SSHS volleyball returns to workouts
The smile on Makenna Thomas’ face lights up a room when asked about returning to workouts with her Siloam Springs volleyball teammates.
“I am really excited to get back into the gym because these last few months I’ve missed it so much,” Thomas said Thursday during a Lady Panthers workout. “I’ve been working out on my own, but it’s still not the same. And we’ve been doing things over Zoom and trying to work out together, but it’s not the same. I miss my teammates, and I can’t wait for the day that we all get to practice together. As we’re slowly getting there, I’m really excited for this season to come hopefully.”
The Lady Panthers have been working out in three different groups during the first week of workouts since March. The team hasn’t been able to work out in person since then because of the covid-19 pandemic.
The volleyball team is having to follow CDC and AAA guidelines using masks and social distancing, which includes no contact.
Thomas, a senior setter and hitter, said the no contact part has been extremely difficult.
“It’s very hard, especially because I’ve grown up with these people and it’s our senior year,” she said. “All I want to do is hug everyone, because that’s who I am. I love being around people. To not be able to have physical connection with everyone is really hard.”
Senior Maggie Torres also is happy to be back. Torres is on the heels of having her softball season cut short this spring because of the covid-19 pandemic. The SSHS softball team only played two games.
With softball over, Torres was happy to be back working with volleyball.
“The senior group in softball, they were our favorite seniors,” Torres said. “Having to say goodbye to them so early, that was really tough. Now that we’re back in volleyball, it’s beginning to look a little better now. This senior season hopefully will start off strong together.”
Perhaps no one was more
thrilled than coach Joellen Wright, who’s been at all three practices a day.
“What’s really fun is to see the kids come back with a refreshed look and feel of ‘I have missed this’ and ‘I appreciate it,’” Wright said. “There’s not moping and complaining. There’s not a burn out feel like sometimes kids have after school is out. They just look really fresh and just happy to be here. I’m definitely happy to be here.”
Wright said the Lady Panthers’ emphasis this past week has been on getting touches and getting back into shape and building muscle.
Going forward, as the Lady Panthers extend practices to an hour-and-a-half this week, she hopes they can start working on body weight and strength.
“We’re getting plenty of reps and building muscle through our body weight now,” she said.
Wright was also pleased that the Arkansas Activities Association eased restrictions on working out with balls. Multiple people can now touch a ball, but previously it was restricted to one ball per person.
“I was like, oh my gosh I’m going to run out of individual touch work,” Wright said. “We did it the first day because I wasn’t sure either. I wanted to be safe. I wasn’t sure what it looked like. These new habits we have to make do for a little bit. I can’t wait to get to six on six.”
The Lady Panthers will return to workouts on Monday through Thursday of this week.