Life at Schreiber for the past 22 months has been very different than the years before.  Masks have become a frequent sight, and teachers and students alike have had to deal with the hassle of Google Meet. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, athletics have been subject to new regulations in an attempt to decrease the likelihood of outbreaks amongst students.  Although different teams have different rules, every student athlete has had to adjust.

“It wasn’t really too bad because we were outside. The only effect I really felt was having to make an appointment with the trainer instead of walking in,” said senior soccer player Jack Taylor.

Outdoor sports are definitely safer than indoor sports, as the CDC maintains that outdoor activities decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission.  Indoor sports, such as gymnastics and volleyball, have stricter regulations.  For example, for gymnastics meets, there is a limit of two spectators and a school official stationed at the door to enforce that limit.

“I think that protocols are the safest it can be for gymnastics since everyone has to be wearing masks unless on a piece of equipment,” said senior Kayla Quan. 

It seems that some students believe that the current COVID-19 protocol is not a problem.  It is not terribly inconvenient, and they are as strict as possible for in-person practices and games. Students are also complying with the rules.  

“Whenever I look over it seems like they’re all following protocol,” said Quan.

The only damper on the situation is that outbreaks among student athletes have still occurred.  However, it is possible that there is no way to completely avoid outbreaks if sports are held because student athletes are exposed to COVID-19 in daily activities outside of school.

“I’ve been pleased overall with the COVID-19 protocols for athletics thus far.  I think it is very difficult to attribute outbreaks to any one cause as we know students and families congregate outside of school as well.  I am also pleased that the protocols allow us to keep our seasons going, providing an opportunity for our student-athletes to continue playing,” said Dr. Pernick.

It is difficult to say that COVID-19 protocol in Schreiber’s athletics department should be stricter because the current regulations are fairly stringent, especially for indoor sports, and students are following them.  If the rules are tightened, the compliance from the students may dissipate.  If rules become too difficult or inconvenient to follow, it is unreasonable to expect them to be followed.  An attempt at greater safety could easily backfire, resulting in even more severe outbreaks and eventually more drastic solutions, such as canceling meets or practices.  COVID-19 has impacted everyone, but the student athletes have made the best of it.