After 12 months of disappointment and uncertainty, Rough Riders sports are back. Roosevelt High School Athletic Director Ryan Sherlock said in a statement earlier this month that Seattle Public Schools and Metro League high school athletics begin on February 22. There are going to be three “seasons,” with sports incrementally spread out to make sure every sport can be fit in during the rest of the school year.
“We all need to understand that our upcoming athletic season will not look like any sports we have ever seen before,” Sherlock stated.
He’s right, this will definitely be a season unlike any other. Each player and coach will have their temperature taken and symptoms checked before every practice and game. All players and coaches will be required to wear a mask during all practices and most competitions.
Locker rooms will not be accessible and athletes will need to come suited up in their athletic gear and bring their own water bottle to every practice and game. If and when sports return to competition, no fans will be allowed to watch in person.
Of course, these restrictions can change, to either become tighter or looser, depending on the status of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Dominick Cornia, a captain for Roosevelt’s boys cross country team, weighed in about finally being able to have a senior season: “I think it’s great, it’s going to be super nice! It’s going to be fun!” Cornia’s reaction is similar to other athletes across the state when they heard the news.
“We’ve been waiting for a while, I think everyone has been anticipating a season,” Cornia says. “Now that it’s officially coming together, I think everyone is pretty excited.”
When asked about how the cross country team is handling the risk of practicing and possibly competing during the pandemic, Cornia said “We’re going to keep wearing masks, at the meets and everything. One thing though is that you don’t have to wear [masks] during races, which might be a little dangerous.”
The Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has deemed cross country to be a low-contact sport which means masks would not be mandatory during races. The term low-contact is still largely undefined as the WIAA tries to take the necessary steps forward to keeping student athletes safe during competition in a global pandemic.
Many students cannot wait to get back to the sports they love. With the disappointments many of us have shared throughout this past year, there could possibly be a small glimmer of light at the end of a pitch-black tunnel.
