Shane Beamer reveals he was heckled by kindergartner at his son's school

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has had a tough year and he can’t avoid the inevitable pressure when he goes around town. Not even at his son’s school.

Beamer relayed a story about being ragged on by a kindergartner while at a school assembly recently.

“My wife and I were sitting on the second row like in the second section and then there was a walkway two rows in front of us where the kids walked to sit behind us,” Shane Beamer explained. “And the kindergartners walked in and one of the kindergartners was two rows in front of me in the walkway and he saw me and he was like, ‘Hey coach,’ and I was like, ‘Hey buddy,’ thought he was a fan or something like that.

“Then he kept going down the row in front of me or the two rows in front of me, walked up the steps and then came two rows behind me to sit down. That’s where the kindergartners were going to sit was behind me, so now he’s two rows behind me and I hear him behind me again. He’s like ‘Hey coach,’ I’m like, ‘Man this guy’s a big Gamecock,’ and I turn around and go ‘Hey buddy.’ He goes, ‘You’ve won four games,’ is what he said to me. So I’m not sure if he was a (Clemson) Tiger or a disgruntled Gamecock, but I was reminded how important college football is to so many.”

South Carolina has now won five games, of course, so this weekend’s contest against Clemson will be huge. The Gamecocks need to win to secure bowl eligibility.

With bowl eligibility comes extra practices, practices that are vital for younger players to develop.

Beamer knows all about the Clemson-South Carolina rivalry, too. He couldn’t escape that at his son’s school either.

“A state without pro sports in it, everybody’s either a Gamecock or a Tiger as well,” Shane Beamer said. “I was reminded of that, they had jersey day at my son’s school last Thursday or Friday, I believe, and I went to the little assembly at 8 a.m. for all the fourth graders and third graders and second graders and first graders and kindergartners at his school.

“It was pretty cool, all you saw was garnet jerseys, which was the majority, but also plenty of orange Tiger jerseys in there as well. So you’re reminded of how important college athletics is to so many, particularly in a state like this as well, where you’re either one or the other.”

South Carolina should be mostly heckler free this weekend as it hosts Clemson at home. The game will be played at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, with a broadcast on the SEC Network.