The effects of the recent coronavirus outbreak hit pretty close to home this past weekend as we watched event after event get canceled or postponed. 

Sports fans saw as the NCAA tournament was canceled and leagues like the NBA decided to cancel the remainder of their season. 

For a minute it felt we were safe from all of this inside our cheer and dance bubble -- until we weren’t. An announcement went out on March 15 that the remainder of the 2019-20 season would be canceled or postponed until further notice, including The Cheerleading & Dance Worlds. For the coaches, athletes, and fans it felt like for a moment, our industry just stood still. 

Since that difficult night, teams around the world have been forced to adapt to their new normal. Gyms have had to close their doors, practices have stopped, and athletes have had to come to terms with the possibilities of the season being over. 

We have been reaching out to some gyms in the community to find out how they are handling this pandemic and what their plans are for their athletes during this tough time out of the gym. 

 “The news about the end of the season championships is definitely heartbreaking,” said David Kogut, Quest Athletics Program Director. 

“I am determined to keep my athletes positive about the future and to keep training as much as they can from home. I am thinking of new challenges and other activities to keep our athletes engaged every day.”

Kogut shared that it was tough telling his athletes about the news. 

“They have expressed that they are definitely upset,” he said. “But ultimately they are staying determined to work out at home. They tag our social media accounts every day with new videos of the work they are putting in from home. We are also asking our parents to help to keep their children positive and focused on their training as best they can.” 

Quest Athletics is diligently working to create ways to keep their athletes moving while at home. From online classes to workout routines, when the season starts back up again, their athletes will be ready to go.

The New York program has decided to close their gym for all program activities and is planning to reevaluate their situation weekly as this story unfolds. While they would love to be able to start training again in some way in the near future, their No. 1 goal is the safety of their athletes, coaches, and families. 

“This is obviously a devastating and unprecedented time in our community. I have to say I am so incredibly moved by all the industry professionals who jumped into action. From inspirational messages on social media and helpful business advice to free jump tutorials on Facebook. I can’t say any other sport has better leaders than we do! I know this is not the outcome we had wanted by this will soon pass and I feel our community will come out more unified than ever. By nature, we are an extremely competitive sport, but I think everyone understands that we need to get through this together.”

Top Moments From Quest Athletics In The 2019-2020 Season

• Quest Athletics made program history sending their first team to NCA All-Star Nationals and they won!
• Generals, Small Junior Level 2, placed first in their division at NCA out of 14 teams and won the Innovative Choreography Award.
• Quest Athletics was voted on by fans to be one of four teams featured in FloCheer's Small Gym September.
• Quest Athletics Black Ops received the #PassTheMat Award from Varsity All Star for demonstrating high levels of Discipline, Sportsmanship, and Team Work.
• Quest Athletics Bomb Squad & Generals earned Paid Bids to The D2 Summit 2020.
• Quest Athletics Black Ops earned a Paid Bid to The Cheerleading Worlds 2020 at the Athletic Championships.