’m going to make the memories of a lifetime with my teammates, the coaches, the junior cheerleaders, and within the community. All of the cheerleaders have full-time jobs or are full-time students, so it’s not a schedule that causes anyone to make any dramatic changes in their lives.
We will practice every Tuesday and Thursday and perform at all of the home football games. Our practices and game days are going to be extremely physically demanding, but we are all dedicated to putting 110% into everything that we do throughout the entire season.
Q: Would you consider yourself to be a true blue Colts fan?
A: I was never exposed to professional sports teams growing up because my family never watched them, so I wasn’t initially a football fan until my fiancé and I started dating.
My future father-in-law, Craig Barnhart, is a massive Colts fan and I always enjoyed watching when I would dance at the football games in high school, but I had never understood the way it worked until Craig had taken the time to help me understand so that I could watch and enjoy the Colts games with him. The Colts are the first NFL team that I’ve ever rooted for, so it just made sense for me to pursue the opportunity to cheer for them on the sidelines.
Q: What do you do when you’re not preparing to cheer on the Colts?
A: When I am not preparing to cheer for the Colts, I am with the love of my life, my fiancé, Trent Barnhart. We both work and live in Greenfield. We always try to prioritize our health and fitness, so working out together is something we both consider a hobby.
One of our favorite things to do is sit on our balcony and watch the sunset, because we find it very peaceful whenever we finally have a chance to be together and away from the busyness in our lives. We also really enjoy spending time with family, so we try to dedicate at least one day throughout the week where we all get together and just have fun being with each other.
