Like everything from the past two years, sports have been seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Games and practices are cancelled and the uncertainty of not knowing when they’re going to be able to play again has been hard on players and coaches alike. For some people, sports are an escape from all the things happening in the world. When they get on the ice, court, or field, they stop worrying and concentrate on something they enjoy. So, what do they do when everything goes online?
The Mane reached out to Daniel Agnew, a grade 12 basketball player, to ask about how his sport has been affected by Covid-19.
“We’ve had five tournaments cancelled on us,” he said, “and there have been no practices this past week due to the rise in Covid-19 cases around the area.”
We asked if he had been doing anything in his free time to make up for lost practices with teammates.
“We talked about it, and the idea was brought up, but because all of the gyms are closed due to Covid […] we can’t.”
It’s not just players on basketball courts that are being affected, but athletes in the water as well. The Mane asked a student from the swim team (who wished to stay anonymous) how their sport has been affected.
“Well as soon as the new restrictions were introduced in December everything shut down. Provincials were cancelled, and we didn’t have any practices scheduled for after provincials because the swim season is short and quick.”
Nothing has been planned for the students that are on sport teams to keep them practicing unless they plan it on their own time and agenda.
Still, there may be some hope they won’t miss out on their seasons completely. When asked what his coaches were saying, Agnew said, “They are hoping that [the NBIAA will] extend the basketball season and that the teams follow the Covid rules to get back on the court as soon as possible.”