Photo by Tre Shuttlesworth from 2019
By Dakota Dobrovich-Fago, Staff Writer
It goes without saying that everyone in some way, shape, or form has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With America in a state of panic, schools nationwide have now moved to online courses for their students. This not only has put a strain on academics but it has also had a tremendous impact on many of the sports teams at Susquehanna.
Currently, the men’s soccer team, along with every other team at Susquehanna, has had its spring season canceled.
“This pandemic is crazy and changes a lot of things,” rising senior midfielder Tristan Barquin said.
Despite coming off a season that may not have quite gone to plan, the team was eager to get to work and start their journey for the 2020 season. With many key pieces returning to the squad, the players looked to the spring season to better gel and compete with each other.
Additionally, most of the rising seniors had gone abroad to experience and learn but to also play soccer so with that, the underclassmen of the team were going to take advantage of this time to get more opportunity to mold into the team.
During this time as well, the players who remained on campus for the semester dedicated many hours to working out in the weight room which saw a lot of people make significant strides. In addition, the team would gather every Sunday for a pick-up game to ensure everyone was staying crisp and ready for the upcoming spring season.
But even with all the underclassmen and those abroad taking the right steps forward, no one expected the global outbreak of COVID-19. With three days left in the original spring break, there was hope for a spring season because students were scheduled to be back on campus in April.
But, things took a change for the worst as Susquehanna had canceled face-to-face instruction and moved it online for the rest of the semester. Ultimately, the virus has stripped athletes of a whole spring season and now they begin a new journey to the 2020 season.
The adjustment to this new life is not something the team has taken lightly.
“It affects the team because we miss out on a crucial spring season. In past years, this has been a good time for players to improve their conditioning and skill as well as bond as a group through captain practices and lifts,” Barquin said.
But players now know that these are conditions they can’t change so they have to make the best of it. Players know that if they want to get better, they have to do so when no one is watching. It will be a true testament to see who is willing to come back ready to go physically as well as mentally or who will fizzle out and not be in shape.
“In the meantime, my teammates and I have been going on runs, hitting the fields wherever they’re open, and making workouts with what equipment we have in the house or just bodyweight exercises,” Barquin said. “The way that we workout during this quarantine is going to have a big effect on how the summer and next season goes.”
But with success in the Landmark Conference as motivation, the men’s team is ready to seize their opportunity to breed success in dark and uncomfortable times and have big hopes for next season.
“People can expect a new team to appear next year,” rising senior Chris Naiman said.
“My teammates and I are using the last two seasons’ records and using it as fuel for this upcoming season. I have never seen such drive and determination in a team throughout the years of playing. Expect nothing but greatness this season.”