As we all know, the current pandemic has drastically changed our lives. Some of the victims of these changes are student athletes, who were forced to adjust and reevaluate their futures. 

The start of the first lockdown in March was frightening for many. “At the start of the pandemic I was worried about hearing people getting sick and dying.”, said Mohammed Hussain, the starting center midfielder for Edison Soccer Team.

Others, at first, felt it was relieving to have schools closed, only for it to backfire later. “At first, I was happy that we were going to have a little break from school. Little did I know this would be the whole year.”  said Michel Alvarracin, the manager of the Boys Volleyball Team. “I never would’ve thought that this would have such an impact not only for me, but for everybody.”

The pandemic took a toll on the student athletes. Many were forced to adopt other activities to replace the sport(s) they once played. Others faced several mental obstacles while struggling to adjust to the pandemic. 

“It honestly affected my mental health, not going out as much, being lonely. It felt like the days were repeating themselves everyday.” said Michel. “I remember I tried to keep busy at first so I won’t feel bored, for example I remember I started to try new things such as drawing. Unfortunately, it got to the point where I just had to get used to it and keep moving forward.”

As rough as the pandemic might be, students are optimistic about the future of Edison sports. Mohammed believes we can accelerate the progress of going back to our norm if we continue social distancing and follow the other protocols. He also believes coaches should start prepping and training until the season starts. Michel estimates that it will take another year for sports to go back to the way it once was. 

“I believe that it will take a while in order to make everything back to normal but I believe around next year everything will be back to normal hopefully.”