8 minute read
THE EMPTY BLEACHERS
16 | Features
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Whether it’s home workouts or going out of state, these student athletes will stop at nothing to keep their competitive edge.
by Drew Merz and Mara Severts designed by Mara Severts illustrations by Mara Severts photos courtesy of Jimmy Pisani and Gavin Bailey
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Packed bleachers at a football game. Excited sideline parents watching on at soccer tournaments. Buzzers roaring over a zealous crowd as shoes squeak and balls bounce on the sidelines. All these seemingly typical high school athletic experiences lost to the pandemic.
To many students at Central, sports are the center of their social, personal, and academic lives. With countless hours spent together and closely bonded teams, there was shock and discomfort that came with COVID-19’s postponement of physical activity.
Heavy breathing, close contact, and indoor practices for long time periods didn’t bode well for regulations about running sports in the pandemic—leaving schools and clubs to try to adapt or shut down. In Superintendent Tammy Prentiss’s letter to the D86 community on March 13, 2020 she reiterated words many Central students said they have been feeling— “confused and frustrated”.
Ever since the Coronavirus’s appearance early last spring, teams and players have looked for solutions to keep playing their respective sports, with varying degrees of success. Illinois categorizes sports into various risk categories and tiers of playing ability, leading to modified playing rules. Some lower-risk sports like badminton continue their seasons as regular with minimal modifications, while other higherrisk sports like wrestling are given fewer possibilities. And if there is a season— mask-wearing and social distancing when possible will be mandatory. As a result, experience high school level athletes normally receive. Some students stay and tough out COVID restrictions at Central or at home clubs, while others seek out a more “normal” experience at a different school, switching out of state for an opportunity at a regular season.
Those who stay at Central see a different picture of athletics than what they are used to. Aside from the non-contact sports, all seasons have been pushed back. Central has also made it mandatory for masks to be worn whenever the athletes are not in play. Sports like tennis, golf, and cross country played through a shortened season, while high contact sports like football were not able to have their season in their planned time of year. Although no games were held for the higher contact sports, some were still able to hold practice. In those practices, social distancing was required as well as the usage of masks regardless of whether or not a helmet was worn.
Despite the shortened seasons low contact fall sports endoured, the majority of athletes said they just felt grateful that they got to have a season at all. One of those being senior Andy Muñoz, who got to participate in cross country earlier this fall.
“I’m just thankful that I was able to run cross country with my team for my last year here at Central. I know a lot of athletes didn’t get the opportunity for a season this past year, so I am extra appreciative,” Muñoz said.
Additionally, earlier this fall, Central’s hockey team traveled to Indiana for a few games. One of which allowed for fans to come and cheer on their team, under the condition that a mask was worn the entire time. For many Central students, this was the first opportunity to go watch a high school level game of any sport. Senior Vincent Naccarato shared that it was one of his favorite memories from senior year.
“It was amazing seeing the team play for the first time since last winter. The energy at the rink was like no other, completely electric,” Naccarato said. “Being the first time students could see live sports was a big deal and definitely contributed to the hype.”
In order to give students like Naccarato these happy memories, Central is taking as many opportunities as possible to have a normal season while maintaining COVID-19 protocols. But some students said that they felt they would have a better experience at a different school. Using their sport as motivation, some students have seen COVID-19 as a chance to switch schools or move out of state where the rules may differ.
Former Central student Jimmy Pisani chose to go to an Indiana military boarding school, Culver, for his junior year.
“I decided that I’d rather be in person, experiencing a regular junior year and also playing sports, so I just decided to go to Culver,” Pisani said.
Culver, a sports-focused school, went out of their way to keep sports in circulation. While there were no crowds at games and many popular events were canceled, the implementation of mandatory maskwearing, an isolated environment, and
18 | Features Jimmy Pisani left Central to play quarterback and defensive line at Culver in 2020.
large quantities of rapid tests have allowed Pisani to have somewhat normal football and lacrosse seasons.
Pisani, along with senior Gavin Bailey, a former Central student who left after his freshman year to pursue lacrosse, said they’ve enjoyed the benefits of a what they see as a regular school year.
“Indiana is a lot looser when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions and everything,” Bailey said. “The team has only postponed one or two games, however many more [games] are needed till we get back on track.”
Similarly, sophomore Matas Buzelis left Central in order to continue playing basketball. When COVID-19 interfered with his basketball season, he said he felt that his best option was to leave the state and play at a boarding school. He is now playing at Brewster Academy located in New Hampshire. They offer many sports programs but they are known for their basketball program.
“I chose Brewster because I think it is the best choice for me. It is one of the best programs in the country,” Buzelis said.
Along with Brewster and Culver’s network of connections, holding games and practices also allow them access to get in contact with coaches and be scouted for colleges. The lack of games and communication has led some seniors originally hoping to go collegiate floundering. As a result of COVID-19, many schools already have partially filled rosters due to last years’ incoming freshmen taking gap years and coming back.
Bailey discussed Duke’s roster - usually with 44 men total- had about 12 openings for new guys. Of those slots, the majority were already taken by returning and transferring players.
“The amount of spots within the division one level is just going down immensely. There are a lot of problems with general roster caps,” Bailey said.
Considering the complication, some students have made the decision to not go to college for their sport even though that had been their plan for almost their whole life. Senior Lennon Chrones, a former Central student, left Illinois in hopes that he would have more opportunities to play soccer at the college level at IMG Academy in Florida when he was a sophomore. Upon the arrival of the pandemic, he headed back to a nearby school, Westmont High School, and shed his dreams of playing soccer at a collegiate level.
“I really wanted to go collegiate but, it’s very hard process right now with everything going on,” Chrones said. “A lot of schools have their full rosters set for the next year so it’s just hard finding scouts.”
Despite the current situation, students are still doing their best to stay in shape individually. For some, this looks like doing home workouts whenever they can find the time. At-home workouts are popular, along with some gyms opening up to allow weightlifting and other exercises. Many students seek out additional support from their team network despite not having games. Some students are even able to schedule one on one lessons with their coaches. “You can do [more] things, like if you want to see a coach to just do some training on the side,” Chrones said.“Predominantly everything has been closed, like most gyms to just doing at-home workouts.”
Despite the circumstances, students like Buzelis said they are keeping their heads high with the support of their family and friends.
“My parents support me. They always give me so much motivation, and they always call me during the day to talk to me and check-in,” Buzelis said.
Overall, students are trying their very best to keep their favorite sports alive in tough times. Despite the irregularity of practices and competitions, passion for their sport has not died out.
“I [still] love basketball because there are so many things you can learn from it,” Buzelis said.
Currently, juniors are hopeful for a normal 2021-2022 season, while seniors tentatively look forward to a regular freshman year at college. Students who can’t get scouted are looking at being a college walk-on, someone who plays but did not receive a scholarship, or different ways to pursue their passion for sports further than the high school level. Most students who left Central during COVID intend to stay at their respective schools, with Pisani citing block schedules and personalized learning as reasons why he intends to stay at Culver. Those who remain in Hinsdale have hope for a more normalized school year in the fall.
“I hope things eventually return to normal, so I can finally go about my normal daily routine with school and athletics as well,” Muñoz said. Illinois High School Association Sporting Guidelines
Low Risk Sports
Outdoor only Non conference contests Out of state contests & state series allowed* Indoor follow High Risk Regulations High Risk Sports
Contest within conference Region or out of region within 30 miles *most state seasons cancelled
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