48 Hours
By Brea Perron
48 hours. 48 hours was all it took for my senior season to be stripped away. In the first 12 hours teams were being told they weren’t allowed to go to the National competition, the competition that every athlete works for, in some cases, their whole career. Seventeen Track and Field athletes from Minnesota State University, Mankato traveled to Birmingham, AL. along with hundreds of other athletes. UW-Lacrosse was not so lucky. Their administration banned all teams from the National meets/tournaments. However, for my University’s Track and Field team, the next 12 hours did not get any better. My team was 8 hours away from competing in the National Track and Field meet; the biggest moment of their athletic careers. Instead, coaches were contacted and told to pack up their teams and head home. Within the next 24 hours we were informed that all University spring sports were over, the rest of our season finished just when everything was on the line.
Athletics is such a huge part of our society. NFL Superbowl, March Madness Basketball, and of course the Olympics, are all examples. There are many other sports, everyone has their favorites, but all were lost because of COVID-19. I want to disclaim right now that the government made the best decision for our country. Obviously, people’s lives are more important than any sport. I also recognize that everyone in this country lost something, whether it involves sports or otherwise, and all should be able to grieve that loss.
I’d like to tell you more about how the loss of sports may be taking a toll on mental health.
As athletes, we thrive on structure, routine, and goals. As I sit at home with no structure, no routine, and no short-term goals, I find myself lost. I know I am not alone in this feeling. Athletes around the world are standing still, lost, angry, sad, and looking to find a new purpose during this time of uncertainty. For a lot of people, being an athlete is their whole identity, their whole life. The accumulation of their life’s work is shown through championships, Olympics, the professional leagues, etc. Without that, I fear that many will be lost.
The athletic community knows how much this may be taking a toll on the athletes and organizations like the NCAA have provided resources for those that are struggling. Not only that, but changes are being made in these unprecedented times to allow for people to continue to compete at a later time. Here are some other suggestions for struggling athletes. There are amazing sports psychologists who would love to have conversations with any athlete who is struggling. Some things they may share with you include to stay active, get outside and go for a walk, or do an at-home workout. Create a routine or a schedule for your day. It can be easy to feel lost, especially for me, when I have no routine in my life. Most importantly, stay connected. Technology has provided us with the ability to stay connected with others in our lives. We are all going through some of the same things, so be there for each other during this time.
All of that being said, I believe that there is a silver lining to all of this. Eventually, your athletic career will end. Whether that be from injury, eligibility, age, or just life, but it will end. When that time comes, who will you decide to be? You can no longer put your whole identity and self into being an athlete, so who will you choose to be? How will you choose to live? Will it be sadness and anger that overtake you? Or will you find a new passion and move on with life? While this is a temporary issue, and eventually, most athletes will go back to being athletes, I believe that now is the perfect time to decide who else you want to be. Now is the time to reflect on your identity, maybe start a journal to document your reflection process. Go and find a new passion, learn a new language, learn to play the guitar, pick up a hobby you didn’t have the time for before, because Lord knows we have the time now. Most importantly, take a look at your life and acknowledge all that you have to be grateful for. I know times are hard for everyone, but we all have something to be grateful for, be it health, family, a home, work, who knows, but acknowledge it. I believe that we can use this time to better ourselves and come out stronger.