Being a college athlete isn’t easy, and being a college athlete during a pandemic makes it even harder. During these times, it is very important for athletes to stay safe and stay COVID-19-free so that their teams can practice and workout as usual. With that said, there is pressure associated with athletes trying to keep themselves and their teammates virus free.
NSU women’s swimmer Haley Watters, an SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient, is one of the many athletes at NSU and around the country navigating her senior year through a pandemic that has not only affected her athletic career, but her life in general.
“I can’t say my life has changed too much other than needing to wear a mask, using a Sway app to track my health, and not having visitors in the dorms,” Watters said.
Ask any athlete and they’ll tell you that their routine is everything to them. Routines are imperative to our bodies, especially ones that endure the stress of being an athlete. For example, now seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady credits his routine as a large part of his success.
Watters’ daily routine consists of “getting up for an early swim around 5 a.m., grabbing a small snack and heading off to practice. Once practice finishes, [she] comes home to eat breakfast and will work on homework or go to class. Later in the day, [she] heads off to weights on dryland. [Then, the team] hops back in the pool for another swim, and as soon as [they] finish, [they] put masks on. Once the swim is over, [Watters and her roommate] come home to make dinner together, watch tv and do some homework.” Now, her routine includes the constant use of Sway, an app that tracks her health.
Being an athlete in these times is rough since a positive COVID-19 test is the equivalent of a two-week injury which includes complete isolation from the team and rest which can impact performance. Additionally, if an athlete is deemed to have “close contact” to a positive player, they are in self-isolation until their COVID-19 test results are back. If multiple players are deemed “close contacts,” this can cause entire practices or workouts to be cancelled.
Because of the effect getting COVID-19 has on athletics, there is a lot of pressure for athletes to keep themselves and their teammates COVID-19 free.
“We’re held to a high standard in athletics to make sure that we are doing what we can to stay safe for ourselves and others… The constant testing doesn’t bother me at all. Honestly, I prefer it because I know that my health is being prioritized and I don’t see any harm in getting constantly tested. It helps ensure that all 60 of us are safe around each other,” Watters said.
Every student-athlete is experiencing similar restrictions because of the pandemic.
According to Watters, “The most difficult thing by far is not being able to compete normally. Usually, we have a six to seven month-long competition season. This year, it was one month.”
Being an athlete right now is harder than ever before due to COVID-19. Seniors that envisioned their final year with a conference championship may not even get a chance. This, unfortunately, is a sad reality for Watters and the NSU women’s swimming team.
“Our bigger meets, such as conferences, have been cancelled. It’s hard being a senior and not having the big finish I imagined and saw all my past teammates get,” said Watters.
For more information on the COVID-19 guidelines in the Sunshine State Conference, visit https://sunshinestateconference.com/news/2020/12/8/general-sunshine-state-conference-update-regarding-fall-and-winter-sports.aspx
