Tatyanna Bun

Makenzie Wisniewski

Seraiah Laporte

Staff Writers

      Covid-19 has impacted daily routines like high school sports. As of right now Connecticut spring sports have not been canceled but have been postponed until further notice. Many athletes do not know when they’ll be able to lace up their cleats or swing their last point. 

      The time frame for the start of spring sports has yet to be announced however it is important to remember that the CIAC has not canceled the remainder of the season or means to make difficulties toward spring athletes. The health of the athletes and state must be taken into account during this pandemic. 

      As Connecticut schools canceled for two weeks no final decision was made rather it was stated that Spring sports would be postponed. It wasn’t until the Governor made the decision that schools should remain closed until at least May 20th, that it became a reality that even if students do return back to the school their season would be cut very short and in fact end soon. 

      This situation that athletes are undergoing is very sad and disappointing to many. Especially to senior athletes who will not get to finish their last sporting event career at the high school, they attended, to the fullest. Senior Bridget Collins has played lacrosse since she was young and started varsity her freshman year at Foran. Collins states, “ I worked really hard on and offseason and was really looking forward to playing one last time. But I was really looking forward to getting to be one of the captains because of the amount of work I have put in. Right now I have just been going outside and playing by myself in my backyard or going to the fields. We just have to keep our heads up and think not only about the negatives but the positives too.” 

      For some players, this would have been their first spring sport to play in high school. Freshman Luci Cappello states, “I did cheer in the fall and winter, and I was planning on playing lacrosse for my spring sport. Now I am a little upset because I was really excited to play for a high school team as a freshman and play all four years. I’m just looking forward to playing next season!” 

      The postponement of the spring sports season also affects an athletic director whose main job is to oversee the athletic programs, athletes, coaches, families, and communicate statewide with other athletic directors. With social distancing, it can affect the whole process of a director. The Foran athletic director, Anthony Vitelli, states, “ At school, a large portion of my school day was spent interacting with the student-athletes, coaches, parents, administration, and staff…face to face.” 

      Vitelli states, “ I really miss that aspect of my job. At home, I have been communicating through email, virtual meetings, phone calls, text messages, and Twitter.” Now, not only do athletes but athletic directors too, need to adjust their jobs to perform. 

      During quarantine, it may be difficult to practice or have the mental state of training for a student’s spring sport. The environment of having a support team from a player’s coach and teammates are absent when training alone. 

      Along with the understatement of social distancing and many parks and public places closed, there are many ways for athletes to still stay in shape and keep in tip-top shape for whatever the sport they play might be.  During this time a players may only focus on their endurance for their sport. Finding videos of footwork, arm training, endurance, and more can improve a player’s performance next season and overall health. Cappello shares, “During this break I’ve been working out a lot, I’ve been running a mile almost every day and conditioning a lot more than I used to because I want to build my endurance for next season.” 

At a time like this, it is crucial to keep our mentality high and think positively. At the CIAC conference held on April 23, it was stated, “ If it is determined that school buildings will remain closed, and distance learning will continue through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, then the CIAC will cancel all spring sports experiences.” With many meetings and no final decision towards the future of spring sports, athletes should still be prepared. Through all of this everyone must keep their hope that when the time is right, CT will play again.