When a new business starts up, owners often have a soft opening — a trial run so to speak.
Premier Cheer Athletics in Watervliet, which unlocked its pandemic-shuttered doors on July 6, is having its soft re-opening.
But it has been hard.
“It’s been a very intense couple of weeks and it was a sad couple of months there,” said co-owner Jamie Harrington.
Competitive cheer experienced a boom in popularity in early 2020 thanks to the Netflix special “Cheer” that took the sport by storm. The pandemic put an abrupt end to that surge of interest.
Related: Netflix hit series and Jerry Harris give Capital Region cheerleaders a lift
Premier Athletics eased into getting athletes back into the gym in small groups. Harrington bought the necessary materials and trained staff to implement COVID-19 restrictions following state guidelines.
“We can’t do too, too much because we can’t do any stunting or hands-on spotting. We are following the strict guidelines. We can’t have formal practices but we are allowed to have training classes.”
Only staff and athletes are allowed inside the gym, which is tucked in a warehouse off Avenue B. Staffers greet athletes at a registration table outside the building, where athletes and parents are asked questions related to COVID-19 symptoms, personal contacts and travel, among other questions. Temperatures are taken. Athletes arrive dressed and ready for practice. Athletes wear masks as they enter and leave the gym.
Staff members fill out cleaning logs before and after every session. Shoes are sprayed with disinfectant before athletes enter the gym. Performance spots are marked with Velcro tape on the gymnasium mats.
“If the health department arrives we are prepared to walk them through our health procedures and show them what we are doing,” Harrington said, adding that only three families have not returned this summer.
“We did numerous Zoom calls with parents and found out what their concerns were and they were very supportive and moved heaven and earth to keep us in business,” Harrington said. “Our landlord was amazing and worked with us to financially be able to meet our responsibilities as best we could.”
They hope to at a minimum offer virtual competitions later in the year. Through regular Zoom classes and tryouts, students are being placed in training groups. Tryouts for competitive hip-hop teams are taking place.
“If it’s just going to be a complete training year, where we just train athletes, that’s what we are going to do and that will be our focus,” Harrington said.
It’s all about taking things slow, following state guidelines and offering families a safe place for children to train, she said.
It’s time to get back to it — Premier Athletics is doing it right.
Joyceb10bassett@gmail.com • @joyceb10bassett • https://blog.timesunion.com/allin
#womenworthwatching
- The WNBA kicks off this week. Go to https://www.wnba.com for the complete television schedule. I’m excited to watch New York Liberty’s No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu make her professional debut against Brianna Stewart’s Seattle Storm. The game will tipoff at noon on Saturday, July 25 (ESPN). Games are being played at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Players, coaches and staff will remain isolated on the IMG campus throughout the season. Each team will play 22 games in the regular season.
- The National Women’s Soccer League continues to provide incredible matches and highlights. If you haven’t seen Britt Eckerstrom’s performance in goal during the Portland Thorns' upset quarterfinal win over the North Carolina Courage, check it out at NWSL.com. Semifinals are Wednesday, July 22.
- The LPGA Tour will resume in Toledo, Ohio, with the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club starting July 30. The Marathon LPGA Classic will be played the following week, starting Aug. 3 at Highland Meadows Golf Club, also in Toledo.
- This column is sponsored by Times Union Women@Work, the Capital Region’s network of business and professional women. Join today at: https://womenatworkny.com
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All In: Competitive cheer is back on the mat - Times Union
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