Graphic by Yujin Kim/The Choate News
Since last spring, the pandemic has severely hindered Choate athletes’ ability to compete. This winter has been no different.
When reflecting on the winter athletic season, Boys’ Varsity Hockey player Bauer Swift ’21 said, “I miss the competition of playing games. I was really looking forward to getting out on the ice and competing with my teammates, but Covid-19 messed everything up.”
Swift is not alone in his disappointment. Girls’ Varsity Squash player Blake Bertero ’22 added, “It is really difficult to truly enjoy and work hard in practice because we have no games. However, I think our team is trying our best to really give it our all and buy in.”
Without competitions to prepare for, many athletes are struggling to find motivation for practicing, but Bertero has made an effort to remain dedicated.
On top of the loss of competition, every team has had to adjust to masks and physical-distancing requirements. When asked to describe practices, Girls’ Varsity Basketball player Sarah Stern ’21 said, “Practice is nothing like it was last year. The masks make it hard to breathe, and we have to split up and distance ourselves.”
Basketball, which involves frequent close contact has been difficult to play due to the School’s Covid-19 policies. Stern added, “Basketball cannot be played without real defense and, therefore, we are not getting any real, in-game experience.” Stern believes the team needs game time in order to improve and bond.
Boys’ Varsity Basketball player Tyson Mobley ’23 echoed Stern’s sentiments. He said, “Our coaching staff is working hard to try and make practice as helpful as possible, but it is especially hard with the six-feet rule because we are not improving on our in-game skills.” Mobley also commented on the difficulty of some of the Covid-19 policies: “Basketball is a high intensity sport and wearing masks does not help with this. I use a cloth mask during practice, and there is a very noticeable difference between wearing one and not.”
One sport that has been able to simulate competitive environments is Boys’ and Girls’ Swimming. Swimmers do not have to wear masks in the water, and because of the individual nature of the sport, social distancing isn’t an issue. Choate swimmers can time themselves and compare their times with teammates, or even swimmers from across the country, to see how they stack up.
Girls’ Varsity swimmer Martha Chessen ’22 said, “Swim practice actually does not feel that different from what it used to be in the last couple years. Even with Covid-19 restrictions set by the School, we are allowed to have multiple swimmers in the pool at the same time, and it’s hard not to get competitive when you see these swimmers to your right and left.”
Like swimming, more sports are now able to simulate game-like situations after the School reduced indoor distancing limits from 12 to six feet. With just two weeks left in the winter season, this new adaptation particularly affected squash, as two squash players can now be on the same court at a time, rather than just one.
According to Boys’ Varsity Squash player Hugo Chung ’22, the team’s practices have been transformed by this change. He said, “we have been able to sort of simulate real games by playing competitive drills against a teammate, and these matches always get the competitive juices flowing.”
All sports have been affected by Covid-19 in degrees varying by the nature of the sport; however, no matter what sport an athlete participates in, Choate teams have expressed their excitement over the possibility of competing against other schools once again — maybe as early as the spring term.
