As athletes and faculty members of the KISJ community work hard to break the barrier of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most traditional offline classes are transitioning to online classes, and people spend most of their time inside their house instead of outside. Although students around the world have been affected by the current pandemic, they are not the only ones in despair. The KISJ community, especially student-athletes, have also been touched by bleak circumstances. Since Korea’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 in January of 2020, almost two years have passed. However, the circumstance is still the same; student-athletes could only perform in KISAC but not at competitions, both national and international. Subsequently, practices have become a rare spectacle that makes our schoolyard empty. So, can they break the barrier caused by the coronavirus?

Faculties with the same passion and enthusiasm as student-athletes in the KISJ community have also faced difficult situations. Coaches and physical education teachers of student-athlete programs are doing what they can do during this time of pandemic to alleviate the situation that is different from the traditional norms and culture. The athletic community of the KISJ has perpetually worked hard to break the barrier of hardships, to bring back the pervasive happiness that now seems like an unreachable mirage.

García Márquez, a 20th-century Colombian novelist and one of the most influential writers who created many outstanding works such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, once quoted that “No medicine cures what happiness cannot.” Unfortunately, the current COVID situation is robbing people of their happiness, making sure people are greatly suffering.

Aaron Song, a senior student from KIS and the center for the KISJ basketball team, vocalized that “playing basketball was a source of happiness for me because I was able to collaborate with my friends and play my favorite sport. And competing with other international schools provided me an opportunity to perform my basketball skills and improve by learning how they play.” Sadly, most people are affected by Corona Blue, a new term that has been coined by the public which means to be lethargic and depressed. Corona Blue is caused by self-isolation and social distancing, and it seems like the blue is getting worse.

Thus, athletes and faculty constantly fight to bring the old status quo back. However, negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, jeopardize the motivation and the perseverance of people's desire to continue their fight. Aaron Song expressed his stress and griefs. "When AISA was canceled because of COVID-19 like I honestly lost the motivation to

play basketball hard." Reminiscing the old days when Aaron happily played basketball with other team members without restriction, Aaron's current moving parameter makes him immobile.

However, faculty members like Ms. Sherwood, a swimming team coach at KISJ, perpetually work to alienate the phenomenon. "When we got back to school in January when COVID-19 came to South Korea, we were swimming. When we were told we could not swim anymore, I sat down with three schools principals, so elementary, middle, and high school principals, and we thought about what we can do to get back in the water." Ms. Sherwood's effort to make the swim team get back on its feet finally paid off when we resumed last summer's practice sessions. Although competitions are still limited, allocated time for practice seems like a huge win that progresses, leading one step closer to overcoming the pandemic.

Other teachers in the community are working without a pause as well. For instance, Mr. Currie, athletic director of all sports in the KISJ community, has made a new solution for students to enjoy physical activities regardless of the current situation. “The other thing I did during COVID was I worked to make sure I found something for students to do. To make sure that they have some sort of activity, some sort of competition and that’s how the Senior Bowl came to be.” Senior Bowl is a mixture of sporting events that are only available for seniors. Due to government restrictions, our community cannot hold many participants and spectators for a sporting event.

Mr. Currie has devised a plan to only allow seniors to play a league of sports in a controlled environment. The senior bowl also consisted of temperature checks and limited time slots for games. Ultimately, the Senior Bowl now has become a special legacy that makes the experience at high school a priceless one.

Although the silver lining of the pandemic does not seem to elicit dramatic changes, we, as a community, are constantly fighting adversities, to make a better tomorrow. No one knows when COVID will end. But many people are making a lot of effort to overcome this. That’s why it’s always important to be patient. Ms. Sherwood quoted, “Patience. As long as we are able to continue, then we will.” Always remember what Ms. O’bryon always tells you on the descant every week. “You’ve got this!”

Although students around the world have been affected by the current pandemic, they are not the only ones in despair. The KISJ community, especially student-athletes, have also been touched by bleak circumstances. They were not able to have normal practice and competition with other schools. The main topic of this article is about student-athletes’ hard time during the pandemic in the KISJ community. The interviews from both student-athletes and coaches help the article be more accurate by elaborating more information about their hard times and how each athlete and coaches worked to overcome the pandemic. This article ends with the importance of patience and being positive all the time to overcome this pandemic.