STORY BY: KATELYNN GIBSON
managing Editor
Sports were not immune to the new precautions and mask-wearing ordinances were put into place this year to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Athletic Director Brandon Clark had to make tough decisions on how sports would be handled this year due to COVID-19.
“The biggest challenge is attempting to make our activities and athletics as safe as possible and try to help prevent the spread of the virus,” Clark said.
Most sports are able to social distance and wear masks while not playing. However, the virus is still a risk to players, faculty and fans.
One person can get the coronavirus and anyone within 6 feet of that person for at least 15 minutes can be put in quarantine, which lowers the number of athletes participating in sports.
To add to the sacrifices, the spring sports season was cut short last school year.
Senior Lily Simmons has been running track since seventh grade and lost her junior track season due to the school’s closing.
“I think I worked harder because, for seniors especially, we only have one year left in order to do the things we love before we either have to say goodbye to it or we get a chance to go onto college,” Simmons said.
While seniors are hoping to have all their sports this year, some are still holding their breath, waiting to find out if they will or won’t.
“I am just waiting, because you know last year we thought we were going to have one anyways, but we ended up not and now that we are back at school, we don’t know if it could get worse,” Simmons said.
No one is sure on what the future will hold for the rest of the school year.
“It is pretty much our same plan as of right now — highly organized practices with social distancing and masking, and limiting attendance at large events,” Clark said.
Football has not had to adapt to too many COVID-19 changes, except wearing a mask and doing their best to be socially distanced.
Junior Bradley Vorse has been playing football for five years and said he is glad that he is still able to have a football season, even though the off-season time was limited.
“We lost a good chunk of time this spring that we could have been using in the weight room and expanding our football knowledge,” said Vorse.
With the loss of the spring season, some athletes have not been able to find sport scholarships.
“I think it affected the juniors and seniors a lot because I’m sure some seniors had people that they wanted to come and watch them in order to get a scholarship and they didn’t have that opportunity,” Simmons said. “I know juniors lost a whole season that they could have been scouting and starting to find colleges and we just lost that opportunity.”