By Steve Pawlyk
Published July 27, 2020
Covid-19 has been the ultimate disruptor in both our personal and professional cheerleading lives.
The Coronavirus has brought many uncertainties and has suspended many things that bring us joy and make us feel whole. It abruptly ended our 2019-2020 season and has delayed our 2020-2021 season. With each state operating under unique safety guidelines it’s unclear as to when we will have a uniformed practice protocol in place to prep each program for competition.
Thus, resulting in unpredictability for the possibility of normalized competitions this season. To help ease some tensions, Varsity Spirit has released some new considerations for competition formats! Each is designed to be beneficial to all programs nation-wide.
![Cheer Coronavirus Guidelines 2020](https://ippmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MQam8X_t20_d1z2an.jpg)
According to Varsity Spirit:
“We are considering four options to safely and responsibly host Varsity Spirit events for the 2020-21 season. The format that each event follows will be communicated pre-event to all registered teams. All Varsity Spirit event staff will be educated and trained based on the guidelines set forth for each event.”
The formatting will possibly proceed as follows:
![Varsity competition option 1](https://ippmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/option-A.png)
In-Person with Spectators
- Spectators allowed with social distancing measures in place
- Live awards ceremony with limited athletes and/or coaches
![Varsity competition option 2](https://ippmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/option-B.png)
In-Person with Limited Spectators
- Spectator viewing limited to team performance time only
- Live awards ceremony with limited athletes and/or coaches; OR virtual awards ceremony
![Varsity competition option 3](https://ippmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/option-C.png)
In-Person with No Spectators & Virtual Awards
- Spectators not allowed; only athletes and coaches permitted
- Virtual awards ceremony
![Varsity competition option 4](https://ippmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/option-D.png)
Virtual
- Routines will be uploaded and judged virtually by Varsity Spirit certified judges
- Virtual awards ceremony
To learn more about Varsity All Star Virtual Competition Series click below:
Based on the aforementioned competition format options above and information found on the Varsity Spirit website, it appears that Varsity Spirit is holding the health and safety of competitors, coaches, families and staff at the forefront. The presented formats will provide options for most programs to be able to compete and enjoy the 2020-2021 season to the best of their ability.
Although we may be some time away from normalcy in both our personal lives and cheer, unprecedented steps are being taken to ensure that allstar cheer doesn’t suffer anymore than it has already had to endure.
I know that the cheer community is looking forward to a productive competition season regardless of the format. We must all strive to make sure that comeback is greater than the setback!
For more information on the 2020-2021 competition season and the health and safety measures that Varsity Spirit is taking please visit https://www.varsity.com/health-update/
![Varsity Releases New Considerations For Competition Formats](https://ippmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/varsity-new-compeititons-coronavirus-youhitzero-ippmusic-com.jpg)