High school athletes around the country waited patiently for January 19th to come- the mark of the start of a winter season, one that wasn’t even finished the year before. The sports section of Woodland Regional High School had a quiet two months after the end of the fall season, but now it is bursting with the excitement and energy of student athletes finally getting the chance to play their sport.
Following a successful fall season for sports, hopes are high the same good fortune will transfer into the winter season.
For some January 19th was happier than others. Athletes competing on the girl’s basketball, boys basketball, and boys swim teams are allowed formal competitions throughout this season, while indoor track, weightlifting, dance, and cheerleading were not afforded that luxury and will be holding mostly practices. Those allowed to compete do not get off so easy though, with a handful of accommodations, they have to follow in order to compete.
According to Woodland’s athletic director Christopher Decker, those accommodations are as follows, “All of the athletes will have to wear masks when they participate, there should be no sharing of water bottles, they should socially distance when they can, and there will be limitations to spectators in the stands for contests.”
Although it feels like we are returning to what used to be normal, there are still a lot of challenges Woodland athletes have to face.
“Every single thing is a challenge for them to overcome. Like I said they have to wear masks when they are competing. It’s challenging to wear masks on a regular daily basis, now they are doing aerobic exercise and have to wear a mask so that’s a huge challenge. Being able to compete without really doing anything for two months was a challenge too. I know the first couple practices were just about getting in shape,” Decker explains.
The players are not the only ones facing hardships. Coaches are also dealing with circumstances never faced with before.
“I think some of the challenges are being able to be fluid and interchangeable, knowing that a lot of games are going to be canceled. Not only do we have a pandemic, but it’s also the winter season, so a lot of practices are canceled, so it is hard to get in a rhythm with your players,” says Decker.
Unfortunately, this winter season it feels like it snows every day and top of new covid cases coaches and players have to take what they can get.
With that being said, these challenges are a small price to pay for these players and coaches that would do anything to play the sport. After the end of their season being abruptly cancelled last year, this is a new beginning and new benefits that come with it.
“One of the biggest benefits was how grateful some of the athletes were, and the coaches were, to just be able to compete and be out there. They are realizing what they missed over the last year of not being able to compete and how important and special it is to be able to do that,” Decker points out.
Seniors that are on boys and girls basketball and boys swim not only get a senior season, but they also get a senior night. Although, it will not be exactly the same as years past, it will still be a special moment for them to remember.
Regardless of being able to compete or not, teams are allowed to be teams again, and even just practicing their sport is a luxury that has been missed out on this past year. Accommodations or not, each team will make memories and create bonds that COVID-19 cannot take away from them.
