It’s no secret that sports have been part of our society for as long as any of us can remember. Almost everyone has a relationship with sports in some way or another, whether that be going to a high school baseball game, coaching a t-ball team or actually playing a sport.
In recent days, the sports that have been so loved by so many have been taken away from us. We have had to learn how to cope without this element of normalcy.
Thankfully, however, sports are returning little by little. Professional organizations, such as the MLB and the NBA, have resumed play without crowds. Even college football has returned in part.
Sadly, not all schools are seeing competition return just yet, including Union University. Many of the athletes on Union’s campus are sitting in classes, doing homework and trying to make life as normal as they can without the sport that has been their life for so many years.
For some, this has been a time to rest and take a mental break from the everyday grind of practice and competition. Others have used the time to get ahead on schoolwork and put their best foot forward so that they will have a better handle on things when practices resume.
Even though the break has presented beneficial opportunities, majority of the athletes are ready for this break to end. They are looking forward to the opportunity to compete again and to get back to work with their teammates.
However, once practices and games start back up, it will not be easy for athletes to settle back in. Matt Brunet, assistant softball coach and associate professor of sport management, had some words of wisdom to give to student athletes as they prepare to soon jump back into the daily grind (hopefully).
“It sounds cliché, but I would definitely encourage athletes to appreciate the opportunity to be back, to pour into the lives of their teammates more, appreciate those relationships more, and just try to enjoy it,” said Brunet. “Again, it sounds cliché, but it can all be taken away at any point in time.”
Union has also been trying to make sure that the student body does not forget that the athletes are still on campus and that competition is hopefully going to resume sooner rather than later. Steven Aldridge, assistant director of athletics for sports communications, talked about the strategies being used to keep athletes and sports connected to the student body.
“We’ve put out some quote graphics to start with,” said Aldridge. “We’ve got some other interviews and some feature stories that are actually in the works right now that are fixing to be posted.”
Aldridge also said that they are not planning too far ahead with all the uncertainty of what is going to happen each day and each week.
“We’re not tying ourselves down to some major promotional scheme,” said Aldridge. “But we are definitely open and flexible to what’s going on, you know, how can we best highlight what our athletes are currently going through.”
As a softball player for Union, I am very appreciative of all the efforts being made to keep athletes connected to the whole student body. I hope that when we are able to play games again, it will bring out school spirit in the Union community never seen before. Sports have always been a way for people to connect with each other, and I believe that it will be no different when we get sports back.
I’m also looking forward to being on the softball field again and seeing my teammates beside me and my fellow students in the stands, all of us having fun in an environment where we can escape from the things going on around us.
This is definitely a strange time in the world of sports, both for fans and athletes. However, it is a time that has allowed us all to see just how uncertain the future is. It has also provided us with an opportunity to realize how much we take life for granted. Hopefully, moving forward, all fans and athletes will be more thankful for all the opportunities that they are given.
“Appreciate what you have,” Brunet said. “Enjoy the relationships and try to get the most out of it that you can because you don’t know how long it’s going to last.”
