Athletes handling quarantine
PLYMOUTH — The problems local coaches and administrators have dealing with a global pandemic are well documented, but life during quarantine has its own challenges for the athletes involved.
Clearly dealing with any health problems that might be created is first and foremost, but even close contact puts a player "on the bench" for two weeks. During pre-season is one thing but when it happens during the season, it becomes that much more complicated.
The first is dealing with the fact of being away from your sport and your teammates for 14 days.
"When I first was told I would have to quarantine, the first thing I thought of actually was basketball,” said Plymouth senior point guard Lindsay Janus. "I immediately looked at our schedule, hoping that I wouldn’t have to miss that many games.”
Teammate Tallulah Gault got the quarantine news (due to close contact with a schoolmate) at the same time as Janus.
"It was a huge disappointment, especially with senior night being right around the corner,” said Gault. "Luckily we were able to reschedule it.”
As important as the game itself is to most athletes, being away from the locker room is just as hard. The camaraderie of being part of a team is just as hard as not being on the floor.
"The hardest part is having to be cooped up all day and not being able to see my teammates,” said
Gault.
Lindsay agreed with her fellow senior.
"The hardest part for me is genuinely being away from my team,” said Janus. "I really miss being away from the basketball atmosphere that we all share, whether that be in practice or pre-game warm-ups.”
In the summer a baseball or softball player could still get cuts in, runners can go out and get some mileage, but in order to keep yourself sharp as a basketball player, you are very much at the mercy of the Indiana winter.
"While I obviously do not have access to any gyms, I’m lucky to have a basketball hoop in my driveway,” said Janus. "I’ve been doing basketball workouts when the weather allows and going on runs through my neighborhood to keep up my conditioning.”
It's possible she could run into Gault on one of those runs, and Tallulah is also making full use of the driveway.
"Going on three- mile runs and shooting in the driveway,” she said of her regimen.
The toughest part is maintaining the mental edge. Both are doing their best.
"The toughest thing is having to get focused again after being at home for so long,” said Gault. "However, watching game film has helped me stay in the right state of mind.”
"While I’ll be doing all that I can to stay in physical shape, I still think that being ready physically will be harder than the mental part, because I won’t have access to all the workouts that I normally do during
the week,” said Janus. “As for being ready mentally, I actually think I will be after
having such a long break because I will definitely be wanting to play again.”