At Home Training: How spring sport athletes are staying in shape during lockdown

Whether it’s practicing your soccer punts with your younger brother again and again or reaching that six-minute mile on a treadmill, students whose spring sports seasons were cut short have held their chins high and extended their love for the sports by staying active.

No coaches are crouched by your ear, making sure you finish the last three pushups. Sideline encouragement from your teammates is no longer. But still, athletes are using this long stretch of free time to hone their abilities.

With this year marking what would’ve been sophomore Tyler Moore’s first year playing JV boys golf, he has taken the time to find adaptive ways to improve his skills, like playing golf frequently throughout the week and finding ways to practice at home. Moore has done some creative things such as setting up a chipping area in his backyard by digging a cup into the ground and practicing his putting on his bedroom carpet.

While typically the dress code for his sport included, tucked-in collared shirts, appropriate pants and an overall polished wardrobe, his own makeshift course avoids that. He’s traded polo shirts and khaki shorts for baggy sweatshirts and orange slip-on Crocs. With the dress down advantage Moore is still disappointed to say goodbye to the season so soon.

“It’s really sad to see such a fun season ahead and then all the sudden it gets canceled,” Moore said. “It’s like all the preparation you did for the season just went down the drain.”

According to senior varsity player Isabella Velez, Head Girls Soccer Coach Jamie Kelly is instructing the girls to keep practicing even though their season has ended. Velez is planning on adhering to their coaches advice.

“During our team’s zoom meeting, we were told there is a possibility that we may play in a tournament in the summer,” Velez said. “Coach Kelly would like us to stay active, run and get touches on the ball as much as we can.”

Even though Velez’s team doesn’t have any specific workouts, she has structured a routine for herself. Recently she’s been watching workout YouTube videos every morning as well as running every other day to keep herself in shape while she doesn’t have her teammates to run drills with.

Grace Tucker | The Harbinger Online

“I can’t believe the season ended this way,” sophomore and varsity baseball player Tate Moody said. “I was so excited to play this season and I’m sad it had to end short. It would’ve been an unbelievable ride and I am going to miss all of the seniors.”

For most of the spring sport athletes, the season’s cancellation didn’t keep them from putting time into their game. Many came up with their own home training routines and found ways to keep their head in the game with their teammates — and they don’t plan to stop.