How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected competitive sports?

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life including competitive sports. As our CHC community returns to campus this fall, it is the first time in which we have not been able to partake in our normal fall season ending with a state championship tournament. Senior, Caroline Fluharty, has greatly been affected by this pandemic as she states, “I will not be able to have a normal Field Hockey season for the last time.” Seniors all over the country and in our own community express this same thought as we reflect on how COVID-19 has directly affected our own lives. However, we anxiously wait as sports are predicted to come back into play in the CHC community starting December. This will bring back the sense of normality and routine that has been missing for the last 4 months. 

Teacher – Shelley Camp 

• Which competitive sports do you miss playing or watching?
  • “I miss watching professional and college football. This season is going to be sad not being able to watch Big Ten football since they are delaying until this spring. It is a tradition in many households to spend Saturday’s and Sunday’s watching football. It’s a part of what makes fall so fun, tailgating and looking forward to bowl games and the super bowl in the winter.”
• Aside from athletes, who else has been affected by the interruption/delay/loss of competitive sports?
  • “Fans and students at universities will miss out on game day experiences along with marching bands, athletic trainers, and local businesses who profit off of game day traffic in their stores. I also feel for the universities losing money because they can not sell tickets to fill their stands.”
• What long-term effects will the loss, delay, or interruption of competitive sports have?
  • “Building up the financial stability of athletic programs again as well as local business owners in college towns may be hurt with financial struggles. Student trainers miss out on important training in the field. Students will forever miss out on opportunities to compete in championship games and tournaments. Tv networks will struggle to find new entertainment to air on TV on Saturday’s and Sunday’s and will lose viewers.”

Student –  Caroline Fluharty 

• How will CHC sports be different when we are back on campus?
  • “CHC sports will be different when we are back on campus because not only the weather but the shortened time each sport has for their season”
• How has the loss, delay, or interruption of competitive sports affected you? 
  • “The delay of sports has affected me in a negative way due to the fact that it is my senior year and I can’t play a normal season for the last time”
• Have you been able to play on any club teams, if so how has that affected you? 
  • “I have been able to play on a fall league for field hockey and it has definitely helped me get back into the routine of having field hockey in the fall”