Monomoy Grad Montiero Ready For Patriots Cheerleading Debut

There will be plenty of star power at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday when the New England Patriots welcome Tom Brady home for his Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in front of a sold-out crowd.

Many of Brady’s former teammates will be in attendance for the first-of-its-kind event, as well as musical performers and special guests.

The Lower Cape will also be well represented, as 2021 Monomoy Regional High School graduate Megan Montiero, a Harwich native, will be making her debut as a Patriots cheerleader.

“There are a little bit [of nerves], but I’m more excited to experience all of the new firsts in my rookie season,” said Montiero, a rising senior at Stonehill College who recently made the cheerleading team.

The Brady induction not only marks Montiero’s debut with the Patriots, it’s also her first time cheerleading. She fell in love with performing while competing in ballet and dance as a young girl at Reaching Heart School of Ballet in Harwich, the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans and at Turning Pointe Dance Studio in Falmouth.

“It’s interesting because obviously the title is Patriots cheerleaders, but we’re all more dancers,” she said. “I never had any cheer experience, it was all dance. I started when I was 3 and grew up doing ballet, mostly training and competing in ballet, and then I danced at Stonehill College.”

Trying out for the Patriots cheer squad seemed like a natural progression for Montiero. She went through a rigorous three-and-a-half month tryout process that began with submitting dance videos virtually, then included an in-person audition and an invite to boot camp.

As excited as Montiero was to advance in the process, she remained prepared up until the point that she learned she had made the 25-person team.

“It was definitely intense,” she said. “Since there were so many steps in the process, I was obviously so excited to make it to the next round but I would kind of switch into the mindset of, ‘OK, you’re not there yet. You still have so much work to do.’ It was really a matter of making sure you were prepared for each step.”

Throughout the rigorous tryout process, Montiero has received plenty of support from the Stonehill community and her family, friends and mentors at home on the Cape.

Although it has introduced a new dynamic to Montiero’s college experience, the Harwich native has been able to juggle her new job with her pursuit of a double major in elementary education and dance.

“Now it’s obviously a little bit different, but it’s been great,” Montiero said. “My professors have been so supportive of everything and the community at Stonehill has been very involved in my audition process. They are always asking, ‘Oh, how did it go? Did you hear back anything?’ It’s been cool.”

Since making the team, Montiero has stayed busy with team practices and a team trip to Costa Rica to shoot the Patriots Cheerleaders calendar. Over the summer, she will work at the team’s junior program that teaches young girls and boys dance and cheer routines.

All of her dreams and hard work lead her to Wednesday night’s Brady induction, a high-profile and highly-anticipated night that will see Montiero perform in front of the largest crowd she’s ever encountered.

“The first time I ever danced on the field was during boot camp,” Montiero said. “There wasn’t even anyone there, it was just the empty stadium, but you could still feel how big it was. It’s definitely something I’ve never done before but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

It has been a long journey for Montiero to achieve her dream of combining her love for dancing with her passion for professional sports. She believes it wouldn’t have been possible without the support from those who have been cheering her on each step of the way. That includes her family, many of whom are diehard Pats fans.

“They are all so pumped,” Montiero said. “A lot of my family are big Patriots fans, especially my dad, so they are so excited. I’m so thankful for my family and all of my dance mentors and my friends for being so supportive.”