“Get Hot Cocoa”: Cowboys Cheerleader Drops Bombshell on Unglamorous Struggle Behind Pom-Poms

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders look picture-perfect on game days. Their boots shine, their routines hit every beat, and you likely never see their smile fade.

But behind that glitz lies a brutal, loaded schedule that would break most people. Marissa Phillips says she and her teammates deal with long days, quick turnarounds, and almost no breaks as the season gets busy.

Cowboys Cheerleader Marissa Phillips Exposes the Real Sideline Struggle

For the past few years, Phillips has spent Thanksgiving Day showing her team spirit on the sidelines, wearing the Cowboys’ charming dress with pom-poms in her hand.

But looking at her schedule, it seems like she has no time for a family turkey dinner at home. Instead, she and her co-workers spend the biggest game day of the year extremely busy while most Americans kick back and watch football.

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This is the ground reality of America’s Sweethearts, and this is not any vogue assumption. The 25-year-old recently shared all these harsh truths in her recent talk with PEOPLE. And her words reflect how tired they got on the sideline.

“We’ve been so busy, and now we’re about to get into our really, really busy season,” Phillips said. She added that things really start to kick up the weekend before Thanksgiving, when the squad starts putting on Christmas performances every Friday and Saturday. The workload builds up fast and rarely gives the squad a clear break.

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She gave his thoughts on the Christmas shows that demand serious preparation. “It’s just really sweet, because a lot of people will bring their kids and their families and get all dressed up and get hot cocoa,” she said.

The 30-minute show at The Star features festive lighting, three costume changes, and modified versions of iconic routines, making it look cute to audience but they barely get time to breathe.

“If we have a game on Sunday or a game on Thursday for Thanksgiving, that can be really busy,” Phillips said. “We just have to be really prepared and make sure we know all of our parts.”

“It’s a very, very tiring show and a lot of compartmentalization,” she continued. “But you just get into your muscle memory and turn your brain on a little bit and it’s really fun.”

She noted that they actually used to host cannoli day on Black Friday, but her winter Fridays and Saturdays are booked up with the cheer team’s special holiday performances.

Phillips works as an accountant during the day, and balancing that with cheerleading means she has to take care of her body. She doesn’t know when the next rest day arrives. No doubt, her glamorous sideline act comes with an unglamorous price tag.