ATLANTA — Even with Atlanta still reeling from high rates of COVID infections, the annual, national cheerleading competition, CheerSport, is back in Atlanta this weekend, attracting some 40,000 people from across the country.
Organizers are requiring strict compliance with extensive safety precautions.
Competitors and their coaches and parents are concerned, but excited, and they are determined to compete and then go home in good health.
So, downtown Atlanta this weekend is the cheer capital of the country.
The annual CheerSport Nationals will be taking place again at the Georgia World Congress Center.
This year, the nationals are attracting some 10,000 competitors, plus coaches and families, representing fewer than 800 teams--a “significantly smaller” turnout this year, according to organizers.
“It feels it’s a lot different,” said Jnayah Giddens, a competitor from Daytona Beach, Florida.
Yet Jnayah and her mother, Regina, said Friday, outside the World Congress Center, that they have confidence in the event’s strict safety precautions.
The precautions include extreme and constant cleaning and disinfecting in between each team’s performance, and each team will perform practically alone—few people are allowed in the performance areas besides the judges and a few immediate family members and close friends of the competitors, and they all have to be spaced far apart from each other.
“Because we can only go in with our team, it can only be friends and family,” said Jnayah’s mother, Regina, “and they are very strict about us having on our masks. So we are very confident that they’re doing the things they need to do.”
“We can’t watch other teams” in person, Jnayah said, but must watch them only on-line, “and that was my favorite part, watching some of the big teams.”
The organizers are even banning hugging and high-fives.
“We’re gonna take precautions, wear our masks, stay within our little group, circle,” and bubble, said another parent, Amber Favre. “We’re very happy” with the precautions.
Public health doctors in Atlanta are concerned about the cheer competitions this year, telling 11Alive News they are worried that, in the midst of Atlanta’s high rates of COVID spread, teams and families might let down their guard while socializing in their hotels in between performances, or at restaurants or other places they might visit, and take the virus home with them.
Children are concerned, too.
“Absolutely we’re hearing that they’re worried,” said one young competitor, Alannah Langston of Birmingham. “But I think that if we’re in a safe environment like we are, right now, then we will be fine.”
Organizers have been holding virtual competitions but decided Atlanta could be held in person, and safely.
“It’s almost been a year,” said competitor Abigail Davidson, “so we’re really excited to just get up on the mat and show everybody how hard we’ve been working.”
Everyone involved in the competitions realizes that this weekend will be a test, not only of the teams’ skills but also of the organizer’s ability to send everyone home testing negative.