By Paityn Tabor ’23
Managing Editor and Sports Editor
Winter sports teams here in the Forest are getting into the full swing of their seasons. While many of these teams had a modified season this past winter, they have not experienced a full-length season since 2019-20.
Due to this, both players and coaches share in the excitement that the upcoming sports season brings and look forward to the competition that awaits them in the coming months.
“I am most looking forward to having the opportunity to play another normal season,” explained Katie Neher ’23, who is a member of the women’s basketball team. “Last year was really hard with only eight games. It’s expected to have new and existing challenges each year. Freshman year we had a lot of injuries, sophomore year we all dealt with COVID-19, and this year seems to be filled with both injuries and COVID-19. So, it’s definitely been challenging, but I truly believe it’s making us stronger as a team.”
Teams having to combat the impact that COVID-19 has on their programs is nothing new, and COVID-19 will most likely remain an obstacle for teams as their seasons unfold. However, that has not stopped coaches from helping their athletes improve and achieve their goals.
“As a result of COVID-19 and a very limited ’20-’21 athletic season, we have a very young and inexperienced team,” said head swimming and diving coach, Vadim Tashlitsky ’00. “We will look to learn and grow as we progress through the season. I look forward to coaching, building relationships, and competing. Our team goal remains constant—to seek improvement.”
One long-term effect that the pandemic has had on athletic programs is that it caused the seasons of many athletes to be impacted differently. First-year students may have not had any season at all during their final year of high school, or might have been lucky enough to experience one with very few restrictions. This varies from player to player and teams have to adapt to the repercussions of this.
“I am looking forward to our student-athletes having the opportunity to have a full season of competition,” said head men’s basketball coach, Ryan Davis. “We have some guys who had no season last year, some who played in a handful of games along with first-years who had everything from a ‘normal’ season to no season at all.”
Even though the world is not completely back to normal yet, teams getting back into the swing of normal seasons is a positive step. Our winter sports teams will face their own challenges along the way, but are eager to make this season one to remember.
