Senior athletes stay in shape during shut down
Hit the gym! All sports were allowed to resume on Jan. 4. Athletes are required to maintain social distancing when possible and to wear face masks.
January 8, 2021
On Dec. 10, Governor Tom Wolf announced a three-week postponement of winter sports. Winter sports were allowed to start on Monday. Jan. 4. Many student athletes decided to stay active during the three-week shutdown.
“I was speechless. It felt surreal because we have experienced so many shutdowns or quarantines already this year. We had already started official basketball practice, and it all stopped so suddenly,” senior Adalynn Cherry said.
Although some felt as if the shutdown was uncalled for, many felt the opposite.
“I think it’s best to be careful. I don’t think my sport is more important than the well being of others, and I’ll gladly step down and wait until it’s safe to continue if that’s what Wolf decides is best,” senior Matt Sarbo said.
With many gyms closed, athletes turned to their home to work out at.
“I stayed active by doing workouts with the equipment I have at home. I started a routine of diet management, weightlifting and running. A goal I had was to become more consistent and continue to make gains when it was hard to do,” Sarbo said.
Others; however, were still able to work out at their gyms.
“During the shutdown, I did a lot of home body workouts to try and maintain my strength and stamina. The Summit also didn’t close these past few weeks, so any chance I got to go to the gym to shoot or to lift, I did. My routine consisted of a lot of online school, my exercises and then homework. A huge goal of mine was to keep a positive mentality,” senior Brooklynn Rupert said.
“I kept active during the shutdown by going to the Summit every day. I started a workout routine that consisted of playing basketball for a couple of hours, lifting and cardio. My goals during this time were to stay in shape, keep a positive mindset and try to get better in any way I can,” senior Kyle Pheasant said.
When Wolf first announced that sports were being postponed, many felt like they were loosing their senior season.
“Not being with my teammates and not being able to compete was mentally taxing. Basketball is a way for me to bond with my teammates and to have a different setting and a welcoming environment. I do feel like I was able to overcome it, but it worries me how hard this has been on other athletes. For some people, sports are everything they have, and being stuck at home can tear them apart,” Cherry said.
“One thing I would tell anyone else about sports is that I have been physically active all my life. It’s an escape for me and I know a lot of others. When it comes to the public’s safety, I agree with the shutdowns and every precaution, but I hope that anyone who is determining sports for us is trying their best to give us a season. I know that me and anyone else on my team will take every safety precaution if it means we get a season,” Rupert said.
