Megan Tomoney

The pandemic has taken its toll this year on almost every area of our lives. While it seems to have calmed down since April, the effects of it are still lingering. One area Covid-19 has hit is college sports, specifically Penn State Abington’s. 

In July, The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) decided to cancel all Fall Sports Competitions to limit the spread of the virus. The question is, will the same thing be done to the Spring season? This comes after Penn State announced earlier that the football team will not be participating in the Big Ten Conference, a decision which has now been reversed.

Sophomore Taylor Perkowski, a member of Penn State Abington’s girl soccer team says, “I am nervous that we might not get our spring season, and if we do that it will be limited.” It is possible that games for the spring semester could be put on hold or at least not have as much competition on the schedule.

Many changes to general practices have also been set in place, such as practice time limits, the number of people allowed to attend practices, and, of course, team camaraderie.

In sports such as the girls’ soccer team, where player-on-player contact is a norm, there have been shifts in what the girls can and cannot do. For example, most sports are not allowing any contact on the field. That means most practices involve individual drills, which can affect the way a team plays together.

Jamie Marino of Penn State Abington’s girls’ soccer team said she has concerns for the team’s camaraderie this year, stating that “We haven’t gotten to know the freshman due to the layout of the practices, and there is less team bonding.” This is not a surprise as outside meetings between players are not encouraged to make sure the players stay safe and healthy. 

There is also a concern for team morale as players are put in a situation where practices aren’t mandatory, and their season is in question. Taylor Perkowski pointed out that “Sometimes this kind of uncertainty can bring people down or not feel as enthusiastic for their upcoming season.”

The biggest part of team sports is not as much the quality of which you play, but the friendships and bonds you make with those you are playing with. This bond in turn allows teams to play better and more intensely.

Even though sports here at Penn State Abington are in question, there is still hope that all will go well and that the spring season will be in full swing. As more players get tested and social distancing becomes more successful, maybe we can start to watch and play sports like we used to.