University of Nebraska freshman Carson Woods is making history as the first male dancer to join the Huskers Scarlets Dance Team — and he hopes his place on the sidelines encourages others to ignore expectations and pursue what they love.
Woods, from Kiel, Wisconsin, joined the team after committing to Nebraska while still a high school senior.
The Scarlets are part of the university’s wider Spirit Squad, alongside the traditional Cheer Squad and Nebraska’s mascots, Herbie Husker and Lil’ Red.
While men have previously competed on Nebraska’s cheer team, Woods is the first to take his place specifically on the Scarlets Dance Team.
And for him, having the support of his teammates has made all the difference.
“I have such an insanely supportive group of girls behind me,” Woods told the Daily Nebraskan.
“At the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, I always will have my team, I’ll always have my coaches, and I just find comfort in that.”
Breaking A Different Kind Of Sporting Tradition
The Scarlets perform at Nebraska football games as well as men’s and women’s basketball, bringing choreographed routines to sidelines, courts and major game-day events.
Founded in 1992, the team has traditionally been made up of women.
That makes Woods’ arrival notable in a part of sporting culture where gender expectations have often remained more rigid than in traditional co-ed cheerleading.
Men have long participated in cheer squads, particularly in stunt-based roles, but male dancers performing the same sideline choreography as women remain less common.
That is slowly changing.
Across American college sport, the NFL and NBA, more men are stepping into dance and cheer roles that were once almost exclusively associated with women.
‘Always Be Authentically You’
Woods says he has encountered negative comments because of his decision to dance.
But he has no intention of letting them stop him.
“I believe it’s important to always be authentically you,” Woods told Outsports.
“Be kind, be strong, be yourself and the right people will notice.”
He added: “When people try to diminish you, remember only those who are lower than you can try and bring you down.”
It is a message that resonates beyond dance.
For LGBTQ+ audiences in particular, stories like Woods’ can feel familiar because they challenge narrow expectations about how men are supposed to behave, perform or express themselves.
Woods has not publicly identified his sexuality, and his achievement does not need a label to make that challenge meaningful.
His presence simply expands the possibilities of who gets to belong in traditionally gendered spaces.
‘My Life Has Changed For The Best’
For Woods, joining the Scarlets was never something he assumed would happen.
“I never thought I would even dance collegiate,” he told the Daily Nebraskan.
Now that he has made the team, he hopes simply being visible can encourage someone else to take a similar chance.
“If I can just inspire one person to do anything that they wouldn’t have done before, literally just do it,” he said.
“For me, the opportunity that I got from this, my life has changed for the best.”
Woods is only a freshman, meaning Nebraska fans could be seeing plenty more of him over the coming years.
And while his place on the team may be a first, his message is refreshingly simple.
Dance if you want to dance.
