It has been an entire year since countries have globally shut down due to the pandemic. Throughout this time, many have reported feeling lonely and bored, while being forced to adapt to this new self-isolation type of lifestyle. In response, many youths have chosen to take up activities such as stay-at-home crafts, video gaming, and more online-oriented interactions. However, there are just some things that one cannot be pursued at home, in this regard sports. For many people, the start of COVID-19 automatically meant a stop to many close contact sports like cheer, dance, and many others. Although there are some exceptions, like individual sports including skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer, the same competitive nature that is found in team-based sports is missing. At the high school and varsity level, sports have disappeared for well over a year.
I have personally experienced the effects of this as a varsity cheerleader at Western University. In first year, I was used to having cheer practice up to five times a week. Practice intensity would range, but nonetheless, exercise was always something to look forward to. Usually, we would have two big competitions spread out between the first and second semester, with the former being Nationals and the latter being a showcase of some sorts. Yet like most sports, the reality of cheer has drastically changed this year. With social distancing measures regularly enforced, practices now lack a sense of normalcy. The one exception has been tumbling, which requires no multiple member involvement. Otherwise, pyramids and stunts have automatically been omitted from practice. While this may appear to be extreme considering that restrictions have limited the majority of the sport, having a practice is deemed to be lucky nowadays. The unpredictable nature of COVID-19 cases in the city has determined whether practices are held and their formal layout. With this said, this is just one example of many experiences that athletes have had around the world.
In the ballet world, losing a year of practice is significant loss. Not to mention that the career of a professional dancer is relatively short, lasting approximately 15 years. As The New York Times puts it, the collective timeouts that these elite dancers must face are something they cannot prepare for. The pandemic will have deeper physical and psychological impacts on the dancers compared to the experienced injuries that these dancers may have faced. Moreover, it has left many dancers uncertain about their future. On the one hand, older principal dancers have had a growing urge to get back in the studio and offer a fresh approach to their dancing. On the other hand, younger dancers have faced an existential crisis in the ballet world, questioning their return to the rigorous world of dance. Savannah Durham, a ballerina at City Ballet, states that “ballet is a small bubble, and we’re in this time where people are really, really hurting and people are getting sick and it’s really sad.” She further explains how the pandemic has made her look beyond her small dance world to understand the severity of the pandemic. Clearly, this pandemic has upturned the lives of many to provoke various perspectives. The question to consider then is “what now?” seeing that the future of sports still remains unclear. Some professional team sports have been able to proceed without a crowd and with team quarantines. Hockey and basketball being some of the noted ones. However, this does not seem to be a viable option for everyone, where two week quarantines are not doable when students must still attend school or are no longer living near the university.
With this in mind, replicating the competitive nature of sports is possible with some imagination. Sports team practice is contingent on the pandemic, but virtual applications like Zoom can assist this limitation. One suggestion to avoid falling into a “couch potato” pattern as a team is to do conditioning together over Zoom. What better way to stay in shape and reconnect with your teammates than doing synchronous exercise? Not only does it hold you accountable, but it reduces the lonely feeling that many have experienced throughout the pandemic. Another solution would be to implement weekly challenges. For example, how can you continue to exercise using the objects lying around in your house? This can include tree trunks from your backyard, grocery bags, a ladder, or really anything. In doing so, it adds an entertaining and creative aspect to the concept of strength and conditioning. Finally, rudimentary games played in elementary school are always a great fallback. This can include but not limited to Just Dance, spike ball, wall ball games, and many others. Although there is no way to get around sports cancellation, there are still safe ways to get around and implement activity in your personal life. While it may be challenging to find a balance at first, it’s currently a more sustainable option than the two extremes of complete laziness or intense activity.
Athletes are resilient even with a shutdown this extreme. This pandemic can offer the opportunity to experience life beyond the standards set by sports. If this pandemic has taught me anything it’s that creativity is a crucial part in all sports. Thinking of new ways to condition, to reconnect with team members, and to stay involved has recently become more provoked. In the end, why is this bad?
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