Just like winter sports athletes, fall sports athletes have to adjust and get used to new regulations. Different sports stay safe in different ways, and there are various steps that athletes take to stay safe.

The first fall sports started on Feb. 4, which were cheer and football. The rest of the fall sports, which are field hockey, golf, volleyball and cross country, started Feb. 15. The season is about two months long this year, which is about a month less than normal years.

One of the new safety requirements is a check in google form prior to every practice. This form was sent out by athletic trainer Ms. Wharton and has covid-19 screening questions. According to the email from Wharton that the form came out in student athletes “Have done an excellent job with the google form and all the other requirements.”

Teams have also been wearing masks during competitions and practices. Emma Eismeir, a cross country runner said “Running in a mask is a lot more difficult, people have gained time.” However Eismeier also said “As the season goes on it does get easier, but I don’t think you get used to it.” Brooke Bretney, a junior on the varsity field hockey team said “Playing with a mask is definitely harder, but it makes me work harder and keeps others safe, which is the important part.” Cailee Halligan, a sophmore on the varsity cheer team, said that “Everyone had masks on the whole time. Whenever someone didn’t wear their masks the coaches would remind everyone to.” 

Sanitization of equipment also takes place. Bretney said “We sanitize everything before and after practice like our sticks and the balls. We also try to limit sharing equipment.” For field hockey athletes also have to change their mouthguards whenever they take them out. Bretney said, “I try to just keep it in, but I have backups in case something happens.”

 Social distancing has also been instituted during practices.Halligan said “With cheer things are already pretty spread out so it wasn’t that much different than what I expected.” However some sports such as field hockey, football, volleyball and cross country aren’t able to maintain quite as large of a distance from their teammates or opponents, but they still take steps to be safe. Eismer said “Because of covid a lot of people couldn’t come run so it was a smaller group than usual.” 

Bretney, Halligan and Eismer all say that teammates and coaches take covid precautions very seriously. Eismer said “People have been following the regulations like wearing masks and all of that stuff.”