High School Athletes Miss Spring Sports

by Jordan Greene

Creative Writing Corner: From our Peers in the NHS Creative Writing Class

It has been almost two months since we have been held captive of the coronavirus. Parks and restaurants have been closed, streets have been empty, and the fear of contracting the virus has taken control of the whole world. Excitement has also been rare throughout this process. One of the main reasons for this is because we do not have access to play, or even watch sports. Sports, from basketball, baseball, and many others have been forced to cancel their upcoming events because of the virus. Not only have professional athletes been taken away from their jobs, but high school and college athletes were also stripped from their opportunities to compete.

Specifically in the United States, high school athletes, who earned their way to compete in the playoffs, were stripped of their chance to possibly win a state championship, which is the biggest achievement a high school athlete can accomplish. Also the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), who promote tournaments for high school basketball players to compete to earn scholarships for college (such as myself) have canceled all tournaments until further notice. For college athletes, March Madness, the biggest tournament in college basketball, was also canceled. Because of this, various college seniors are looking forward to repeating their senior year due to the determination to win a National Championship, which could possibly affect the incoming freshmen for next year. 

As for professional athletes, they have been dominating the news reports. Various football, basketball, and soccer players have been coming out saying they have captured the virus. It all had started when Utah Jazz basketball star Rudy Gobert contracted the virus and spread it to his teammate and fellow star Donovan Mitchell. It has been chaotic. Athletes, such as Lebron James, were told by the Los Angeles Lakers organization to stay at his house until further notice. Other sports have taken different approaches, though. Soccer clubs in different countries have still been playing soccer, but they are forced to play in empty stadiums. Numerous videos of soccer players honoring people who have been affected by the virus regularly surface the internet, which allows people to see the light along a dark and dreadful path.

As an athlete myself, I can tell you first hand that I miss running track and playing basketball everyday. But is it up to us as a community to keep each other safe so we can go back to our fields as soon as possible and continue what we love doing, whether it is playing a sport, working in a company, or teaching students. Let us all keep ourselves healthy and our minds sharp so we can come back stronger than ever. God bless you all.