Return For Sports For Cheerleading

Social distancing and contact is impacting cheerleading teams across the Upper Cumberland too.

Cookeville High School Cheer Coach Vicki Russel said stunt practicing has yet to begin, but non contact conditioning began last week.

“The challenge is not knowing the answers,” Russel said. “My girls come to my everyday and have questions asking if this is true. I just try to stick with what I do know.”

Russel said over half this year’s team are new to high school cheerleading. The focus now is building team work and memorizing cheers for the upcoming season.

“We can not do a lot of the stuff that we want to do, but we can for sure know these cheers,” Russel said. “We are spending a lot more times in practice just memorizing cheers and going through motions and watching each other. A lot of that team building stuff that we can do without actually having contact.”

Russel said the team will not participate in camps and competitions this season. But when football season begins, the team will be prepared to cheer on the sidelines.

“We will be ready to support our Cavs team from the sideline during the football season,” Russel said. “We have decided we will not be able to safely be ready for competition season. Usually, competition season starts in October. We are looking at not being able to stunt until September.”

The Cookeville High School Cheer Team hosted tryouts over Zoom this season. Russel said students submitted video clips of a routine to coaches.