At this point in time there is a lot happening concerning TUSD schools and school sports. Currently all fall sports have been given the green light to start socially distanced practices (with masks on the entire time) once again. There are also plans to start games in early to mid-February as long as things do not change for the worst.

With these new changes come mixed feelings. It has been a roller coaster this year concerning sports and ever changing guidelines and rules for them and this has caused many mixed emotions when it comes to starting practices again.

When asked about their sports and feelings toward the possibility of starting these sports soon these athletes responded:

“I play water polo. I have played for a year and wanted to start my first season of tennis this year. However, I don’t feel like we’re going back to play sports against other teams this year because of covid which I am pretty bummed about” – said Dominick H., a current sophomore at Pitman High School.

“Yeah I play a sport. I am a part of the girls golf team and the track and field team, I have been doing both sports for about four years. I feel excited that I might be able to go out and start doing what I love to do. It’s exciting that I get to compete and do what I love to do.” – states Haileigh F., a current senior at Pitman High School.

I play varsity water polo at Pitman and it is my senior year and I, too, have very mixed feelings when it comes to starting practices again. I would love to get back in the water again and play my last season of water polo in high school but currently it feels like for every step we take closer to the actual start of our season, we end up taking two steps back. I do hope that this time we do get to start our season as planned and that the new rules and regulations help towards making it possible.

In conclusion, at this time all of the traditionally fall sports have been cleared to practice again with some additional anti-COVID measures to help keep every athlete safe. And though the starting of sports comes with mixed feelings, it is a welcome glimpse of things maybe starting to head back to normal.