COVID’s impact ruined the indoor track season for highschool students across the world, but for Woodland’s female athletes that meant a drastic change for their season. Just last year, indoor track athletes were free to run without masks, train nearly every day of the week, and enjoy the season ending with the final showcasing of skills at NVL or States. This year, however, athletes conditioned for a meet-less season and are confined to various regulations concerning social distancing.
Due to CDC guidelines, indoor track teams faced challenges across the board for the 2020-2021 school year. Practices, held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, are purely conditioning, and all athletes are required to wear masks while training. As a result of covid regulations, female athletes’ opinions on running, especially in relation to masks, have differed from previous years. Long time runner, Olivia Sullivan, believes in the concept of masks, however, experienced first hand the complications of running with them.
Sullivan, Woodland sprinter, recalled how sentimental competing was, and how COVID changed her track career. Sullivan expressed her displeasure in wearing a mask, but the benefits of endurance training.
“Personally, I hate masks, but I don’t think that we could ever do this work without [them] in this current pandemic,” said Sullivan. “Overall I ended up deciding that it was better as an athlete to be doing a sport than just sitting out for a season.”
In addition to the masks, she pointed out how the season without meets impacted her personally, and the bond of the indoor track team. Before COVID, meets were a way to gauge your progress and set future goals. They were also a way to meet new people and build a stronger connection with your teammates.
“It always felt like I was competing with my team when I was at the line. Now, I don’t even get to the line,” conveyed Sullivan.
In a similar situation to Sullivan, is Cassidy Doiron, a thrower for Woodland’s indoor track team. As a junior, Doiron verbalized her concerns and the benefits of the indoor track team in relation to the implemented COVID guidelines. She brought up that although wearing the masks can be unbearable at times, she has gotten to work on increasing her strength and improving her performance.
“I feel like I definitely have been able to work on my throwing skills. I also do other sports too, so getting a lot of time in the weight room has been helpful,” Doiron quoted.
She also brought up how even though restrictions have played a major role in determining the course of the season, female athletes still encourage each other to pursue new goals and train for the day school are allowed to compete again.
Sara Alessio, a junior at Woodland, and Yasmeen Galal, a freshman, offered their take on the indoor track team and what factors led them to opting out this year. Alessio participated in indoor track for the last two years, however decided that because of the regulations she wanted to focus more on her training outside of school. She vocalized how the masks and less challenging season were some of the major contributions to her not participating.
“I personally don’t like masks because they’re restricting, especially when I’m at the gym and am working out or running around,” added Alessio.
Galal, on the other hand, pointed out how the late start to the season conflicted with other activities she committed to.
“The season was starting really late, and I knew it wouldn’t be a long one. By then I was already getting involved in other things, such as programs outside of school,” confirmed Galal.
This being her first year as a Woodland athlete, she had no idea what to expect, a pandemic being the last of her predictions. Nevertheless, she’s kept an optimistic mind and awaits the day she can consider participating in an indoor track season without regulations and restrictions.
COVID has thrown this year into a whirlwind of insanity, yet Woodland’s students and athletes remain strong through these hectic times, showcasing their perseverance and determination. From female seniors, with hopes of being scouted, to juniors preparing for their last year of high school sports, to sophomores aiming to beat upperclassman records, to finally freshman soaring into a new world of opportunity. All athletes, regardless of grade level, have remained open minded, representing true Woodland spirit as they tough through seasons of chaos. Masks and meet-less seasons aside, everyone has been able to come together and fight this pandemic as a team.
