With fall just around the corner, football practices have officially begun. But not in the way you would expect them to. With the ongoing global pandemic, football practices have undergone a dramatic transformation. 

The football team is now implementing the 6-foot rule, which means that the players are not allowed to have any contact with one another. Players also need to sign a COVID-19 waiver before being allowed to participate. All coaches have to wear a mask at all times, while players only have to wear one when checking in and out. But still, coaches and players don’t know how much they are even going to get to play because decisions still haven’t been finalized but the season may be starting next year. 

“What I find hard is seeing these other states getting to play a full schedule and we are just hoping to have a season come February,” junior Travis Prickett said.

The COVID-19 restrictions are making things even more challenging for everyone, including the coaching staff. 

“It has been difficult to not be able to consistently use the weight room, develop consistent trust and relationships amongst the players,” Baker said. 

Not only have athletes had new rules and more conflicts while playing their sport, but they also had a longer period of time where they weren’t able to play their sport. 

“It’s especially tough picking up where we left off from our summer camp because normally we have a couple of weeks off and then the season officially begins, but not this year,” Prickett said. “We had a month and a half with no football.” 

Although, the big break they had in their training has had an effect on their mental and physical game.

“We’ve been struggling with remembering the plays but with time we will be fine,” junior Rayko Wojciechowski Vargas said. “I’m confident we will be the conference champs again.” 

This break is unsettling to the team and they need to review what they learned over the summer to try to get their groove back. Despite all these challenges, both players and coaches are looking forward to their season. 

“I have no idea how our season will go,” Baker said. “All I know is that we have a great group of kids who want to be great and they work hard at it. They will be ready to play whenever we get a chance.”