Despite the unexpected circumstances that have put a pause on Monarch sports, coaches and athletes are slowly integrating practices and games back into their agendas starting with outdoor workouts held on campus. As anticipated, the social distancing rules and regulations that have been set in place pose a number of challenges for both coaches and athletes.

Asked what challenges these coaches and athletes have had to overcome, Coach Nichols states, “We have to make sure that all the students are six feet apart the whole time, while staying in their cohorts of twelve. The second consideration we have to take in account is field space. With 200+ athletes coming to campus at one time, it just adds a new twist when trying to manage each team’s program.”

With these adjustments, coaches and athletes are able to fulfill these outdoor workouts in a safe and effective manner that complies with the social distance protocols. Coach Nichols and the other Monarch coaches are working hard to create workouts around a number of challenges, and have so far been able to implement exercises that help athletes build their aerobic capacity.

While coaches are working to navigate these challenges, athletes, alike, have had to face challenges of their own as well. Whether it is a change in their mentality or adapting to the social distance guidelines, athletes such as Kylie McHale, a senior on the Women’s Field Hockey team, have had to adjust to a new world: “It is strange being in a small group of 12 or less, but I am still lucky to be in that small group. It has been a challenge to keep a positive mindset with COVID and then the fires in California but we are doing the best we can to take advantage of what time we can get.”

Things are definitely being done a little differently, but McHale is grateful for the time she gets to spend working out and spending time with her teammates. Olivia Williams, a senior on the Women’s Basketball team, is another athlete who has been attending these outdoor workouts, and she states, “The workouts have definitely become different because we are doing our best to maintain social distancing. I am so proud of how the team has continued to push each other and ourselves during these times.” These circumstances can take a toll on the athletes’ mentalities, but McHale and Williams both emphasize the importance of camaraderie and support for one another through this time.

Athletes are trying their best to make the most out of the outdoor workouts that the coaches are putting together, and though this is a time that has presented unpredictable obstacles, everyone is doing what they can with a positive mindset. As McHale puts it, “We are all extremely happy to just be back on campus working out with one another.”