COLUMBIA, S.C. — The first football game of the University of South Carolina 2021-2022 season is Saturday and the Gamecock Cheerleaders are ready to get back on the field.
“We’re so excited,” said cheerleader and senior Brooke Mowatt. “We are even more excited to be back out on the field and not in the stands.”
Last year, the team was not able to cheer on the sideline of the football field. Instead, they were only allowed to cheer from the stands.
“It was a little different just cheering in the stands,” Mowatt said. “We’re normally on the field and everyone is always on the field. This year, we’re not going to have as many numbers on the field, but this year, we’re just so ready to be back.”
Cheerleading requires close contact for stunts. Mowatt said the team wears face masks going to and coming from practice. They also get tested for COVID to keep each other safe.
“When we’re in each other’s personal space, we all know that we’ve been tested and we’ve been cleared to go,” Mowatt said. “I think that no one’s worried and we’re all just super excited to get back to normal.”
The athletes will also wear a facemask while indoors unless they are at practice and secluded from others – not a part of the team.
Gamecock Cheer head coach Erika Goodwin said the team continues to follow university policies as well as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) COVID rules.
“We go through the testing protocol put forth by the SEC with our cheerleaders prior to games, prior to the football games,” Coach Goodwin said. “So just making sure everyone is staying safe and healthy so we can move forward with our football season.”
According to Coach Goodwin, testing is required every Wednesday before a football game. Another protocol was put in place limiting the number of athletes on the sidelines. She said the number of cheerleaders who can cheer, depends on the spacing.
Coach Goodwin said everyone is looking forward to being back on the sidelines to cheer for the Gamecocks this season.
“I feel like all the cheerleaders this year, especially our seniors this year, are really looking forward to having a little sense of normalcy by being back on the sidelines,” Coach Goodwin said.