Covid-19 has affected our lives in every possible way at this point. Every living person fully aware of their surroundings knows the damage that Covid has done to our world. We have seen economies close to collapsing, people being fired, and companies shutting down due to the global pandemic and numerous precautions have been put in place, but what about our schools? 

All who go to school in-person are aware of the mask mandate required for students and staff alike. Masks are required indoors, but can be taken off outdoors. Drinking water in classrooms makes the staff members wary, and eating inside is out of the question. Our seating charts are even being sent to the district office to track down people who were in close contact with the virus. Many students will agree that they’ve felt fear or nervousness when staff walks into the class and calls the names of possible carriers of the virus.

Our sports teams are the ones taking the hardest hit from Covid-19. Due to this, parents aren’t as willing to allow their child to join their favorite sport out of the fear of the possibility of being infected. What precautions are being put into place? What will happen to the sports that rely on close contact with team members? Will student athletes be required to wear masks in the scorching heat of the fall season? Parents and students alike have many questions, some of which are difficult to answer. For athletes of the season, though, this fear is quickly being pushed away. 

“I wear my mask and try to avoid crowds,” states SPHS water polo athlete Austin Barientos. He is confident in the responsibility of all other athletes to remain spaced out from one another and to wear masks when not active in play.

Student athletes are determined to not let the pandemic affect their way of life, and still choose to pursue their enjoyment of playing their sport. Our sports teams may have struggled due to mandates and rules we are not quite used to, but teams are adapting quickly enough to get back on track. Masks are required when in a bus or when off the playing field, but while playing, are not. 

Aidan Hess, a dual sport athlete who runs cross country and plays on the tennis team, leaves a message for fellow athletes, “Enjoy the time you have to play, even if it’s a weird season. There’s only a few people who move on to the next level, so enjoy the time you have while you’re still in high school.”