When I first heard about COVID-19 (coronavirus), I never would’ve thought it would be this bad. Even once the first case was discovered in the United States, I never thought that it could be the end of Spring sports and the rest of the 2020 school year. But here we are, practicing social distancing, school cancelled, and sports ended. This is devastating to not only myself but every other student athlete, and even to those who do not participate in sports. We can’t see our friends, go play basketball or any other sport at the park, or go see our other family members farther away from home. And moreover, we can’t play spring sports.

Once the virus began spreading and everyone became aware of the threat, I started to worry about the spring sports season. I thought that it would be contained quicker, and that we would be back out on the track doing our workouts and making up for the few weeks we lost. But with the number of cases and deaths constantly growing, it seemed inevitable that sports were going to be fully cancelled. Even if schools reopened and sports continued after the 27th, the season would have been extremely cut down and shortened. When I heard that school was closed and sports were officially cancelled, my heart sank. I am still very upset that sports were cancelled because I had made plans that I was looking forward to accomplishing for this track season, as it is my favorite sport. This being said, I feel more sadness to seniors who had been doing the same, making plans, putting in effort during the off-season, and looking forward to making great accomplishments. This was their last spring sports season, and it saddens me how abruptly everything crashed down on them, devastating their last opportunity to achieve the goals they’ve set during their high school careers.

Though sports have came to an abrupt halt, it’s important for us that we remember what’s important. Sports can mean the world to people, and I fully understand that. Many of my teammates and I had been talking about this year’s track season since the beginning of this school year, excited to get back onto the track and compete. But, since this is out of our control, we need to remember what’s important. Yes, sports are very important to me, but my family and friends are more so. During these uncertain times, spend time with your family and think about the positives in life. Give your grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, friends, whoever you feel like you should, a call and show your appreciation for them and just talk with them. Doesn’t have to be long, just enough to lighten their day and yours. Remember those family members that had dates set aside to go watch your competitions and give you support. Remember all the friends you've made on your team, because those are the people that can help bring some positive energy to your days during this time of nearly complete isolation.  Most importantly, remember that you’re not alone, we’re all in this together.