Photo, from 2019, courtesy of Sports Information
By Ted Wolfe, Contributing Writer
Soccer is an often overlooked fall sport because of the popularity of football, and because of the COVID-19 era, the team has not been able to play any games this fall season. This is a tough loss not just for the players, but for the coaches as well.
Jim Findlay is the head coach of the Susquehanna Men’s Soccer team, and has been impacted heavily by COVID-19.
“I really missed the preseason this year,” Findlay said, “it gives us the opportunity to just focus on soccer for almost two weeks without any classes.”
This limited time together has created a different atmosphere for the soccer team. Usually, the first years bond pretty quickly as they spend so much time together. Since there is no season, they have not spent as much time together as they normally would.
Another aspect of soccer that COVID-19 has impacted, is the recruiting done by the school. Susquehanna currently has a travel ban on all non-essential travel for staff making it hard to scout out possible River Hawks. Currently, they are trying to make use of videos of players to recruit them, however, this is not the best way to do it. “It’s ideal to see our recruits play live but unfortunately we are unable to do that,” Findlay said. Not being able to see a player play in real time can be risky, but it has proved to be necessary in this time we live in.
Findlay also commented on his own personal experience with COVID-19. He talked about how hard it was initially to stay inside, away from his friends and from the Susquehanna community. He missed the many aspects of the culture on campus, and is very thankful to be back. Findlay loves working with both the students and his colleagues, and can not wait to be back on the field.
Although, his experience with COVID-19 was not all negative. During the time he spent in his home, he thought a lot about how lucky he and many others are to be able to participate in college athletics. The bonds you create with teams, the many new people you meet, and the lifelong friendships are often taken for granted. Findlay said, “I guess you sometimes don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.”
Life has been hard for everyone right now, and so many of us are struggling with changes to our society, and our whole world. Findlay wanted to leave a bit of advice not just for athletes, but for everyone. “This is an unprecedented time in all our lives and unfortunately there was no handbook created on how to deal with it. Everyone needs to try to stay positive, and take each day one at a time.” He said he also wants everyone to be thankful for what they have, and all the experiences they had, and will have later on in their life.