Despite an uncertain future, athletes continue to train for their next season
Normally fall sports would have begun their season at this time of year. For now, however, fall and spring student athletes must wait for the foreseeable future until they can touch the court or field as a team. For senior athletes the possibility of not having a season can weigh heavy on their mind. Fall athletes are ready for the season to start in the spring, but there is still no solid answer if it will happen.
Tyler Guptill, a senior on the Humboldt State men’s soccer team, has had to deal with these problems. Guptill has also had to come to terms with the fact of not having a season in the fall.
“Yeah there are a lot of difficulties during this time”, Guptill said. “However, we are very fortunate to be the only CSU able to train this fall.”
Guptill and other athletes have been able to train for the upcoming season by using the HSU gym but they must follow all social distancing guidelines and stay in small groups.
As for the possibility of not having a season, Guptill has had to keep his head high and voice his positivity to his teammates and coaches.
“Whether we have a season in the spring or not I think it’s important to lead with being positive”, said Guptill. “We all love the game so much, the face masks and social distancing won’t distract us from working hard. It’s important to think about the young guys and do our best to make this time productive and most importantly memorable. It requires a lot of extra work but the guys have that fight in them, so I’m excited for whatever comes our way.”
Fall athletes are not the only athletes who have to deal with the uncertainty of a season. Chris Louie, a senior on the Humboldt State rugby team, must deal with the possibility of not having a season in the Spring. Louie was a transfer from Sacramento City College last year.
“It was my first year playing and now I have a different environment to train in”, Louie said. “ I don’t like how the season ended. Now I feel like I have to be more prepared for the oncoming season so we can win.”
Louie has stayed in physical shape by running and going to the gym everyday since self-isolation has ended.
“Physically I have actually been able to push myself but in a different mindset, not as a sports mindset but as a lifestyle choice.”, said Louie. “I’ve always had a coach or team to push me to go to the gym. But now with no season I have to push myself to go to the gym, setting me forward for the future. I have to better myself in life and not just the game.”
Louie has always been able to look on the bright side. The possibility of having no season really proves this.
“I’ve always had a positive mindset, I look at life like there are two sides.”, said Louie. “With every negative there are always positives surrounding it. For example I’ve been in college for 6 years. Even though I don’t have sports to play my senior year, I realize I have almost graduated and that is a positive to take away from no season.”
The Athletics Department is starting to allow socially distanced practices this week. As for playing a season in the spring, the question still holds whether or not athletes will have one.
