Altering the game plan for athletes at USD
Torero athletes were forced to adapt to a new sports world this summer due to the COVID-19
Sofia Bruzzo / Asst. Sports Editor
Instead of practicing under the San Diego sun with their teammates, preparing to compete for championships, USD athletes spent their summer on the sidelines as COVID-19 continues to evolve.
Callie Johnson, a sophomore on the swimming and diving team at USD, expressed her concerns now that they will not be returning for the semester.
“I feared that the progress we’ve made since last year and that which most athletes have been working towards for the majority of their lives, will be lost with such a long break,” Johnson said.
Johnson is not the only one with this dilemma. Student athletes are facing questions and unknowns, and it is up to them and their coaches to determine how they will adapt.
Nick Classen, a junior on the rugby team, explained how they have been reshaping their program.
“We have some unofficial things where we go to the beach and do a beach practice or workout,” Classen said. “It’s no longer monitored by coaches, it’s all player run.”
Players are being provided with specific workout plans and practice ideas by their coaches as well as weekly Zoom meetings to track their progress.
“The coaches are being really supportive and they’re encouraging us to stay on top of our sport,” Johnson said. “They’re also keeping in mind the impact that COVID is having on all of us and our lives.”
With the summer now behind us, athletes have had some time to look back on their experiences training apart from their team.
“Training has become a lot more individual now that we’re virtual,” Johnson said. “Usually we’re racing against each other in practice and in swim meets and now it’s just you and the clock. You really have to focus more and be motivated individually rather than be motivated by the team.”
For others like Classen, the biggest problem they faced was lack of resources and facilities.
“I just had to find other things to do to workout. Things like running and swimming and calisthenics,” Classen said.
Athletes are used to dedicating several hours a week to perfecting their craft. However, keeping such a strenuous schedule is hard when coaches are not around to enforce practice and workout times.
“The hardest part is probably the consistency because previously we were practicing around two times every day for three hours each practice and it’s hard to commit to that when you’re by yourself,” Johnson said.
With nothing but uncertainty in store for these USD athletes, they haven’t let the circumstances hinder their dedication to their sport. During isolated training, athletes have had to maintain their mental edge by constantly preparing themselves for a possible turn around in regulations, always being ready to return to their sport at a moment’s notice.
“If we can do our homework and watch our videos and learn as much as we can without actually playing, then coming back, theoretically we should be able to just jump right back in.” Classen said.
Johnson expressed her main focus while training on her own, emphasizing that “instead of focusing on what I can do for the team, I focus a little bit more on what I can do to improve myself. And in the back of my head I keep in mind that everyone on the team is expecting me to perform when it comes time.”
The hope is that these student athletes will be allowed to resume training on campus as the semester progresses. Athletes are eager to be back with their teams and coaching staff. Regardless, athletes must continue to hone their craft until then and realize that, just as Classen mentions, “It is a challenge, but these are challenging times and we have to adapt as best as we can.”