In light of certain sports being postponed, some athletes have had to substitute their normal fall sport for a different one. Junior Oliver Garnica for example, has chosen to participate in the LHS cross country team as a substitute for his favored sport: soccer.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some LHS fall sports have had to be rescheduled. Sports such as football, wrestling, and soccer are what the district has labeled “high-risk” because they are especially high-contact sports. So, until LPS gives the go-ahead for Phase 3, these sports will not resume.
Soccer – which has always been scheduled for fall – does not seem to be resuming anytime soon. This has caused athletes like Garnica to explore other team sports for the time being.
Garnica says that he chose to do cross country as a substitute for soccer because “It’s a good way to stay in shape for the soccer season … and to keep motivated and stay active,”
Despite the sport being postponed, the promise of it’s return has kept Garnica optimistic. “I’m a little disappointed … but, I’m excited for the season because I think this season we’re gonna be pretty good because a lot of us have been playing for a while … so I don’t really mind it being rescheduled that much because either way I know we’re gonna be a good team,”
Changes have been made to practices to reduce exposure upon recommendations from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. “I think they’ve helped out a lot … we have to wear masks at all times except when we’re running, so I think what they’re doing is working,” Garnica said.
Guidelines have also determined that when masks cannot be worn, changes have to be made to ensure social distancing. This includes dividing teams into smaller groups during activities and staggering the times that students use spaces and complete certain workouts.
In relation to how these changes have affected running practices, Garnica says, “It kind of sucks because now they’ve split up the groups so I can’t really run with all my friends – but, it makes sense so I understand it.”
So, even with the changes being made to the fall sports season, Garnica is staying positive, feeling that cross country is a good way to stay in shape and keep busy while excitedly awaiting the start of the new soccer season.
