“I’m a rookie, and going to the Super Bowl in my rookie year is unexplainable,” said Caitlyn Hart, 23, of Coventry. “Words can’t describe my excitement right now. ... I can’t wait to see what Sunday brings.”
EAGAN, Minn. — Unlike Tom Brady, Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski and other New England Patriots who could treat Sunday’s Super Bowl LII as old hat, a few rookies associated with the team can’t wait for their first taste of the big game.
The newcomers are not players Deatrich Wise Jr., Adam Butler or Jacob Hollister but three Rhode Island natives who will be on the sidelines as Patriots cheerleaders.
“I’m a rookie, and going to the Super Bowl in my rookie year is unexplainable,” said Caitlyn Hart, 23, of Coventry. “Words can’t describe my excitement right now. I’m extremely humble and so grateful for this opportunity. I can’t wait to see what Sunday brings.”
The two other rookies are Talia Laurito, of Johnston, and Julia Rossi, of Scituate. They grew up taking dance classes together at Atwood Performing Arts Center in Cranston and passed through a competitive training camp of tryouts last spring and summer to land spots on the team. Anyone who strives to cheer for the Patriots appreciates the winning ways of the football team and can have reasonable dreams of a run to the Super Bowl, but to actually be in Minneapolis awaiting the big day has everyone excited.
“The Super Bowl is always on our mind, but this team is such a sisterhood and we’ve enjoyed the ride,” said Laurito, who cheered for Bay View Academy and also won national and international awards in competitive dance.
Rossi, who graduated from Cranston High School West, said she has enjoyed meeting some of the fans for whom she performs every week at Gillette Stadium.
“We’ve met a lot of the fans and it’s crazy to be face-to-face with them. You usually just see them from afar,” she said. “One guy I met, I was like, 'Wow, I see you every single game day. You always hold up that big Patriots license plate.' He said, 'Yes, that’s me.' "
The team is led by Traci Sormanti, a Warwick native and former Patriots cheerleader. The squad practices twice a week for six hours and then performs at the eight home games. The performers also appear at numerous functions throughout New England. They are staying in suburban Eagan, Minnesota, about three miles from the team's hotel, and have had a full schedule of appearances in the Mall of America and around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Kelsi Gotauco, a fourth Rhode Islander on the team, is in her second season. She grew up in West Warwick and juggles cheering with her job as a personal trainer in Warwick. She and three other cheerleaders have been in Minnesota since Monday, and she's impressed by the number of New England fans in town.
“This week has been exhausting but so worth it,” Gotauco said. “I want to be part of the hype. I want to know everything that’s going on, and to see the fans out here really supporting us is great. It’s far and really cold, a lot colder than at home, so not many people want to travel here, but these fans really want to see us get a sixth ring.”
Gotauco completed her rookie year last February with a Super Bowl win in Houston. Like Brady, McCourty and Gronkowski, she wants more.
“I’m two-for-two with [getting to] the Super Bowl, which is just unbelievable,” she said. “Now it’s time to go 2-0 and get another win!”