Brotherly Love: Chester County Cheerleading Group, Downingtown Dominators, Finding Way To Lift Spirits In Age Of Social Distancing
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- A Chester County cheerleading group for people with and without disabilities could have let the pandemic stop the show, but as we see in this week's story of Brotherly Love, they made some clever moves!
As a teenager, Liz Schlosser started Downingtown Dominators, a cheerleading group for young people of all abilities.
Half of the athletes have disabilities while the other half of the athletes do not.
"What message are you putting out there?" asked Ukee Washington.
"Instead of having one team in our society of people with disabilities and one for kids without, we should all be on the same team because that's how I believe society should be," Liz said.
The team grew to 50 members, got sponsors, and traveled for competitions.
But when the coronavirus hit, many of the teammates were at high risk, Liz needed to do a quick pivot.
Now they practice on Zoom, it's a little different. The athletes practice in shorter bursts but they love it.
"I am happy to be on this team," one member said.
"The moral for the whole team is, when you don't succeed your cheerleading routine, try, try again," Jon Cruz said.
Some team members are brand new! Like Coach Emily DiSands.
"I've never been with the Dominators in person, but it still very much feels like a team and a family," DiSands said.
Liz came up with a way to get everyone together in one cheer.
"All of our athletes send in videos of themselves by themselves," she said. "I clip them all together, it's one cheer and everybody has a little part of it."
The one thing they can't do on Zoom is lift each other. But for now, they do lift each other's spirits.
Liz said she is always looking for more athletes.
Click here, if you would like to get in touch with Downingtown Dominators.
MORE ON CBSPHILLY.COM
Police: Woman In Custody After 28-Year-Old Man Gunned Down In South Philadelphia
Joe Biden Picks Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine To Be Assistant Health Secretary
