How has Covid affected Student-athletes during College?
Many of us played sports our whole lives, whether it is during school or outside of school, there have been many reasons why we love it or continue to do it. I personally have always loved football and have grown attached to being a part of it by playing it every year up to college or watching it my whole life. Others around me have felt the same way but were able to exceed their talent after high school as they continue to do it in college.
He goes by the name JG and is a current senior at The University of Texas at El Paso also known as UTEP. He plays Wide Receiver and is a clear problem on the field for the opposing to care of one on one. His life was affected drastically when covid first appeared in the area because it was at the start of the offseason of his final year. They were not able to practice until later on when they had calmed down the spike of covid cases and found a safe way to get everyone to slowly come back and practice together.
For many people like him, their final year is their last chance in being able to show their talent to the world and possibly make it to the NFL Draft to get that one phone call that many dream of. He tells me he had to make one of the hardest decisions deciding if he would participate in his final year knowing the risk around it. Luckily for him, the season had started later, and he was able to play his final year to the fullest even with all the different restrictions. He now waits for a possible combine invite and the potential of his name called upon Draft Day.
This athlete is a current volleyball player at New Mexico State University and her name is Kaitlin Espiritu. She and many others on the team have had to make many adjustments just to be able to have a season themselves. They have been practicing for 3 hours every day along with weightlifting 2 days out of the week right after practice with only one day off which has become very exhausting to her. Like others, they have had their restrictions keeping them from being together at practice or even being able to attend a practice. They have had to attend practices all the way in Arizona and even since Las Cruces was not allowing it and eventually needed to play their home games at UTEP. They take constant tests weekly and do their best to maintain healthy and so far, it has worked for them because they are now headed to compete in the WAC championships since they were the champions of their conference this year. Have any of your fellow student-athletes, or yourselves, been affected any different, let me know below in the comments!
