Back in March, the United States was just starting to get hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic that was causing serious illnesses and death, causing fear and panic worldwide. The virus led to college campus shutdowns for the remainder of the semester, which meant cancelling sports seasons for spring college athletes and preseason practices for other sports. One by one, college conferences started shutting down.
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference that the Royals participate in originally postponed the season for two weeks to evaluate the spread of the virus, then went on to cancel the whole season. This was a complicated and serious decision.
The cancellation of the season was hard on many people. Athletes felt defeated after being stripped of the opportunity to showcase their hard work and dedication. Because of the cancellation of the 2020 spring season, the NCAA created a waiver that granted players another year of eligibility if they wanted to play. This will give seniors another attempt at playing a final season.
This season will look very different for Royals athletes. Beginning Sept. 7, fall sports teams will begin practice while the winter and spring sports teams will schedule and limit time for individual skill work. Teams are required to maintain physical distance at practices.
Senior field hockey player Bri Miller has a hopeful outlook going into this season. Miller said, “I want to finish out my field hockey career in a positive manner. Whether it is cancelled or postponed, I want to make the best out of it.”
Miller has still been preparing for the oncoming season despite uncertainty. “I set a goal for the summer to run 100 miles and I achieved it. It was hard to achieve … I had to grind through it mentally. It was only going to benefit me.” With everything going on, Miller and her teammates are taking the pandemic seriously. “We’ve come to realize that there’s other things bigger than sports and though it is going to be different we want everyone to stay as safe as possible,” said Miller.
For junior baseball player Gage Riddick, the pandemic caused his baseball season to end preemptively. “When the season was cancelled, I was upset and angry at the beginning because I didn’t understand why it was happening but I had to move past it and look forward to working through it,” said Riddick. “I learned to do what it takes to keep everyone safe because safety is more important than a game,” said Riddick.
Sophomore lacrosse player Morgan Tricarico is excited to be back on campus with her team. “It is exciting to see everyone and to be in a new environment.” Despite the restrictions, Tricarico is just happy to be playing again. “This season will mean more because it has been so long since we’ve played,” said Tricarico.
The Royal athletes do not know what the future holds, but they will continue to train in hopes of making the best out of the situation.
