Over the past year Covid-19 has impacted everyone around the world including high school athletes. School sports and the way they practice are very different from what they were in the pre-pandemic world. 

To get some inside information on how sports are practicing I interviewed via email two teenage athletes named Izak Monette and Sarah Carter. Monette and Carter are 16-year old Juniors at Amador. We discussed what Covid-19 guidelines their specific sport is currently practicing during the pandemic. Interviewed first was Izak Monnette, a JV runner for Amador Valley Cross Country. 

 “Our guidelines are that we need to wear masks during warmups, cool downs, and when running past other runners. We have separate groups that aren’t supposed to talk to people outside of our groups. We also have to turn in a daily form saying we don’t have Covid,” says Izak Monette (‘22).

In addition, I asked Carter what protocols her cheer team is following to keep the team safe from Covid-19. 

“Right now I am practicing with the cheer team. We have our practices staggered, so the freshman and JV teams come at a different time than varsity. We also try our best to stay in our stunt groups while at practice because those are the people we are most in contact with. We keep our masks on 100% of the time, and we stay distanced while we condition and stretch,” says Sarah Carter (‘22).

Prior to the pandemic, sports teams like Monette’s cross country team and Carter’s cheer team were able to practice freely with no concerns. No need for masks, waivers, or social distancing. 

Sports and physical activity are so important for a teen’s health and emotional balance and even though additional protocols are required in the pandemic normal, the teens I spoke with are willing to wear a mask, sign a waiver and socially distance so they can continue to train and compete in the activities they love.