SPACED OUT — At a baseball green day, the team practices their social distancing in preparation for the spring season. After last year’s canceled season, players are doing what it takes to keep this season running.
AT-HOME ATHLETES
McLean athletes stay online to remain in sports BELEN BALLARD ONLINE FEATURES EDITOR | GIANNA RUSSO COPY EDITOR
S
tudent-athletes who play spring sports have been longing for a season since last March, and with coronavirus cases decreasing, they finally have that opportunity. In-person school has also begun, but the choice to go in-person or stay online remains a hot topic. This choice has been especially difficult for athletes. The unprecedented year brought many changes to sports seasons in Virginia. The seasons are now shorter and more crammed, creating a busy schedule for McLean’s athletes. This tight schedule does not allow for interruptions, such as postponements due to COVID-19 exposure, meaning athletes are walking a tight rope to make the most out of their season. “I decided to stay online because I didn’t feel like there was much of a benefit going in-person for only two days a week, and I wanted to limit my exposure for baseball,” junior Evan Fontaine said. Student-athletes, like all students, were able to make their own decision regarding the return to school. Although some were influenced by their sports, most were encouraged to do what was best for them academically. “They are student-athletes, right? So, we want them to always be thinking about academics. They’ve got to do whatever’s best for them academically,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. “If they think they’d be doing better in the classroom or 44 | SPORTS | APRIL 2021
virtual setting, that’s what they should be doing.” With their first games coming up, athletes are working hard to maintain their health. Even as students start to get their first doses of the vaccine, they know they must remain cautious and avoid possible exposure. Students understand the importance of their health and considered their season when making decisions.
WE ARE VERY CAREFUL TO ABIDE BY THE COVID PROTOCOLS. ESPECIALLY HAVING OUR SEASON CUT SHORT AS IT IS, WE ALL REALIZE WE CAN’T RISK LOSING ANY MORE OF OUR SEASON.” - ETHAN DRAY MCLEAN BASEBALL PLAYER “I stayed online mainly to avoid further COVID exposure so that I would have a better chance of playing a full season of baseball, unlike last year,” Fontaine said. Club, travel and school teams have all been following COVID-19 restrictions and
taking precautions during their seasons. Players are required to stay safe not only for themselves, but for their teammates, coaches and their season as a whole. “As players, we are very careful to abide by the COVID protocols. Especially having our season cut short as it is, we all realize we can’t risk losing any more of our season,” senior baseball player Ethan Dray said. Although team coaches may not be allowed to make decisions for their players on returning to school, they can advise the student-athletes to do the best thing for them. “Our coaches gave us the option to go back to [in-person] school if we chose to, but they did remind us of the importance of staying safe and healthy,” Dray said. So far, the return to school has had little impact on the athletic process for McLean sports. The knowledge that students are back in school and remaining safe from COVID-19 is good news for students who were hesitant about returning to school due to sports. “We are taking many precautions to ensure students’ safety when playing their sports, including constantly sanitizing all equipment, social distancing and wearing masks,” Miller said. “With all the precautions we take, it’s very very rare for a kid to get it and spread it to teammates. We will keep doing what we can to continue [our] sports seasons.”
Photo by Belen Ballard | Page design by Ariana Elahi
