A year of covering high school sports in a pandemic

Around a year ago I was still working a part time job at my local ACE Hardware.

I had worked there before being hired to my position with The Morning Journal and left when I landed the job.

I remember when I first heard the first confirmed case of coronavirus was found in Ohio. In the days following our stock of toilet paper, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and masks were all cleaned out. Nothing left and we had no idea when, or if, we’d be getting any more.

While I was working my job at ACE I was also in the midst of covering the Elyria Catholic girls basketball team’s final four run. Fully expecting to follow them all the way to Columbus I left early, staying with my girlfriend in Kent to knock a few hours off my presumably early morning drive.

I never ended up making that drive to Columbus, as days after I unknowingly permanently moved in with my girlfriend the state tournament was postponed and then eventually cancelled.

A lot has changed in the year since.

I’m no longer working for the ACE Hardware Rocky River, but more importantly the world has changed.

I was at the office of the Morning Journal’s sister paper, The News-Herald, on the night Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID, which led to the postponement of the NBA season. And then several college conference tournaments. And then the NCAA tournament.

It seemed like the world was coming to an end. But it hasn’t, not yet at least.

The OHSAA, which was the recipient of a lot of grief, has rather successfully navigated through the COVID landscape in the 2020-21 seasons.

There have been state champions crowned in football, basketball, wrestling. There will be champions crowned this spring in baseball, softball and track and field.

The perseverance of the

high school student athlete has been the most impressive thing I’ve seen during a year of covering sports in a pandemic.

I’ve heard different stories from different coaches, many have praised their players for doing everything asked of them to ensure a safe season.

Some have shared stories of rosters decimated by COVID. Players opting out of their season before it begins out of caution.

I only covered one actual game with any of them on the field, but I’ll always feel a special connection with the spring sports class of 2020.

The class that had its season postponed for weeks before it was cancelled.

In the weeks following I did my best to reach out to many senior softballers, hoping to hear and share their stories.

Stories of their careers and what was next for them. Each time I was struck by how well every player I spoke with handled losing their last year

of high school sports.

Much better than I would have handled it, no doubt.

Getting back on the road to cover games has been therapeutic in a way. After months of sitting at home scouring Twitter for stories getting back into gyms around Lorain County felt awesome to say the least.

Social distancing at games has never been a problem for me, ask any other reporter in town and you’ll hear how I can be hard to find. I like to sit in the crowd, mostly at the top of the stands where I can get a birds eye view of what is going on.

For some social distancing has been a large problem. I’ve seen my fair share of COVID disasters waiting to happen in this year of covering sports in a pandemic, some much worse than others.

There have been plenty of times I’ve wondered to myself, how did I not catch COVID after that event? Places where spectators push the limits of what

can be described as “wearing” a mask.

But even after two close calls with the virus, neither or which was at a large event I’ve still remained COVID-free.

There are a lot of lessons we should take from this pandemic, most of them dealing with caring for your fellow human. Sacrificing something for the greater good, to keep others healthy, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live.

Maybe the most important lesson learned through this pandemic is to be grateful for the privilege of playing.

Looking at high school athletics through a new lens, just being grateful for the opportunity to play at all.

It’s a lesson I’ve learned in a year of covering sports during a pandemic, appreciating the little things.

Appreciating the opportunity to do what I enjoy, because you never know when it can be taken away again.