Houston — Game day is finally here. The nerves have set in, and tension is high. A daily routine helps keep everyone on the cheer team calm. Here’s what our Saturday will look like. (All times are Central Daylight Time)
8:30 AM: Alarm
9:00 AM: Walk to Starbucks
9:15 AM: Coffee and breakfast with teammates
9:45 AM: Homework
11:00 AM: Hit the gym for a pre-game workout
1:00 PM: Meet in the lobby for lunch
1:10 PM: Try to find a place everyone can agree on for lunch
1:30 PM: Finally get to lunch
2:45 PM: Down time (more homework)
4:00 PM: Start getting ready for the game (lay out uniform, shower, fix hair, put on makeup, pack up, DON’T FORGET ALL OF YOUR GOOD LUCK ITEMS!)
5:30 PM: Meet in lobby to cheer for team as they load the bus
6:05 PM: Cheerleaders and bus depart for NRG Stadium
6:25 PM: Arrive at stadium
7:00 PM: Pregame warm up begins (warm up stunts and go over routines for timeouts)
7:39 PM: Lucky pregame routine
7:49 PM: GAME TIME! Go Heels!
11:30 PM: Return to hotel to cheer the team back in
12:15 AM: Try to find a place to eat that’s still open
1:30 AM: Bed time
It’s a full day for us, but it’s what we’ve been waiting for all week. Can’t wait to get on the stage and cheer on the Tar Heels!
Maddie Gardner is a senior broadcast major at UNC-Chapel Hill and captain of the Carolina Cheerleading Team. She has agreed to chronicle her experience at the 2016 Final Four for WRALSportsFan.com.
,A daily routine helps keep everyone on the cheer team calm. Here’s what our Saturday will look like.
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