By: Gabe Kamins, Co-Editor-in-Chief
For the past few months, student athletes, like much of the world, have been left in the dark. Training, but uncertain if there would even be a season. Searching for answers, but unable to find any. For seniors, the haunting possibility that they may have played in their final game loomed large. All of this changed when Howard County announced that they would be opening up sports leagues and clinics for student athletes, giving them a chance to play the sports they love with their teammates. From students just looking for a way to stay active with their hobby, to quarterbacks desperately trying to build the offseason chemistry with their teammates that is so crucial to success, everyone was satisfied with the news.
Senior Danny Disman loves soccer. Although he doesn’t play for the school, Danny has been playing soccer for about four years, three of which have been spent with the popular rec league known as SAC (Soccer Association of Columbia). But it was looking more and more like soccer wouldn’t be available for kids in Maryland any time soon, with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise. Then, the announcement came. “At first, I was surprised because schools hadn’t even opened up, and I figured that soccer wouldn’t be prioritized by the state,” said Danny of the news that SAC would be resuming play. “But I later became more excited because after a whole year, one of my favorite activities was finally back.” Danny had been trying to practice as much as possible, though he admitted it was “hard to stay involved” with the sport due to “a lot of facilities being closed.” Danny, like many other athletes, was going to the field at River Hill in order to practice his game. The field, which was closed to visitors shortly after schools closed down before opening back up in April, was home to plenty of students during quarantine. The turf contained football, lacrosse, and soccer players trying to perfect their craft. The track was where members of the cross country and track teams worked on their speed and stamina. And the famous hill behind the goal post served as a way for all athletes to bolster their conditioning. Yet there was still a pandemic going on, and no River Hill athlete knew when they would be back to playing on their teams. Thus, the news that SAC was starting back up was music to many’s ears. Some still had doubts, though, and reasonably so. Was it really safe to be sending kids back to sports as cases in the country continue to rise? “They are requiring masks for all coaches and spectators, as well as the athletes during practice and warmups,” explained Danny, who was admittedly skeptical at first. “I think they are doing a good job with all the rules, but I believe they could be enforced a little better,” he added. “For example, maybe more precautions such as temperature or symptom checkers.” The current precautions seem to be working just fine for now, and soccer players like Danny Disman are ecstatic to be back on the field.
There were a lot of question marks heading into the offseason for River Hill Football. Replacing hard-hitting Beau Brade, speedster Anthony Behrmann, and quarterback Keegan Remick would be no easy feat. Little did the Hawks know, however, that this would be the least of their concerns during the summer. COVID-19 meant no practices, no lifting and conditioning sessions, and no film time for the team. This was especially challenging for senior quarterback Dylan Burnett, who is looking to take over a Hawks offense that averaged 31.1 points per game last fall. A quarterback needs plenty of practice time to get adjusted to the playbook, as well as understand the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates. Dylan, who was the JV quarterback as a sophomore, knew he couldn’t take any days off during quarantine if he wanted to help lead the team when football resumed. “I was working out at my house, trying to stay fit in the weight room,” he explained, referring to the gym he installed at home. Dylan could be commonly found at the school field, throwing passes to teammates. But this was not the summer Dylan, nor any of his teammates, imagined. Thankfully, when Howard County Recreation & Parks decided to open up a twice-a-week clinic for high school football players, it provided at least some sense of normalcy. “I was excited to get back on the field and see where we were as a team” said Dylan. He explained that the clinic gives the team a chance to “create a connection between us on the field”. The clinic, which uses the first hour to practice positional drills and the second hour for 7-on-7 competition, pits teams from around the county against each other in order to help replicate the Friday night competition that is sorely missed. As for how the clinic is handling the virus, Dylan explained that “they’re making us wear masks and stay 6 feet apart when possible.” Though this isn’t the football anyone expected, it’s a sign that the Hawks may be able to hit the gridiron sooner rather than later.
Recently, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon announced that high school sports in Maryland may begin practicing on 7 October, with the first competitions taking place on 27 October. This news sent student athletes into a joyous frenzy, as they began counting down the days. This frenzy would be short-lived, however, as just a few hours later, the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM) announced that they are focused on getting students back to school, and that when that happens, so too will they return to the field. Currently, students in Howard County aren’t set to return to school until the second semester, so it could still be a while until they are able to play for their high school teams. That being said, the situation is very fluid, as evident by the wild turn of events in the past few days. Athletes are still itching to get back to playing the games they love with their teammates. For now, though, at least they have the leagues and clinics.