Hoping to write a gripping news story about zoning disputes, I instead am here to tell you about a member of the Adrenaline Rush Dancers, who perform for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. I was dreading all the rehearsals and photo shoots I’d have to cover, until my wife told me I wouldn’t need that much background.
Adrenaline member Vicky Rosjana is a teller at Forest Park National Bank and has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Vicky followed in the dancing footsteps of her mother, performing Thai cultural dancing at a Buddhist temple. She was so adept at the ancient dances Vicky flew to Thailand at age 12 to perform for the royal family.
Besides temple dancing, Vicky also took jazz and ballet and was captain of her high school pom squad. In 2007, she was among the 200 who aspired to make the Rush Adrenaline 22-member squad.
Vicky won a spot, but financial shortfalls later caused the Arena Football League to fold. After the league was revived, Vicky reunited with her former coach, Gloria Esposito, who described Vicky as always positive, a hard worker and a great role model.
I couldn’t just take Gloria’s word for it; I needed to see the Rush Adrenaline Dancers in action. My son and I attended the home opener on April 9. We had never been to an arena football game but received stellar treatment from the Rush. We parked for free in the VIP lot, received an all-access pass and found choice seats on the 25-yard line.
Vicky and her cohorts performed wearing the Rush colors, blue and white, with white boots and silver poms. If that didn’t get your heart racing, the Rush’s first play from scrimmage was a 42-yard touchdown bomb. The Rush and Cleveland Gladiators settled into a high scoring shootout, with stray bullets occasionally going into the stands. Unlike the NFL, fans get to keep these errant footballs as souvenirs.
Also, unlike the NFL, the field is only 50 yards long, there’s no punting and the players weren’t out to lacerate kidneys. In fact, a kicker delivered the hardest hit we saw. The crowd of 8,075 was incredibly boisterous, without a trace of belligerence. The family behind us danced on their chairs throughout the contest. The action on the field was furious, as the teams traded touchdowns. The Rush finally won 59-56 on a dramatic 20-yard field goal with two seconds left.
Sorry, I got caught up in football – I’m supposed to be focusing on Vicky – which we did when the squad danced to “Barracuda” capped by their trademark jump splits. My 15 year old was impressed enough; he wants to bring some friends to Rush’s April 23 game. I’ll go too, if siren song of zoning regulations doesn’t come calling.
