By Estefani Dujardin, staff writer
Wow, sports. It’s been a really long time since I had a schedule with sports in it. I can’t tell people how much I’ve missed you and missed being in the middle of all the action. Ever since flag football was cut short last year I’ve been waiting to get back on the field and now it’s finally happening.
I remember when I was first told that sports were coming back earlier this year. A long-dormant chat with my teammates was suddenly filled with notifications and schedules for us. I felt ecstatic to know that I would be able to leave the house and see my team again, especially since I only saw them once on zoom before practice started.
I then heard there was a whole new process for being cleared to play sports, which worried me a little. I thought that the paperwork was going to be confusing to do and I felt pressured when they gave me a deadline. Little did I know how easy it was going to be to fill out the form, especially since my physical has been done since summer.
When that first practice came around it’s hard to describe my excitement. The breeze coming from the sea blowing against my back and whipping my hair back and forth; I was back on the field with my team ready for whatever coach threw at us. There was this energy that I felt coming from my teammates, which I haven’t felt since last year. The fact that I would be able to play games again just boosted the spirit of the team. We got our season cut short last year when the pandemic hit, but the practice goes to show that we’re ready to start our season with a bang.
While I’m excited to be able to practice and play again, I have to say it’s a drastic change from how it used to be last year. While we have revisited plays from last year, the vibe of practice has just felt off. One of the reasons is that our team has been cut in half with only having 8 players this year.
Practices also feel different because of the safety regulations put in place to protect the players and coaches. Quite frankly, these regulations are annoying even if it meant to make me feel safer. Wearing a mask while running and on top of that coach sometimes makes us wear a mouthguard when practices get more intense, which makes it so difficult to breathe.
But even though there are a lot of things that are different from last season overall I’m just happy to be back on the field with my team.
