There are times whenever an athlete is sidelined for a few games, possibly even a few weeks, as a result of an injury. Missing the entire season, while rare, is a devastation to say the least. However, athletes across the country found this to become a reality, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly a month into spring, senior athletes are eager to compete and wrap up their own high school sports experiences. One senior in particular who is excited about the return to sports is baseball player Ashton Winning. 

“It was hard missing out last season. We were all really excited and thought we were going to be dangerous,” Winning said. “When I stepped on the field for our first game this season, I’ll be honest, I got a little emotional. It had been so long, and knowing this is the last time I’ll be playing with all these guys, it’s surreal, but I’m so happy we have the opportunity to compete one last time.”

Being gone from anything, whether it’s a job, school or a sports, can leave an everlasting impact on one’s skills and performance quality. It can leave anybody feeling diminished, less motivated. However senior soccer player Bre Hollowell believes that missing out on last season has added more energy to her team, as there is arguably more to prove.  

“I have a really good feeling about this year. I was definitely nervous that we would have some sort of set back due to us not having a season last year. So far I don’t think that has affected us in a negative way, it has only fueled our fire,” Hollowell said.

While the majority of the senior athletes participating in SCHS spring sports are returning to their sport, one who is starting his first season in his sport is golfer Connor Asbell. His junior year was meant to be his introduction to the Pirates golf team, however that was stripped from him. While missing out on his introductory season was saddening, Asbell is focusing on looking forward to what could be, rather than looking behind at what could have been. 

“I was pretty bummed because it [2020] was going to be my first year playing a new spring sport. When I found out we would no longer have a season last spring, it was kind of saddening. All I could do was look forward to what next season had in store, and here we are,” Asbell stated. 

Needless to say, the SCHS senior athletes are excited to get another shot at participating in spring sports. With the end of the school year quickly approaching, the seniors are looking to prove themselves even more, with an entire year of opportunities being left in the shadows.