Verba Volant, Scripta Manent

The Hill News

Verba Volant, Scripta Manent

The Hill News

Verba Volant, Scripta Manent

The Hill News

On the effects of losing the spring 2020 season

The athletic atmosphere, along with most other parts of our Hill community, is just one of many aspects of daily life that have been affected by Covid-19. The recommendations that later turned to regulations kept athletes at home for almost all of the spring. For student-athletes whose main sports are in the spring, in-person training has been obsolete, recruitment has been dramatically modified, and competitions have been cancelled or moved online (if possible). Even professional athletes were forced to train in their homes and grapple with cancelled or rescheduled competitions. This is extremely evident in the cancellation of the 2020 Olympic games.

Due to the boom in Covid-19 cases during spring break, no in-person training was held for the athletics teams in the last few months of the school year. Hill’s announcement of continuing the spring term (then the rest of the year)  forced teachers to move classes online, just as coaches had to move practices online. Individual-based sports like crew and track were given time to focus on their technique and endurance, while group sports like lacrosse and baseball were given time to assess and improve their individual skills, even though they lacked the ability to practice their sports to the full extent. 

Many student-athletes found it difficult to stay motivated during quarantine, especially while trying to manage classes and finals throughout the spring. With no competitions in the foreseeable future, it was difficult for many athletes to feel like they had anything to work towards. 

For the class of 2020, missing the spring season was especially difficult. Liz MacMurray ‘20 member of the girls varsity lacrosse team said, “missing the spring season is comparable to like missing the final piece to a puzzle you’ve been wanting to finish for a while.” She, as well as many other students, felt that almost everything had changed when virtual Hill was introduced, both athletics and academics. 

Covid-19’s presence has proven to be a catastrophe for those directly affected by the illness, as well as the rest of the world learning a new way to live. Athletes in all levels around the world had to find new ways to train, compete, and mentally cope. However, with support from coaches, family members, and teammates, students emerged from the spring season smarter and stronger athletes. 

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