‘So many changes’: Cheerleaders join football players in odd start to season on gridiron
A return to the gridiron represents more than just a return to football. For cheerleaders across the Grand Strand, Friday night lights are the culmination of a huge undertaking in terms of work and practice, which was hugely affected over the summer by COVID-19.
The offseason for cheer teams, both on the sidelines and competing across the Southeast, is a critical time that allows a team to bond, learn new choreography and routines, and create lifelong memories for themselves and the community. Many of those moments were robbed from the Carolina Forest team, said senior Hannah Funston.
“At the start of our offseason, we could only practice in small groups, and masks were required at all times,” she said. “Now, moving into football season, and hopefully competition season, things are becoming more normal, but this offseason has definitely set our team back. Normally our team would begin practicing at the end of May and practice Monday-Friday in the summer for about two hours. This year we began practicing late August and practice Monday-Friday for two hours.”
The loss of two months took a major chunk of time away from the team, leading to the cancellation of key offseason events, including a cheerleading camp at Coastal Carolina University and a kiddie camp hosted by the Carolina Forest team.
In Conway, similar issues came about and forced the team to rally together outside of the norms of practice.
“Even when we’re not at practice our coach has made sure to motivate us and to make sure that we are always working,” said Allie Carroll, a sophomore on the Conway squad. “Whether it be by stretching, working out or just giving us a few words of encouragement she is always there for us with our best interest at heart. We usually practice for our competition season all throughout the summer. However, of course this year we got a late start and have so many new changes to adapt to.”
Included in those changes was the cancellation of a team bonding activity, a pool party and cheer camps for kids. While the Conway team has a fair share of underclassmen who need more time to come together as a unit, the Carolina Forest squad is more experienced on the mat and on the sidelines.
“I think this year with not having the normal offseason and time to prepare we all are working hard to become our best and really cherish what we do have if things start to get canceled,” Funston said. “Our team is ready to cheer on the Panthers from the sidelines but if competitive cheer competitions are held, the lack of time to prepare will be a major setback.”
With a normal season already out the window due to the SCHSL’s shortened football season and playoffs, cheerleading squads will have fewer opportunities to shine and smaller crowds to cheer in front of. No matter the circumstance, the teams will be ready to go, donning their school’s colors each and every Friday night.