COVID-19 has changed all of our lives, and with schools opening remotely, it has closed doors. Many school activities, especially sports, have been a topic of debate as to which sports can still run and which have to be canceled.  As of Sept. 30, football, field hockey, girls tennis, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls golf and boys and girls cross-country are up and running.

However, winning games is not the only challenge these athletes and coaches have to worry about now. Boys cross-country coach Mr. D.J. Fromal explains, “Students were required to sign a COVID-19 agreement. They are asked to submit an online form daily about their health that includes a temperature reading. I read their temperature before practice every day. Masks are required except when actively engaged (warm-up, running, etc.).”  He also said, “For coaches, the daily form is [also] necessary and we must wear masks at all times.”

There also have been suggestions issued by the state. Governor Wolf recommended that sports be postponed until January. However, the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) stated that due to students’ mental health, college applications and other factors, it would do more harm than good to postpone the reopening of sports. 

Mr. Fromal agrees. “We all need ways to socialize and exercise. Sports do both.” So, for schools that follow PIAA guidelines, there are regulations that everyone must follow, including the CDC guidelines, such as wearing a mask when not working out and social distancing when possible.

However, some students won’t get the opportunity to participate in sports this year. For instance, for cross-country “other leagues have canceled/postponed the season.[But], all 6 teams in the [Suburban One League] will have cross- country teams this year,” Mr. Fromal said. 

However, contact sports like football have are more complicated since it is hard to tackle and social distance at the same time. Regardless, football players are pushing through obstacles and they have four more games coming up this month.

Their first game was on Oct. 2 against Council Rock South, but they lost with a score of 14-6. Head football coach Mr. Ken Remaily said, “Regardless of all the COVID-19 challenges the team has been working extremely hard since we started.  They continue to get better every day.  Every player within the program has had a positive impact on our team and together we will stand together to build and move this program in a positive direction each week and in the future.”

Soccer also has some restrictions. Junior Christina Bender, a forward on the junior varsity team said, “If a kid on the team is exposed, then they stay out for a little while just to be safe. We need to wear masks on the sidelines up until game time, and there is no handshaking after the game.” 

While keeping safe is a priority, there are some shortcomings. Junior Maci Lumpkin, a  defensive specialist on the girls volleyball team, said, “I think they should try to allow some sort of spectators at the game.” Her concern about spectators is not uncommon as many athletes believe that spectators make the game livelier, and without its touch, the competitions may lose some of their pep.

Cross-country has been able to make a clean transition with the regulations. Lance Hartman, a sophomore on the cross-country team, said, “I think sports are fine how they are now, but cross- country is not necessarily one of the more restricted sports. Personally, I believe that all the restrictions and precautions they have in place are understandable and don’t affect our performance in our sport. Cross- country does not have much contact.” 

During all the uncertainty, students have been able to find solace through sports. Bender said, “Playing soccer is a really great stress reliever and it’s really beneficial to get out and run around after being on a computer all day.” Like Bender, Lumpkin has had a similar experience. She said, “The pandemic caused me to have a lot of down time, which was driving me crazy, so [volleyball] gave me my sanity back.”

Having something to look forward to at the end of a long school day makes all the difference for many athletes. Hartman said, “Sports definitely help by giving me something to focus on through quarantine. Due to most things getting shut down, being able to have a cross-country practice every day gives me something to focus on at the end of the day.”