As part of the latest executive order to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, most highschool sports were put on hold for two weeks.
“We've been as a team trying to focus on controlling what's in our control. And then not being so worried and so focused on what we can't control because there's nothing you can do to change that,” said Sarah Blau, a senior basketball player at Green Canyon High School.
Blau and her teammate, senior Landree Spackman, have played basketball since they were kids. Now because of COVID-19, their final season is up in the air.
“I mean, it's just high school basketball, like, yeah, we have a lot more in our lives coming up, but it'll be definitely super hard for me if it gets canceled,” Spackman said.
According to the state of emergency guidelines in Utah issued on November 8th, “youth and high school students must not participate in extracurricular activities, including athletic and intramural events.” This mandate lasts until at least November 23rd.
Though the Green Canyon basketball tryouts were put on hold following the announcement, the team has still been able to act like a team. They’ve been staying connected by sharing workouts in a group chat. Blau said the girls have had to get creative with their at-home training.
“It's just kind of funny, because I've definitely been using books as weights and stuff to work out because we don't have stuff that we need,” she said.
The girls, like many high school athletes, are still hopeful about a season.
“Safety is obviously the number one concern. So we're just going to do what we can to keep everyone safe," Blau said. "But like, we're really, really hoping we get a season and that it's as normal as possible. But if that is not possible, then we're going to be okay. We're going to still be a team, we're still going to be together. And we're just going to hope for the best."
