sports
Game On, COVID! Athletes return to play after months at home
By Kristina Pham, Reporter and Delaney Polocheck, Reporter
Junior Samantha Cousins and seniors Lauren Elie and Lyla Traylor wait for the serve. Photo by Callie Maxwell.
ONCE PACKED BLEACHERS
are now sparse, crowds’ cheers no longer fill stands on game-days, uniforms come paired with a mask and post-game handshakes are a thing of the past. For athletes across the nation, COVID-19 has drastically changed their seasons.
A Difficult Decision
The kick-off to sports seasons has many athletes holding their breath, and not just because UIL (University Interscholastic League) has mandated masks. COVID-19’s cancellation of practices and games led many to question whether they would have a season at all, and if so, could their love of the game trump personal safety concerns? According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Harris County ranks first among Texas counties on the official COVID-19 count, totaling 152, 673 cases as of Oct. 14. To slow the spread of the virus, the University Interscholastic League (UIL), Texas’ governing body for high school sports, released a set of COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Guidelines. Among these are the requirement of face coverings, daily disinfection of equipment, screening protocols and a 50 percent maximum capacity limit for stadium spectators. Still, many athletes are skeptical of the safety of team sports, complicated further by shared locker rooms and equipment, as well
16 Oct
as close-contact play. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that most cases of coronavirus in children younger than 18 years present themselves as asymptomatic or mild, so even if a student athlete contracted the virus, they likely wouldn’t know. These students run the risk of unknowingly infecting
immunocompromised family members and friends. “A lot of young people act like they are not capable of contracting the virus,” junior varsity tennis player Kinari Hirano said. “I’ve heard of some ill effects you can experience, even after healing, so I am a bit scared.”
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An Era of Change and Adaptation
obviously. Still, they’ve found a way to march past the obstructions of face coverings. “Wind instruments have specific fabric masks with a small slit for the mouthpiece to go in,” senior drum major Ava Speros said. “The biggest issue is when you’re out of breath running laps in the heat, and the mask has to stay on.” Other changes for the band include not being able to share water coolers, members filling the width of the stands at football games in order to socially distance themselves and taking seven buses to football games as opposed to five. For other sports, like cross country and track, masks are not a requirement. “When running we have to stay farther out at practice, not bunched in a pack like normal,” junior varsity cross country runner Ryan Fraser said. “I don’t like not being able to run right with your buddy, but because of the changes, I don’t have any fear of contracting the virus.”
As long as we’re together, I don’t think anything really bothers us.
High school sports play a large role in forming a tight-knit community; from tailgates, pep-rallies, and Friday night lights, to finding friendships in teammates and spectators, sports have brought the community together for decades. Under social distancing policies and virtual learning, the solidarity that sports foster for students is now especially important. The sporting community provides a sense of normalcy amidst disrupted routines and the chaotic backdrop of COVID-19. The influence of high school sports extends beyond students. Football is embedded in Texas culture, but there’s no denying its incompatibility with COVID-19. Between blocking, tackling and team
-Alice Scafide, 11
For the Markettes, classic, fan-favorite football dances, such as the hoop and kick routines, must be altered thanks to COVID-19. Practices with the band in the church parking lot, shared locker rooms and routines that require team members to touch are all obstacles they have to overcome. “We’re not able to high five each other after a good run anymore, and we can’t do my favorite dance, kick, which is super upsetting,” junior Markette Alice Scafide said. “But I love my team, and as long as we’re together, I don’t think anything can really bother us.” For the marching band, most instruments NO are played by mouth, which makes the problem of wearing masks difficult,
Unwavering Passion
47.4% 52.6% YES
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Do you feel that masks considerably affect your sports performance? *60 student athletes polled
