By EMILY GRUNES, CAROLINE CASIERI, CAITLIN GALLAGHER. Additional reporting by NICHOLAS GODEK and EMMA CASTRO
Since March, the courts, fields and pools around Croton - and indeed, all around the country - have been a lot more quiet than usual. The Covid-19 virus has left a deep impact on sports on every level, from the professional leagues right down to the high school leagues students at CHHS participate in. While some sports remain suspended, others have returned; yet things are not how they used to be.
The fan support is one big change for soccer games. Only home supporters are allowed, which makes for some very one-sided cheering. It seems to present an extra challenge for the away team, who are also not allowed to travel to the game on the same bus. And when there is cause to celebrate - after scoring a goal - social distancing rules mean that the masked players have to skip the usual hugs.
Yet in spite of all these restrictions, players are happy to be out on the field. Varsity Girls Soccer player Mahila Ravelo initially thought there would be no season at all, and knows that quarantine might return to end league play prematurely. The team is competing, and Mahila is reaching out to coaches via email instead of communicating with them at clinics and ID camps like she normally would. In the end, she thinks, the team will emerge from the challenge even stronger than before.
Of course, some sports lend themselves to social distancing better than others. Tennis courts were re-opened before most other sports grounds, yet many competitions were still frozen. For some competitors, that meant losing a shot at a league title, but for others, the mandatory lockdown was a time to improve skills. For Rose Shupack-Dias, the extra time in training paid off. “I’m usually away all summer, but because I'm home this year I was playing often. I have been playing much better this season after having trained in the months leading up to the season,” she said.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken away some opportunities, but it has also given athletes of many different sports an opportunity to reflect on what drew them to the sport in the first place. “Because of COVID, I realize that I took all of the games, practices, and time spent with my baseball team in the past for granted,” said Croton Alumnus Jonathan Casieri (class of 2020). “Our annual trip to Vero Beach, Florida, was canceled in March due to Covid-19, which was a big letdown. Then, my senior baseball season was ultimately canceled without us being able to play any more games, and because I was a senior and I am not playing in college, I will not be able to play anytime soon.”
In a year with many challenges, many school athletes struggle to deal with restrictions, delays, and limitations. Uncertainty and changing rules make it hard to build a strong team spirit. Yet ultimately, many athletes are also realizing the value of sport in their lives - which is bound to endure beyond the duration of the pandemic.