When bad things happen people ask if you remember where you were when you heard the news. It's always something tragic, something beyond comprehension and the news of the worsening of the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic is the tragedy in my lifetime. I don't think I'll ever forget the moment when I found out the news that we needed to move off campus to assist in COVID-19 preparations.
For me, I was in the gym waiting for my roommate, waiting to workout, when she gave me a call asking if I had seen the announcement. I checked my e-mail, I found out that our spring season had been cut short. My roommate and I spent the next hour talking in the locker room. As Freshmen we had had a great fall season and we were excited about spring season ahead and restructuring the team for the coming year. We were going through a type of grieving realizing that freshman year on campus was over. At first, denial then anger which was short-lived and finally we reached acceptance. But it hurt because we care and love soccer for all the things it gives us: teamwork, community, accomplishment, love of the game. We knew all our teammates had put in a lot of time and effort during the winter quarter and our off season and we were excited. There was no doubt that we were ready for spring season. Our foe instead became the faceless seemingly unstoppable pandemic and like always when the odds are stacked against us, we came together, stronger as one.
Our team has weekly Zoom meetings so that we can keep in touch with each other, talk through our situation, supporting one another. We have set expectations for ourselves and helped each other to prepare for the fall season. Mainly keeping up on our fitness and footwork for fall season ahead of us. This is what makes our program successful, we set goals as a team and we expect each other to be accountable for those goals. I realize now, if this pandemic has any silver lining, it has become a time we pulled together focusing on mental strength and how lucky we are to have each other. We will push though this and keep a positive mindset by looking beyond the pandemic.
I've also reflected on the fact that I am grateful for what I have when so many have lost their lives, my family is healthy, my team is healthy, and I am healthy. I miss every aspect of being a student-athlete and all the people I'm surrounded by. I've never been away from the game I'm missing so much for this long in my life, I'm reminded how much I love soccer and everything about it. I know that my teammates agree with me on this and when we beat the pandemic, I know our team is going to be hungry and ready to play again.
For me, I was in the gym waiting for my roommate, waiting to workout, when she gave me a call asking if I had seen the announcement. I checked my e-mail, I found out that our spring season had been cut short. My roommate and I spent the next hour talking in the locker room. As Freshmen we had had a great fall season and we were excited about spring season ahead and restructuring the team for the coming year. We were going through a type of grieving realizing that freshman year on campus was over. At first, denial then anger which was short-lived and finally we reached acceptance. But it hurt because we care and love soccer for all the things it gives us: teamwork, community, accomplishment, love of the game. We knew all our teammates had put in a lot of time and effort during the winter quarter and our off season and we were excited. There was no doubt that we were ready for spring season. Our foe instead became the faceless seemingly unstoppable pandemic and like always when the odds are stacked against us, we came together, stronger as one.
Our team has weekly Zoom meetings so that we can keep in touch with each other, talk through our situation, supporting one another. We have set expectations for ourselves and helped each other to prepare for the fall season. Mainly keeping up on our fitness and footwork for fall season ahead of us. This is what makes our program successful, we set goals as a team and we expect each other to be accountable for those goals. I realize now, if this pandemic has any silver lining, it has become a time we pulled together focusing on mental strength and how lucky we are to have each other. We will push though this and keep a positive mindset by looking beyond the pandemic.
I've also reflected on the fact that I am grateful for what I have when so many have lost their lives, my family is healthy, my team is healthy, and I am healthy. I miss every aspect of being a student-athlete and all the people I'm surrounded by. I've never been away from the game I'm missing so much for this long in my life, I'm reminded how much I love soccer and everything about it. I know that my teammates agree with me on this and when we beat the pandemic, I know our team is going to be hungry and ready to play again.