Lindsay Rosenberg/@Lnzyrosephoto; Courtesy Kaylie
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Gold Rush dancers juggle full-time jobs or school with intense weekend practices, proving dedication takes more than talent
The team's culture of mentorship — what they call "Gold Rush magic" — supports members on and off the field
These NFL dancers inspire fans and break stereotypes, showing you can chase multiple dreams without compromise
For most people, weekends are for slowing down. For Elayna, they start at 5 a.m. at LAX.
The Los Angeles–based San Francisco Gold Rush dancer spends her weekdays like anyone else — working full-time as a legal analyst at Platinum Equity, squeezing in workouts, attending Bible study and catching up with friends.
But come Saturday, her routine flips entirely. She boards the earliest flight to Santa Clara, Calif., for Gold Rush's only weekly practice. Then come game days, travel days and late-night returns before it all starts again.
"It makes my weekends short," she tells PEOPLE. "But it's so worth it — I'm having the time of my life."
Lindsay Rosenberg/@Lnzyrosephoto
Elayna, now in her third year on the team, isn't alone in juggling these dual roles. Fellow Gold Rush dancers also navigate demanding careers or school schedules while dedicating countless hours to practice. Claire, a marketing student and barista who joined the team at 19, drives six hours from Fresno for every practice.
Claire, a second-year member, tells PEOPLE, "My weeks are dedicated to school, coffee and my weekends to Gold Rush, which I cannot complain ... but people looking in might see my Google calendar and think, 'How are you doing all this?'"
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Even local dancers face nonstop schedules.Erica, a process engineer, andKaylie, a research associate studying Alzheimer's disease, often head straight from the lab to practice. Kaylie calls her weekdays "fully spent running experiments in a quiet and controlled environment — a big contrast from Gold Rush weekends."
"The contrast really highlights the discipline needed to manage both worlds," Kaylie, a third-year member, adds. "It's very busy. It requires a lot of time management and organization, but like Claire said, we're truly just so lucky that we're able to manage both of these things."
Courtesy Kaylie
All four dancers agree: balancing professional life and cheerleading is part of what makes Gold Rush unique. Weekend-only practice lets them pursue multiple passions — a flexibility, they say, that is rare in professional dance.
But the payoff comes with trade-offs. Managing dual careers requires missing family gatherings, fitting in solo practice, and pushing through exhaustion.
"Specific to Gold Rush," Claire explains, "we are practicing in every inch of free time that we have because we only have practice on Saturdays. We need to come to practice knowing all of our materials." She continues, "So I'm definitely watching the videos, making sure my dances are clean on my own, as well as working out. I love to run. I was a runner in high school, so I mostly just run."
Lindsay Rosenberg/@Lnzyrosephoto
Beyond solo practice, preparation is supported and structured by team leadership. Elayna says the team also has a fitness coordinator and a fitness nutrition coordinator, who provide fun workouts to maintain stamina and sometimes meal plans for those who are interested.
Kaylie and Erica, a second-year member, add that San Francisco-based members often get together to practice during the week, and sometimes the L.A. team members do as well.
"As you get older and you're exploring your career, it's really hard to balance it all," Elayna says. "Then I met Gold Rush...who supports the working woman and man. It's the only team where I felt like I could have my full-blown career and still chase the dream of dance."
"It's busy, and there are a lot of overwhelming things you're always balancing," she adds. "Sometimes I just want to be a couch potato and don't have much energy. But in those quiet moments, I have this amazing group of people that I dance with every weekend."
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Saturday practices themselves run five to six hours, covering everything from learning new routines with guest choreographers to cleaning existing choreography — all designed to prepare dancers for every element of game day.
Game days start early, often six hours before kickoff, with full rehearsals on the field followed by appearances throughout the stadium. Even the glam — hair, makeup and game-day polish — is part of the preparation.
"One of the things I try to explain to people is about our Saturday practices," Elayna says. "Other teams may have two- or three-hour practices multiple days, but we pack it all into one day — usually five to six hours."
Lindsay Rosenberg/@Lnzyrosephoto
Despite the physical and time-management demands, the cheerleaders say they wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Much of that fulfillment comes from the culture and support that Gold Rush fosters.
"This season we have this really fun recurring theme that we're all superheroes," Erica adds. "Of course, we live our normal nine-to-five workday lives where we're Clark Kent. We put our heads down, get the job done, and then on the weekends we get to put on our super cool uniform cheerleading outfits and be representatives of the organization."
The team places equal emphasis on mentorship and a sense of family — what dancers call "Gold Rush magic." Many coaches are alumni who have cultivated a culture of encouragement and excellence, supporting dancers in their careers, even through injuries, illness, or other challenges.
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The mentorship that defines Gold Rush doesn't stop on the field — it has shaped careers off the field as well. For Kaylie, it guided her path in Alzheimer's research.
"When I joined Gold Rush, I was fresh out of college and didn't know what I wanted to study or where I wanted to work," she says. "Then I connected with alumni. One was a professor in neuroscience, a PhD student, and another scientist at the company I currently work for."
"Just having their guidance — and all of their experiences to lean on — helped me so much and got me to the point I'm at now," Kaylie adds. "It was really special that Gold Rush is not just a place where dancers support each other, but that they supported me in my completely different scientific career. I'm just so grateful for them, and it was incredible to have them as resources."
Lindsay Rosenberg/@Lnzyrosephoto
While mentorship has shaped individual careers like Kaylie's, the team's support also extends to how dancers inspire others on and off the field.
For Claire, that sense of purpose — the chance to motivate and encourage others — is what makes wearing the uniform, interacting with fans, and participating in community events so meaningful.
"I think something that I've learned from my experience — and from this year in particular — is that I've had girls and boys reach out to me saying, 'I'm in college. I don't think I have the resume to be an NFL cheerleader, but that shouldn't stop you,'" she says.
"When I tried out and the only thing on my resume was that I'm in college, I remember reading the other girls' bios of their doctors and lawyers and all these amazing things, and I kind of thought, well, I'm not making it, I'm just in school," she adds. "But I think it's important not to limit yourself based on how old you are — especially if you are really young. The minimum age is 18 for a reason. They want those younger girls."
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Elayna echoes the importance of encouraging others, but she is also keenly aware of the stereotypes that surround professional cheerleading.
She acknowledges that, while there are shows, including the Netflix docuseriesAmerica's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleadersabout professional cheerleading, they don't reflect every team.
"For example, when I go to work, I'm dealing with industry leaders and financial analysts who know nothing about what NFL cheerleaders or dancers actually do," she says. "But they're fascinated. Every time I talk about it, they learn something new. They're like, 'Oh wow, I thought cheerleaders only did this one thing every game.' And then they see me leading a presentation or a meeting — and they think, 'How cool.'"
Courtesy Elayna
Speaking openly about her and her teammates' experiences, she says, helps challenge preconceived notions.
"For me, finding a team that fits my life and supports my career was unique, and it will be different for everyone," Elayna adds. "But there is a community out there for everyone. And that, at the end of the day, is what makes Gold Rush truly special — it's more than dance or games. It's mentorship, it's community, and it's proof that you can chase multiple dreams without giving up on any of them."
Read the original article onPeople
