How COVID-19 Caused Sports to Come to a Complete Halt and How They Are Now Building Themselves Up

By Caroline Carbonetti ’23

Major sports leagues like the NHL have resumed, but difficulties persist (Photo Credit: ESPN)

COVID-19 has not only stopped people from going about their everyday lives but also has stripped millions of people from daily entertainment, exercise, and playing the sports they love. The sports world ground to a complete halt. To many, sports are an escape from their reality and stress. People seek refuge in the sport they love and now that sports have been canceled for months and have only begun to slowly resume, people have been forced to face reality head-on.

Sports players all over the world, old and young, have spoken on their individual journeys battling with not participating in their sport.

Chase Brice, a quarterback at Duke University, stated that “Everyone’s in no man’s land.”

Aliyah Boston, a forward on South Carolina’s Women’s Basketball team, expressed her emotions when she had first heard about the season being canceled, and said, “I started to cry, thinking about our seniors, Ty Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. I'd hoped to have the chance to play for a national championship with them. Instead, we had played our final game together.”

Matt Coleman III, who is a guard on the Men’s Basketball team at the University of Texas spoke on getting back to his normal routine and starting his senior year. He said, “We play a team sport. Our sport is not based on everybody on their own. We need each other. So the biggest thing right now is your mindset.”

Many sports have started to resume with proper precautions after a halt months ago. Although many countries have been reluctant to get back and resume sports, the United States has made a huge statement by allowing professional sports to resume with proper precautions. This summer has brought a wave of relief in that many major league sports such as hockey, football, basketball, and baseball have resumed. Major League Baseball started on July 23 and plans to continue with a shortened season. They have taken the proper precautions in testing players almost every day. Although there have been a few cases, the league has taken precautions to keep all players safe. The league has even suspended certain games when players test positive for COVID-19.

On the other hand, the NBA has been in what many call a “bubble” in the environment that they are playing in. Although it is possible for the spread of COVID-19, it seems much less likely due to the conditions the athletes are in. They have no access to the outside world and are all in the same convention center for the duration of the season.

These past months have been difficult for athletes, fans, and gym-goers alike, the safe and cautious resumption of sports has allowed for many to find the escape that they have missed for months.