The pandemic has brought up many uncertainties in everyone’s lives, one being when there will be a sense of normalcy. The San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) recognized that students need that “normalcy,” and allowed for sports conditioning to begin. However, sports look very different from how they did 9 months ago. We talked to the Mills Cross Country team to see how they are doing and what exactly has changed.
Teams were allowed to begin conditioning in September as long as they followed the SMUHSD’s rules to ensure that all of the coaches and athletes remain safe and healthy. Larry Cappel, the cross country coach for Mills, contacted the cross country athletes as soon as he could to organize conditioning. The team meets 3 times a week, and before practice, the athletes must answer a few screening questions and get their temperature checked. They then go to their assigned cohorts of about 10-15 students to complete their workout for the day.
When asked about how this season compares to last season, Cappel explains, “It has certainly been different. Even though we are not yet officially practicing, nearly 25 students are showing up…” Last year, the cross country team consisted of almost 50 athletes and they trained 4-5 days a week with 1-2 meets per week. Cappel goes on to say, “Cross Country is a sport of running and it is essential for the team to experience a wide variety of scenery as they run, [however] this has not been possible this year.” In previous years, the team was allowed to run off campus, but is now restricted to the baseball field and a short trail on campus. Not being able to run off campus limits the team’s ability to adapt to different terrains, a very important skill to have when running cross country. Despite these restrictions, Cappel is still hopeful, “Everyone is going through challenges and I believe our team will overcome these challenges.” There have been many changes to the season and the way athletes can train, but Cappel remains positive that the team will prevail and do well during the season.
A few members of the cross country team also feel hopeful about the season, while not forgetting the fact that things look very different this year. Nicholas Shek (12) exclaims, “It’s a lot harder when you can’t directly talk to every single one of your teammates. It’s also hard to run and wear a mask at the same time. That being said, I’m hopeful about the season. Even though we have to train in groups, I think it’s bringing us closer together as a team.” Teammates are forced to converse in their smaller groups, enabling them to spend more time with people they normally would not spend time with. Chloe Xu (12) explains, “Training this year has been pretty daunting, but my supportive teammates make it feel almost normal.” She also mentions that another difference is having to train in the winter rather than the fall. The normal cross country season ends well before this season will start, so having to run in the rain and cold will be a big change for the team. Both seniors recognize that the season will be very different from how it was last year, but are still keeping a positive mindset. Shek commented, “It sucks that for our senior year, we can’t have a normal season, but we have to make the best of it.” Athlete Gabriel Ng Solano (10) agreed, stating, “I feel like this year can still be great but just limited and different to how it was last year.” The athletes are certain that this season will still be great, even with the many restrictions and the unpredictability.
Despite the changes and uncertainties, the athletes and coaches are still staying positive and hopeful. Everyone has had to make changes and sacrifices for the safety of our community during this time, but it is important for us to continue to do the activities that keep us happy. By allowing for sports to continue, the district has allowed for students to safely do the things that they love.
