NEED TO KNOW
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Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders reveal their game-day bag essentials, including snacks, makeup, handheld fans, and body glue
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Director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell pack practical items like calendars, toothbrushes and formation sketches for long game days
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Finglass also brings backup hairstyles, including artificial wiglets, to ensure she’s prepared for any hair needs
Long before kickoff and well after the final whistle, an NFL game day is filled with constant movement, quick changes and nonstop responsibilities for everyone involved. That means a well-packed bag is just as important as a perfectly styled uniform or flawless routine.
In a recent exclusive interview with PEOPLE, several of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders shared the surprising essentials they never head to a game without.
When asked about the contents of her game-day bag, Faith Ward notes that she always has snacks and her makeup — specifically Charlotte Tilbury — on hand.
“Always touch-ups on the go,” Ward says, noting that “hairspray” is another non-negotiable.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders cheer during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders on Jan. 5, 2025
Credit: Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Parker Kilpatrick, meanwhile, always has a handheld electric fan and a folding hand fan to combat the Texas heat.
Jenna Waller notes that she, Kilpatrick, Ward, and the other rookies also “tried to make it a thing that everyone would bring a different candy each game.”
While the newcomers are still figuring out their game-day essentials, veterans Kelly Villares, Marissa Leschber and Charly Barby have honed in on their must-haves over the years.
“I always have body glue on me,” Barby says. “I glue everything to my skin. Literally, I glue my uniform shorts — they’re glued on me right now, but I always have body glue. I don’t know why. It’s always been in my bag ever since I was a competition dancer.”
“So that’s an essential to me that’s very specific. I don’t think anybody else carries it,” she adds.
Leschber, for her part, “always” has Biofreeze spray for any aches and pains, Listerine strips and Uncrustables, which she says are her “favorite pre-practice snack” and a “good carb load.”
Like Kilpatrick, Villares notes that she, too, has some sort of handheld fan with her at all times.
Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell in ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ season 2
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Outside of just the performers, DCC director Kelli Finglass and head choreographer Judy Trammell also make sure they are well-prepared on game days.
“I have tennis shoes because my heels only last about the first quarter now,” Finglass admits. “I used to wear UGGs in the second half. I mean, it was a distinct change from me prancing around in my heels to, ‘Okay, it’s halftime, heels are off.’ “
While the Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts gives viewers an inside look at the preparation, glamor and demanding routines behind the iconic NFL squad, Finglass and Trammell revealed there is another layer of behind-the-scenes organization that fans rarely get to see.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Since becoming an official organization in 1972, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have built a reputation for precision, and that extends far beyond the field.
Trammell’s bag, meanwhile, is packed with the tools that help keep every performance running smoothly.
“Judy’s bag’s going to have her spiral with all of her formations in it, where she sketches out all the formations for the cheerleaders’ different routines and blocking,” Finglass adds. “Mine’s probably going to have some earphones of some sort, either A, to consume a lot of music, or B, to drown out the ambient noise in my life because I can’t concentrate without it.”
For Finglass, surviving an 11-hour game day requires more than just comfortable shoes.
“We’re there for a long… I mean, our game days are at least 11 hours, so I’m going to have a toothbrush and toothpaste because we probably go through a couple meals while we’re there,” she explains. “We’re always going to have a calendar, a dreadful calendar because we can’t answer a question without looking to see what’s next on our agenda.”
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Hair preparations, however, are another priority altogether. Trammell teased that Finglass comes prepared with several styling options depending on the day’s needs, which prompted Finglass to admit she’ll even pack “artificial wiglets” among her backup hairstyles.
Season 3 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is now streaming on Netflix.
Read the original article on People
