Recruitment rescheduled

Text by RYAN SETO and KATHERINE CHENG

Recruitment Rescheduled

CORONAVIRUS

CANCELLATIONS

HURT PALY

ATHLETES’ CHANCES PITCHING PERFECT — Callum Olsen stares down the plate as he delivers a pitch to an opposing batter from OF RECRUITMENT Cupertino High School. Photo by Jenna Hickey W HEN DRIVING PAST appointed, these athletes are focused on appointment persists as they reflect on the Palo Alto High School using this time to improve and train for abrupt ending to their season. on a typical spring afterfuture competitions. “I was really disappointed because my noon, it is common to see To examine the impact of COVID-19 last three years have been building [and] the athletic facilities filled with action. The on the recruitment of Paly athletes, Verde leading up to this and to have that get softball and baseball fields ring with the Magazine dove into two spring sports that destroyed is really hard,” junior track and cracks of bats, and on the lacrosse field, have been adversely affected: track and field athlete David Evans said. “I was in reathletes run up and down tossing the small field and baseball. ally good shape and I was ready to hit the rubber ball. Members of the track and field times I had set for myself.” team can be found circling the track, doing Track and field Athletes looking to participate in colreps on the long jump pit and high jump First, national invitationals and meets lege track have also had crucial recruiting mat, or throwing shot put and discus. In the pool, cheers and splashes from swimmers ring out.

But now, the fields are ghostly quiet were postponed. Then, canceled. Local invitationals were called off soon after. Still, many Paly track and field athletes remained optimistic as “ I was really disappointed because my last three years have opportunities stripped away. Unlike other sports such as basketball and football, where coaches fly to big-name tournaments to watch top athletes play, runners need to record remarkable times at meets to get their foot in the door with college and the pool is covered. Athletes have not been building [and] events were struck from their calenscouts.

In high schools nationwide, athletes with practices, were canceled. Tracks were “If hitting the times means doing it have had their spring sports seasons cut fenced off and the shelter-in-place order unofficially in a time trial, so be it,” Evans short, allowing fewer opportunities for forced athletes to find alternative ways to said. “But I get to show colleges that I can them to showcase their skills to college get their workouts in, running at parks or do it, even if an unofficial time doesn’t have coaches. Although nearly an entire season nature trails or through city blocks. as much pull as an official time.” has been stripped away, leaving many disWhile most athletes can still train, disWith track resuming looking more

With meets being canceled this year, been allowed to use leading up to this.” dars, their positivathletes no longer have the chance to ofthe facilities for over — DAVID EVANS, junior ity buoyed by their ficially hit their target times. Though not two months as a result league meets that reideal, students like Evans must find other of the campus shutdown due to the novel mained scheduled. ways to demonstrate their growth and coronavirus. Eventually, those meets too, along showcase their speed.

and more unlikely by the day, Evans has changed up his workouts and begun preparing for cross country in the fall.

“I’ve switched back to more of a base training routine where I’m pushing more mileage since I probably won’t have a track season,” Evans said. “Building up a good base and endurance is really important, and I still want to run these times, but I’m just going to have to do it later.”

While uncertainty stemming from the novel coronavirus has left athletic schedules in flux, Evans is determined to be prepared to step back on the track, whenever that day comes.

“This is my chance to improve and get my times up so I’m ready when I finally get the chance to race,” Evans said.

Baseball

Before the cancellation of school and all related activities, including athletics, Paly’s baseball team was on track for another successful year. They were nearly undefeated, with the only loss coming in a close game against Valley Christian High School, one of the best teams in the state. However, with the cancellation of the baseball season, players were stripped of a promising season and, for some, their last chance of recruitment.

Junior Callum Olsen is a pitcher on Paly’s baseball team and aims to play col

lege baseball, although he has yet to comreally important season because it’s junior mit. For Olsen, this season was his final year, you’re starting to do applications,” opportunity to show off his skills to colOlsen said. “I think we just kind of got leges. screwed ... Now everything is up in the

Due to the coronavirus, the chances air.” of high school players playing at the colAlthough the high school season is lege level are much slimmer, even for those important, participating in summer basewho have already committed. ball is also considered necessary for recruit

College athletes who lost their sement. nior season in the wake of the virus will “I think summer ball in terms of reretain eligibility next year, which decreases the number of offers going out to current high schoolers and also decreases the amount “ It [the pandemic] has also opened up an opportunity for me to cruiting is more important than the high school season,” Olsen said. “At tournaments during summer ball, scouts of playing time for train way more than I are specifically goincoming student athletes. ever would have had ing to those tournaments, whereas in

“The MLB [Mathe chance to.” high school you’ll jor League Baseball] — CALLUM OLSEN, junior occasionally get a draft this year was scout at your game.” shortened by 25 rounds, which means Since the shelter-in-place order is ina lot less college guys are going into the definite, Olsen and other baseball players MLB,” Olsen said. “There’s gonna be a lot across the country are unsure of whether of guys sticking around instead of movor not these summer baseball camps will ing on.” be open.

While underclassmen have more “They canceled the Cape Cod time to showcase their skills, Olsen and League, which is like a super big college other juniors who are looking to be resummer league,” Olsen said. “If they cancruited are missing out on crucial opporcel college baseball, there’s a 99% chance tunities to play. that we’re getting canceled too.”

“I’d say for all those juniors it was a Although the recruitment process itself has come to a halt, the cancelation of school allows Olsen to continue honing his craft and perfecting his pitching, which school had prevented him from doing.

“I’ve been working out with this private pitching coach I have in Campbell,” Olsen said. “Every day, there’s me and one other guy going, then it can be anywhere from three to five hours that we’re there each day. So if anything, my training has gotten better, [because of ] just a lot more time on my hands.”

Because of this increase in practice time, Olsen remains optimistic about his chances of recruitment.

“It [the pandemic] has kind of screwed me for recruiting during summer ball, but it also has opened up an opportunity for me to train way more than I ever would have had the chance to,” Olsen said. “I’ve gotten exponentially better being able to play and go see my pitching coach every single day.” v

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