Just one day after fall sport athletes returned to practice on Dec. 21, they were told that their seasons are suspended as schools wait for the rapid COVID-19 testing program to be implemented. The season postponements throughout the year have almost become a frequent occurrence, leaving athletes frustrated and disappointed.
“It’s hard to believe anything they are saying now just because it’s so unpredictable if it’s true or not,” Beaverton senior Mady Pahl said. “To come back to practice, everybody be happy and then you’re starting to finally bring everything back together and then for things to be shut down again, how many more times is this going to happen?”
The Beaverton volleyball program, ranked No. 5 in Division 3, is still waiting to compete in the quarterfinals after winning the regional title.
“We’re still close even through the break and we’re trying to stay pumped up about everything,” Beaverton senior Molly Gerow said. “I feel that when we all can get back together again to try and start practice again, we’ll start where we left off. It’s out of our control and we just have to try and stay positive.”
The Traverse City St. Francis football team is another team affected by the frequent postponements, as they are still in the hunt for the regional title.
“It’s just hard to stay focused on going out every day and practicing,” St. Francis senior Casey Donahue said. “It seems like every time we get an opportunity, it just closes again. But I think everyone’s trying to stay ready, and we’re just waiting to see what happens.”
“There’s a lot of frustration going around and it’s just unfortunate on how this is all going down, but we’ll go through this and get through this,” St. Francis senior Aidan Schmuckal said.
If the COVID-19 tests are received and administered on time, according to the MHSAA, teams should be able to return to practice starting Wednesday, Dec. 30.
No. 5 Beaverton Sweeps No. 7 St. Francis, Heads to Regional Final
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