The Fall sports season is just around the corner starting in less than 1 month! People have been wondering how this year’s sports seasons will look and how some seniors feel about the state of their last season of high school sports. With that being said, we were able to interview a few athletes and get their input on this upcoming season with the obstacles of COVID-19. Each sport had their own unique set of challenges, but everyone still seemed optimistic.
Two athletes had very different experiences preparing this off-season with the pandemic. We talked to two seniors: 3 year Varsity Running back/Linebacker, Ezekiel (Zeke) Anderson, and one of AC’s top golfers who has already committed to Alabama State University for golf, Kathryn (Katie) Robinson.
Zeke coming from a physical sport revolving around team chemistry stated, “It takes time to get to know the guys around you, and you know we’ve tried to get that down through Zoom but there’s only so much a Zoom call can do. But our unit is used to obstacles like this, [such as] the fires my sophomore year [and] having to wait three weeks to play our game that got pushed back because of the smoke. This team I feel is ready for anything that gets thrown at them. Every high school football team is in the same boat but we’ve been through adversity for our whole high school careers so we’re used to it! Won’t change how we play and how great we are, we just have to stay together!” Football seems to have mastered adjusting to changes in their season and remain hopeful despite challenges that COVID has brought.
On the other hand, Katie playing an individual sport with less contact was not as affected. In her perspective,
“Golf has had a lot more freedom with competing and being able to play than other sports, and I'm really thankful for that. The first few months of quarantine was different, but I was still able to do a lot of training and practicing at home.”
Overall, we understand that this off-season has been different from any off-season we’ve ever experienced before. However, there is so much more one can do to help prepare physically or mentally which is why we also asked our Fall sports athletes how they plan on keeping their teams motivated under COVID-19 circumstances. It is very understandable that this may be difficult with the pandemic preventing certain sports from physical contact, not always being able to practice, or even meeting all together as a team. There are ways to work around this that many athletes have found. We stated in the paragraph before that the ACHS Football team tried Zoom calls or group chats.
One of our team captains for volleyball this year, Charlize Francisco, suggested that even though she had a loss of motivation at the beginning of quarantine, she found that, “Committing to a steady routine and finding comfort in healthy habits motivated me to manage a healthier lifestyle. As an incoming junior, I was also anticipating the tryouts for Varsity, further pushing me to stay active and be prepared for when tryouts occur. Learning from my own experiences, I hope to share these practices with the team and keep them focused on the future, inspiring them to keep improving as an athlete.” Like Charlize explained, especially as an athlete, being at home all day and being restricted from what you can do can cause a loss of motivation, laziness, unhealthy habits, and more. However if you do find that routine to do at home workouts, eat a little more fruit or vegetables everyday, or just go on a run around your neighborhood sometimes you will find that routine to keep yourself active. The best part of creating your own workouts is that you can do whatever you want, whether it’s your favorite strength training or cardio workout, it’s all up to you.
With the season just around the corner, it is not too late to start your at home preparation or conditioning, like our varsity cross country runner, Yesenia Cardenas, said in her interview response, “While it will be tough to stay motivated, we have to keep supporting and pushing each other to work hard during the limited practices that we do have.” She is keeping a positive mindset and making most of the time she has.
On a brighter note, Katie and Charlize both are just excited to be able to play again and get back into their element. For Katie, she is going to be practicing in a different environment with the boys golf team this year. She said, “I'm really excited about the chance to compete again with a team. I'm also excited to be competing the same time as the Boys' team and look forward to being able to practice and spend more time with them. I think getting to practice with the Boys' team will provide a good change of pace for me and the team”. In a regular season, the girl’s team usually plays in the Fall while the boy’s team plays in the Spring. Personally, we’re curious to see if, by practicing with everyone in the golf program, would there be a change in the outcomes of each team’s seasons.
Charlize can’t wait to be able to just get back on the courts, “This upcoming season, I’m mostly looking forward to playing volleyball games with the team and feeling those thrilling emotions all over again. County guidelines may not allow the bleachers to fill up with families and friends, but celebrating with your teammates and that rush of adrenaline you get on the court will always be there during a good match, despite the limitations”. Even without the crowd, her teammates and her passion for playing the game is all the encouragement she needs to keep going. All the athletes share this mindset and are still motivated to play even with no crowd being able to watch and cheer them on this year.
Charlize also said that she hopes that her volleyball team will be able to build a strong bond this season, “Volleyball is a sport that heavily relies on the teamwork and coordination between teammates, so this season can be aimed towards the one thing we can control: our connection. With genuine effort and being open minded, I hope our team can restore this bond in order to be prepared for the possibilities this season may offer and come into next season even stronger.” She hopes that the bond that is developed this season will continue and become closer for the coming years.
Emily Satake, a sophomore player on our tennis team, shares this hope of wanting to grow closer with her team, “What I hope to get out of this season is a rebuilt community between the tennis players. A lot of us haven't really communicated since last season, so I believe it's very important to form that bond again between everyone, as well as newcomers to the team. The players being each other's support system sets a team onto a path for success.” Even in an individual/partner type of sport, the sense of community has proven to still be important to be able to help each other out during practices and support each other from the sidelines. It was interesting to hear what each athlete hoped to get out of their season: not to meet their own individual goals, but to stay connected as a team.
The Fall season starts on December 7th and we can’t wait to see how this new type of season will play out! Remember to take it from some of our very own Fall sport players, be patient, flexible, and communicate with your teammates and coaches because this is new territory for all, but don't forget to still have fun. Good luck Wolves!
Special Thanks to:
Emily Satake, 10th grade
Charlize Francisco, 11th grade
Ezekiel Anderson, 12th grade
Yesenia Cardenas, 12th grade
Katie Robinson, 12th grade
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