The Corona Virus pandemic has created an unbelievable position for athletes in every sport of all kinds of sports. Of course, students want to the multitude of sports that they excel at. However, the pandemic creates several problems for physical activities: the risk of infection or not being able to play. Athletes will have to manage to dodge all these issues like some would in their sport. How do these students manage this new strange event? To answer this, members of the cross-country team shall explain their situation. In an interview, Caden Ott gave his thoughts on the situation. I am also a new member of the cross-country team, so I gave my perspective as well. 

Caden Ott’s interview: 

Q: How long have you been playing cross Country? 

A: “I myself have been running cross country for 9 years. I have had the privilege to get the chance to run and compete for a school in middle school through high school.” 

Q: How would you describe your experiences with it before the pandemic? 

A: “Before the pandemic we had a lot more resources at our disposal. For instance, aqua jogging in the school pool, morning practice before school, and team breakfasts after practice during the summer.” 

Q: Why do you still play the sport, despite the virus? 

A: “The reason why I still do a sport during these circumstances is to stay healthy, to stay connected with life and to get my mind off of my daily struggles I have had throughout the day.” 

Q: How is the experience of the sport now with the virus? 

A: “The sport has not changed all that much for us. we have been lucky enough to have coaches that care about us and want us to improve however that may be.” 

Q: What new steps do you take to follow the guidelines? 

A: “We wear our masks whenever we are not running and practice physical distancing whenever possible.” 

Q: Has these changes affected the sport? 

A: “No, these changes have not affected the sport we still run and the meets are still the same distance.”  

Caden has been doing this sport for approximately nine years now, the pandemic can derail Caden’s career in cross country. This is especially true when it comes to his preparation for races or, as the sport calls it, meets. He cannot use the school pool for aqua jogging to train his body, and he cannot eat with teammates to properly feed his body after a rigorous session of training. With all that in mind, Caden still wants to be healthy, connected with peers, and take off the burden of his thoughts. To him, the sport has not changed much, even when they must wear masks to follow guidelines. In the end, despite the challenges being brought forward, Caden is still optimistic and enjoying his sport of Cross Country. 

I have only started running cross-country for about a month, but it still proves to be a distinct experience. I personal enjoy the sport because of the preparation that goes behind it, the great exercise, the simplicity, and the feeling of gradually becoming better. However, there is also a pandemic that is scorching the Earth with clear flames. Playing the sport during a pandemic is new to many of my teammates, but the sport is completely new to me. It is difficult to catch up while a virus chases you. Unfortunately for it, I can ensure that my team and my coaches are doing their hardest to maintain the good health of the team. As my fellow athletes said, we have limited our training and taken up the guidelines without being discouraged. Overall, we prevail and adapt in the new situation while also keeping it enjoyable.