Throughout this spring semester, there is no doubting that college students hit hard with the Covid-19 pandemic. It resulted in many extenuating circumstances which we did not expect. Student athletes were stripped of the remaining of their winter seasons, along with their current spring season. As we discussed in week 3 of “The Warrior Voice,” seniors were hit the hardest with this pandemic. But what about our underclassmen and rising seniors? How has this pandemic affected them? And I wondered how teams are staying together without traditional workouts, meetings, etc. Obviously, it is virtual right now, but let’s see what this week's Warrior Voice participants had to say…
In this last edition of “The Warrior Voice” I had a chance to catch up with David Akinwande from men’s football and Mandy Fine from women's cross country. The biggest change to college students was the shift to online classes. Some students may already have been taking courses online, while many were new to the change of scenery. With it being the start to finals week, I figured David and Mandy could give a great perspective of how the online semester shift impacted them. I first asked David and Mandy “What were your thoughts on shifting to online classes the rest of this semester?” Both athletes went on to describe how they adjusted well but were not a fan of online in comparison to in person education. David began by saying, “At first it felt so surreal but to be honest, adjusting to it wasn’t that bad. The transition gets a little tricky depending on certain majors. Personally, I do not prefer online classes because with being a nursing major I wasn’t able to have my face to face clinicals where I get my full nursing experience”. Mandy also added, “I was a little upset but understood why everything happened the way it happened. My time management became a huge benefit so I could get my work done efficiently.” I think it was interesting both athletes preferred the in-person classes considering our generation is known for being so tech savvy. Me being a Digital Media Technologies major, did not really have a problem with the online shift. As David mentioned, depending upon major, this sudden online shift affected some more than others. Next, I asked David and Mandy “What ways have you tried to stay focused throughout the semester while working from home?” These responses were interesting, as both athletes tried to break down their routine throughout the semester. Mandy answered by saying, “I made a daily schedule where I would go for my run before class, and after sitting through my zoom classes I would complete any school work I have, so that the rest of the day would go to relaxation or other activities to help brighten my mood.” David also added “I would normally get up at my regular class times and have a list of important tasks for the week and upcoming weeks. Using this list to cross off the task as I completed each one to help me stay focused and on task.” I thought these were great routines and commended both on the positive mindsets to help guide them! Both student athletes obviously expressed sadness from losing this spring semester, and if you remember in week 3 (titled) “Seniors We Love You!” there were positive messages and lessons expressed. In this week's post, I wanted to get the perspective of returning athletes, so I then asked, “What are some things this sudden virtual shift taught you?” [David] “This shift showed how quickly we can adapt to situations like this, and gave me a different level of appreciation for the professors who made the way for us to have an online curriculum to still have success this semester.” Mandy added “Firstly, the shift taught me to not take anything for granted, but also that I work better hands on and while interacting with others. I like to be busy at all times, but the whole pandemic just freed up a lot of time for me.” I highlighted when David mentioned the level of appreciation for the professors. I think this was overlooked throughout the process. Everyone talked about how tough it was for students, but the professors worked tirelessly to adapt and create a fluid online curriculum with little time. I certainly appreciate the time our professors put in throughout this sudden shift to help make this process as simple as possible. Throughout this whole thing, I also wondered how it has been with keeping in contact with teammates and coaches. Returning athletes certainly still have upcoming seasons to prepare for even though they are home. To get their input, I asked David and Mandy “How has it been staying in contact with coaches and teammates?” [Mandy] “For Cross Country, we all are very close, so we zoom video chat all the time and have a very active group chat. Coach Koch calls in from time to time to make sure we are okay with everything, so overall it's been well!” David also discussed his football meeting routine. “We all have group chats together and still have weekly meetings as well as academic checks so our communication within each other has not died down at all.” I think communication is huge throughout the whole pandemic, and I was elated to hear that both athletes are in good communication with their respective teams to stay prepared for next season. Speaking of preparing for the upcoming season, how has staying in shape been for these athletes? All over social media there have been many different creative at-home workout strategies, but of course everyone is indeed different. So of course, I asked “How are you staying in shape for your sport?” [David] “My workout routine consists of waking up early (7am) and luckily I have workout equipment in my basement including a squat rack. So I would use our winter workout plan to maintain strength and to incorporate that I would run around my block to build my endurance. And of course, nutrition is still important in all of this, I have to make sure I am getting the correct amount of fuel, so my body is prepared for the fall season, lord willing. Amanda finished off our discussion with her running schedule. “Simply for me, I put a run or workout in my schedule. Depending upon the weather, I go for runs every morning along the nice trails we have here!”. Although this pandemic was an unexpected challenge, I believe it was a great test. Individuals across the country have been affected, but as mentioned in week 3 “Seniors We Love You!”, this could be setting us up for something greater down the line! David Akinwande is a Sophomore Fullback from Bristol, Pa majoring in nursing who is coming off an all-region season as a redshirt freshman. He looks to help lead the Warriors as they build off last year's winning season. Amanda Fine is a Junior distance runner from Stevensville, MD majoring in communication sciences and disorders. Both athletes have high hopes for a fall season with the Covid-19 pandemic currently in effect. I enjoyed my conversation with both Amanda and David about how they work through Covid, and I ensure their perspectives were interesting to many. Like I stated earlier, everyone’s routine is certainly not the same, and I do commend both for finding ways to continue their success as a Warrior! As we close out the semester this week, I want to thank all the athletes that helped participate to help make this platform possible! I can ensure this will not be the last post, and many other athletes will be able to give their voice in the future! As always, I had a blast this week, and I hope you all stay tuned for what the future holds with “The Warrior Voice”! *** The warrior athletes, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and athletic department faculty would like to give our sincere thanks to Jamal Cooley who has authored the Warrior Voice. He shined on the football field, the track and in the classroom during his time in East Stroudsburg. He also made another lasting impact when he pioneered “The Warrior Voice” and certainly made sure our student athletes were heard. Thank you, Jamal! ***
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorJamal Cooley Archives
April 2020
Categories |