Bringing the cheer - Jamfit to host first indoor sporting event since pandemic today

The Jamaica Fitness Association’s (Jamfit) National All-Star Cheerleading Competition will be the first indoor sport competition to be held in Jamaica since the coronavirus pandemic. As such, the 10-team event will take place under strict COVID-19 protocols at the Mico University College Auditorium today.

“Teams will be competing in masks 6ft apart for the first time,” JamFit President Karelle Jones said.

These competition rules are understandable as many scientific studies on COVID-19 say that the virus is more likely to spread and be contracted indoors.

NEW RULES HINDER PERFORMANCES

But Meadowbrook High School coach David Lamont is wary of these rules as he says they will hinder the athletes’ performances.

“The new changes, for the athletes, are hard because it hinders them and breathing is a very important part of completing a professional cheerleading routine,” he said. “It takes a lot out of the athletes and will be very hard, especially for athletes with existing breathing conditions.

“Due to the fact that coronavirus held them so long out of training, it is very hard to condition their bodies to get them back into shape. Then you have to also condition their bodies to get them to perform, as it will be very hard for them to breathe through the nostrils while competing and having that restriction of the mask over their faces.”

Lamont said he understands that the masks are to ensure the athletes’ safety, so he remains optimistic about the competition.

Jones said the cheerleading competition was supposed to be held at the end of the 2020 Jamfit Fitness Week, but it was postponed because of the pandemic’s impact on teams’ training.

“This weekend’s staging will yield the All-Star Champions in level 6, level 4, Co-Ed division, and the level 4 All-Girl Division,” she said.

She said the competition will also be aired virtually via Jamfit’s social media platforms so fans can enjoy the competition while be socially distant.

The top team will receive a trophy and medals, and they will be given the opportunity to represent Jamaica at the International Cheer Union All-Star Cheerleading Championships at Disney World, Orlando, Florida, in 2022.

Sharla Williams