Since the breakout of the COVID-19 Pandemic, many college sports teams have been challenged on how to have a successful season this school year while staying safe and healthy. This fall, a lot of teams were committed to getting out on the field early, not letting COVID get in their way. All teams have had to get used to new rules while practicing like maintaining a six feet distance and wearing a face mask. These new rules can make getting to know other teammates very difficult.
Lately, the women’s lacrosse team at EMU has been making the effort on and off the field by planning activities for the teammates to get to know one another. This past week, the women’s lacrosse team held a pumpkin painting event in University Commons while watching one another. This past week, the women’s lacrosse team held a pumpkin painting event in University Commons while watching Hotel Transylvania Three in honor of Halloween the following day. First-year Sarah Pereverzoff, a defender, really appreciates the extra time she gets to have with the whole team. “Team bonding has helped me feel a lot closer to the team and less new,” Pereverzoff said. Besides this past week’s team-bonding activity, the lacrosse team, since the beginning of the season, has done other activities including arts and crafts on the campus lawn, a bonfire on the hill, and team games. And more fun activities will come in the future. Perverzoff mentioned that her favorite activity so far has been the bonfire on the hill. “The campfire was fun to hear everyone’s different stories and life experiences,” she remarked. Looking upon the upcoming season for the women’s lacrosse team is that they are feeling confident because of the personal connections they have formed with all the teammates from all the team-building experiences. “I think this will help us in the future because we now understand each other as people, and this will help us work better together on the field,” Pereverzoff said, ready for the season to start this upcoming spring.
Another team that has started fall practice is track and field. Sophomore Skylar Coffey, a sprinter and pole vaulter, explains how her team has bonded even while practices are usually split up into small groups. “We are trying to build up team bonding by having joint practices on Friday and joint weight lifting on Saturday,” Coffey said. “We are also trying to schedule activities outside of the campus, but that is a little more complicated now due to COVID-19. Hopefully we will be able to set up an event like Secret Santa to promote more team bonding.”
Another athlete, first-year Ben Nkunzimana on the men’s soccer team, has also mentioned that it is more difficult to do team bonding outside of practice, but they still try to bring in that aspect of community in their practices. “The only time we bond is at practice, but I’ve made really good friendships on the field.”
With COVID-19 hitting sports hard this year, the EMU athletics community still powers through difficult times to make sure that the EMU community of unity and friendship is still taking a big role in sports teams, on and off the field.
