selves during the week with
their school work or jobs.
It’s a unique situations,
and one that many progres-
sional athletes don’t have to
deal with.
“A lot of us have jobs out-
side of this, or school or we
do both,” stated Ketchem.
“Me personally, I’m fin-
ishing up my last year of
school, so it has been a
very busy year going from
classes then right to dance
to staying in shape and try-
ing to get your work done. I
know a lot of the girls try re-
ally hard to have that work,
life balance. We practice
until 10:30 p.m on the week
nights, which isn’t always
easy. But, you make time for
the things that you love and
for the things that you want
to do.”
When we caught with Brit-
tany Gorny she was driving
back from Rochester after
her internship. A journal-
ism major, Gorny travels
from Buffalo to Rochester
to get her experience in her
field of study.
That’s on top of going to
class and doing all the stuff
she needs to do with the
Bandettes. it could make for
a stressful time and times,
but she Gorny, like the rest
of the girls, just goes with
the flow.
“I also go to school full-
time at the University at
Buffalo, studying commu-
nications,” stated Gorny, as
she was driving home. “I
would love to be a news re-
porter one day, so I have an
internship out in Roches-
ter. I also danced at Fanta-
sy Island this past October
as part of their Halloween
show. I also work at L.A. Fit-
ness. It’s definitely difficult,
at times. The thing for me is
that wherever I am I always
try to completely focused.
So, If I am at my internship
I am focused learning what
I can from the reporters. If I
am at school, I am focused
on learning my lectures,
and not on my computer
worrying about what is go-
ing on with dance.”
Community Support
If they Bandettes weren’t
busy enough already, they
make sure to spend time
out in the community. Be-
ing a progressional dance
team required at time to
make public appearances. It
could be as easy as going to
Women and Children’s hos-
pital to make the kids day a
little brighter.
It could be collecting toys
for Toys for Tots during the
holiday season. It could be
showing up at lacrosse ban-
quets to show support for
those who play the sport
in high school and college.
Giving back is something
these young ladies like to
do.
Showing how much they
love Buffalo is never a bur-
den on them. It’s a privilege.
“Besides just dancing as a
Bandette we also have dif-
ferent community events
we go to,” stated Gorny.
“Sometimes people request
us, or sometimes we will
bring up suggestions to our
coach saying this is some-
thing that we would like to
attend. We go to different
elementary schools and
educated them on what it’s
like being a professional
dancer, and health living
choices.”
Added Ketchem: “We all
love going out in the com-
munity and doing that kind
of stuff. A lot of the girls are
from Buffalo, and the city
is a really supportive place
and we always want to give
back to our community.”
Being Professional
Ah, the word of social me-
dia can be a killer. Profes-
sional athletes have been
the kings of social media
over the years - sometimes
for the good things they
post or the bad. As a profes-
sional, athletes and dancers
have to watch what they are
doing.
They need to be aware
of their surrounding at all
times, which can get a lit-
tle annoying at times. What
is posted on social me-
dia could go viral and cost
someone their job? We have
seen over the years all the
athletes that have gotten
in trouble because of social
media post.
The Bandettes are in the
same boat. They are a pro-
fessional dance team, and
the girls need to make sure
they are seen in the right
light when stepping out
APRIL 2019 | SportsUnion
for the night or when they
posting something on their
own media accounts.
Social media is a naviga-
tion that many are learning
on the fly.
“There are a lot of so-
cial media things you have
to look out for,” stated
Ketchem. “You always have
to make sure that you are
on. And, you have to be con-
science of the certain things
that you wear and how you
present yourself. You have
to make sure you are po-
lite to people, but I think it
really has helped us grow
as young women - and for
whatever careers we want
to go into. Like anything,
social media can be a hard
thing to control. Just be-
ing careful what you post is
good for future job careers.
Being noticed
Many of us can walk down
the street or into your local
watering hole and not be
noticed, unless your friends
our meeting up with you.
It’s actually kind of nice
if you think about. Going
through the day just being
able to do normal things
without being stopped.
17
As a professional that isn’t
the case. Athletes get it all
the time. They can’t go into
a mall or place to eat with-
out being stopped for an au-
tograph. The same goes for
the Bandettes.
Remember, they are seen
at the arena and on the
jumbotron. They are at pub-
lic appearances, and doing
things in the community.
At some point, they will be
seen and recognized. The
first time it happens might
throw them for a loop.
After a while, however, it
becomes second nature.
“I was on an airplane and
the flight attendant stop me
on my way back to my seat
and said what do you do,
and I said I am a student. He
goes no that’s not it, what
else do you do? I go I dance
for a lacrosse tea and he
goes that’s it. That’s where
I know you from,” said
Ketchem. “It’s definitely dif-
ferent. It’s not everyday you
get noticed. It’s flattering
that someone notices you
from something that you
are doing in which you are
passionate about. It’s really
nice and you just have to be
polite.”