This month, season one sports are planning to start on campus practices again. This includes cross country, basketball, pom, lacrosse, soccer, strength and conditioning, softball, and beach volleyball as most of these sports have already started pre-season workouts. Given the current state of the pandemic, there are mixed feelings about the safety of in-person practices. The Catalyst took to the NDB community to ask sophomores Sophie Fowler, Sienna Loar, Kassie Hickson, Delaney Icard-Cullen, and junior Emma Nilsoft on how they felt about returning to sports practices in-person as student athletes.

The Catalyst (TC): How do you feel about going on campus for sports practices given everything going on right now with the pandemic?

Sophie Fowler (SF): I am iffy about on-campus practices for returning to soccer. I think it would be nice to have real practices, but I also think it won’t be the same given our current circumstances. There is also a part of me that worries about COVID in general.

Sienna Loar (SL): I really enjoy going to campus for basketball. Not only is it nice to be back on campus, but I also get to see many friends. It’s nice to get outside and take a break from school. I feel very safe doing the in-person workouts at school because everyone is following the precaution steps.

Kassie Hickson (KH): Having being really isolated over the past few months, I am really excited to be back on my campus playing soccer and seeing my teammates.

Emma Nilsoft (EN): It is definitely a little scary, but now we wear our masks during the whole practice which has relieved some of the nervousness. It definitely is good for me mentally since I get to see people, get a workout in for cross country and track, and take a break from school.

Delaney Icard-Cullen (DI): I have mixed feelings about going to on campus workouts. I have not yet been to an on campus workout this semester for cross country and track, but I have seen pictures and heard good things about the workouts. I am not so worried about getting COVID-19 from going to in person practices, but I am more worried about having to wear my mask the whole practice. I have been wearing my mask when I go on my own personal runs, and I just find it really uncomfortable.

(TC): What steps are you taking to keep yourself and others safe during sports practices?

(SF): Steps I am taking are, of course, wearing a mask and social distancing. I am also limiting my exposure to new places and people.

(SL): All of the students, coaches, and faculty are doing a great job keeping each other safe. Before every workout, each student gets their temperature checked and are asked COVID screening questions. We stay socially distanced, and each student brings their own equipment. Everyone wears their mask, unless we are instructed/allowed to take them off, and everyone sanitizes their hands before and after the workout.

(KH): Before practice begins, our temperature is always checked. When we arrive at the field, there are cones set up six feet plus apart and we are wearing masks at all times. We don’t play contact in order to avoid getting too close to one another.

(EN): I make sure when I drink water I am far away from everyone, and I don’t take my mask off until I’m in the car. We never share our water, and I keep my mask on at all times.