Las Vegas Raiderettes facts for kids
Raiderettes and Jr. Raiderettes
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| Formation | 1961 |
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Membership
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40 |
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Director
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| Affiliations | Las Vegas Raiders |
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Formerly called
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The Las Vegas Raiderettes are the official cheerleading team for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are a professional American football team. The Raiderettes perform at games, cheer on the team, and entertain fans.
The team started in 1961 as the Oakland Raiderettes. When the Raiders football team moved to Los Angeles in 1982, the cheerleaders became the Los Angeles Raiderettes. In 1995, the team moved back to Oakland. So, the cheerleaders changed their name back to the Oakland Raiderettes. When the football team moved to Las Vegas in 2020, they became the Las Vegas Raiderettes. In all these cities, they have been called "Football's Fabulous Females."
When the team moved to Las Vegas, a new studio was built for the Raiderettes. This studio is 20,000 square feet in size. It is located in Henderson, Nevada, near the Raiders' main office and practice area. It is also close to the practice area for the Las Vegas Aces, a professional women's basketball team.
Fair Pay for Cheerleaders
In 2017, a legal case involving the Raiderettes and the Raiders team was settled. The cheerleaders had brought this case in 2014. They felt they were not being paid fairly for their work. This was the first time an NFL cheerleading team had taken such action. The case helped other cheerleading teams in the NFL to also seek fair pay.
Coaching the Raiderettes
The Raiderettes have coaches who help them with their routines and performances. Here are some of the people who have coached the team:
- Mandy Voecks (2018–2021)
- Jeanette Thompson (2011–2017)
- Shawna Zimmerman (2010, most of the season)
- Vandana Patel (2010, for one week)
- Karen Kovac (2003–2009)
- Mary Barnes (Before 2003)
Famous Former Raiderettes
Many former Raiderettes have gone on to achieve success in other areas. Here are some of them:
- Sandy Wolshin (Gelfound) – a comedian and performer.
- Anjanette Abayari – a model and actress from the Philippines.
- Karen Baughman – the wife of former football player Bob Golic.
- Emily Compagno – a legal expert who appears on TV.
- Kelli Brook – a model and actress who appeared on TV shows.
- Paige Green – an actress and the wife of famous football player John Elway.
- Jennifer Grijalva – an actress who was on the MTV show The Real World: Denver.
- Anjelah Johnson – a stand-up comedian and former cast member of MADtv.
- Cole Martin – a contestant on the TV show The Bachelor.
- Keyna (Kirklen Cobb) Boykin – a former beauty pageant contestant and wife of basketball player Ruben Boykin.
- Cheryl Moana Marie Nunes – known as a "Bond Girl" in a movie, a TV presenter, and a singer.
- Raydeen Revilla – an actress and model.
- Chandra Roberts – the first woman on the board of the National Football Foundation. She was also a world-class athlete in track and field.
- Kiana Tom – a TV fitness instructor, model, and actress.
- Gretchen Stockdale – an actress, model, and attorney.
- Tanilee Chavez (Kristiansen) – a promotional model.
- Anita Hart – an actress, promotional model, and swimsuit model.
- Kimiko Tanaka – an actress and fitness instructor.
- Barbara Savage – a contestant on MasterChef season 7.
- Nadine Kadmiri – an actress who appeared in the TV series "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling" (GLOW).
