Collegiate Woman’s Soccer Team in Virginia experiences Coronavirus outbreak
According to the Virginia Department of Health, the State of Virginia has confirmed over 153,000 Coronavirus cases, which has resulted in over 3,000 deaths. Moreover, the State of Virginia reports 625 daily cases (cases that are reported in the last 24 hours – updated 6 October 2020).
With the continuous increase in Coronavirus cases in the State of Virginia, it has made measures extremely challenging for sports teams to resume practices and to participate in games, because of the social distancing measures that have been implemented amid the Covid-19 pandemic in order to keep sports teams and their players safe.
With this in mind, I spoke with Roanoke College’s Freshman and Soccer Player Hannah Shay who shared with me how her university has implemented Covid-19 safety measures at her university in order to keep everyone safe.
“On campus everyone is suppose to wear a mask and we are suppose to social distance all the time. For example, in the dinning room its social distanced. Everywhere you gather in groups, you are suppose to social distance.”
– Freshman Soccer player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
©Stock image – 1753644356 – by what is my name
Shay said, because of this pandemic, it has made her first season as a new incoming Freshman at Roanoke College as a soccer player of the Maroons Team extremely challenging, because she and her teammates have already had to undergo quarantine measures due to the fact that a few of the girls on her soccer team had tested positive for the Coronavirus; therefore, all of the girls on her soccer team had to undergo quarantine measures.
“We all went into quarantine on a Thursday night, because I was told that one of my teammates were in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid and they said they were going to self-quarantine just to be on the safe side.
So then, we all went into quarantine Thursday night and then Friday morning I ended up calling Health Services and asked them how they wanted us to quarantine.
They told me that, because I wasn’t really in contact with anyone that they know of that tested positive , they didn’t see a need for me to self-quarantine.
But then, I got an email in the middle of one of my classes that I had to go get a Covid test done and then I had to quarantine for 14 days.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
Shay said, undergoing quarantine was hard for her, because she had to rely on other people to bring her meals to her and then her meals were left at her door, so that she would have no contact. With this in mind, Shay said that she does have an intolerance to gluten and how important it is for her to eat gluten-free meals. Shay did have an issue at one point with getting gluten-free meals, because she did receive a meal that was not gluten-free; however, once she contacted someone about this matter it was cleared up quickly.
Shay’s roommate was currently not on campus at the time; therefore, she told her roommate to just stay home until she was out of quarantine – for the 14 days of her quarantine. Shay said, she was able to keep her mental health at bay during her time of quarantine with consideration to the fact that this was the first time of living on her own, while having little to no interaction with others, besides FaceTime and Zoom calls.
“I was definitely going stir crazy. Like I really wanted to go exercise.
It was under my impression that we couldn’t leave our dorm. So I didn’t get outside air besides my window being open.
Our coach said, “yeah you guys could have gone outside for a walk or a run” and I was like, ‘well dang, I would have done that every single day then, but I ended up watching Netflix and getting ahead on my homework as much as possible’.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
Interview featured below: Soccer player Hannah Shay shares more with me about her story of having to undergo quarantine measures, because a few of the girls had tested positive for the Coronavirus and how it impacted her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwH3TmjN5xM&feature=youtu.be
Soccer player Hannah Shay speaks out about how she and her teammates resume back to the “new normal” of their Freshman soccer practices
©Stock image – 1808071288 – by smshoot
As soccer player Hannah Shay and her teammates get back on the soccer field, they resumed to their “new normal” of soccer practices, which meant that they continued to implement Covid safety measures in order to best protect everyone on the team. Shay said, ‘it feels good to be back on the field after having to undergo quarantine measures.’
“It’s nice to be able to get out and stretch my legs, get in the goal, and finally get some shots on me instead of just having to run in all of the time.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
With consideration to the social distancing measures, which are being enforced in most countries amid the Coronavirus, Shay said that her Coach and the rest of the coaching staff have implemented Covid safety measures in order to keep her and her teammates safe.
“So the entire school – all athletics – are actually in a phase opening.
For soccer, right now we are in phase one meaning we can use the ball, we can do drills, but whenever we get to practice we have cones that are about 6, 7-8 feet a part to the left and right of us and in front of us.
So our coach tells us – ‘find a cone and leave on our mask until we are about to go out to do our warm up stretches’. Whenever we do our warm up stretches we take off our mask and stretch to the entire width of the field and then we warm up – so we are spaced out the entire time.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
#latepost awesome time with staff and teammates. Our session on Saturday was fun and full of energy. Our GKs got some work in as well! We look forward to another great week! #roanokecollege #SoccerSunday #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/y6BzbLjkey
— Roanoke Women Soccer (@RoanokeWomenSoc) September 28, 2020
Shay also said, when they do practice, she and her teammates stay within the cones that the coaching staff have set out. If she or her teammates get too close, her coach has a hand signal that he uses to let them know they are too close during practice; whereby, the players quickly reposition themselves in order to social distance more. With consideration to Shay’s position on her soccer team as a Goal Keeper, she said the coaching staff have a rotation plan in place in order to keep her and the other two Goal Keepers at a safe distance.
“I’m a Goal Keeper, so we’ve been doing shooting.
We have two goals down at one end. The Goal Keepers are pretty spaced out, so we rotate between the two goals between the three of us. So two people are in and one person is out and that one person is easily 6 feet a part from the other Goal Keeper, if not more.
And then after practice – we cool down and stretch, masks go on as we change while we take off our cleats, put on our sneakers, and stuff like that.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
Shay said, with considerations to the pandemic, the athletic staff had to switch athletic seasons around; furthermore, this meant instead of Shay’s Soccer Team – the Maroons – playing in the Fall, they plan to play in the Spring instead. She also said, looking ahead to her soccer season when they do play soccer games, certain measures should be put in place in order to keep her and her teammates safe.
“I’m not sure how safe it’s going to be unless everyone quarantines 7-14 days before a game, because I know the NFL, they are really focusing on keeping their players in quarantine and limiting the visitors that they see.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
Shay said, she does has some expectations for her coaching staff and her teammates as her soccer practices and games progress moving forward and as the Coronavirus pandemic continues:
“I hope that everyone follows the rules – to social distance, wears their face mask, follows the CDC guidelines, and is cautious around other people.
We can’t help it if someone gets Covid at this point, because it is spreading so fast. All you can do is take care of yourself and take care of other’s around you.”
– Freshman Soccer Player of Virginia Roanoke College, Hannah Shay
Interview featured below: Soccer player Hannah Shay shares more with me about how she feels being back on the field, what safety measures have been put in place in order to keep her and her teammates safe during their practices and how she feels about her upcoming soccer season in the Spring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkRBPAlAirY&feature=youtu.be
Head Coach Philip Benne explains what other safety measures have been implemented to keep ‘The Maroons’ safe amid the Coronavirus pandemic
Head Coach of Woman’s Roanoke College Soccer Team – Philip Benne – has been coaching for Roanoke Woman’s Soccer Team for 31 years and says this year has obviously been different compared to the other years he has coached; however, he said that he and his coaching staff have been able to implement a plan in order to best keep his soccer players safe at this time.
“We are in pods of 10 where there is no intermingling.
Each day, our soccer players have to do a self-assessment and send it to me. So every morning, they have to check off if they have any symptoms or if they have been in close proximity with someone who has tested positive with Covid and then they email me that daily checklist. We do this everyday and that also goes to our medical staff. If there are any red flags, the soccer player is pulled aside by the medical staff.”
– Head Coach of the Woman’s Soccer Team of Roanoke College Philip Benne
Working in small groups. Technical training and fitness. #roanokecollege #StaySafe #maskson pic.twitter.com/n8ydMTG84q
— Roanoke Women Soccer (@RoanokeWomenSoc) September 21, 2020
As the Maroons engage in soccer practice at this time, Soccer Player Hannah Shay said, she and her teammates have had to constantly monitor their heart rates by checking their Fitbit’s or Apple Watches to ensure their heart rates stay at a steady pace. Furthermore, Coach Beene expanded on this and said, for those who have tested positive for the Coronavirus and have returned to soccer practices after recovering from Covid-19, they have to see a Cardiologist on a regular basis to make sure that their heart rate stays within a healthy zone to ensure they are healthy enough to practice and play soccer.
“Those who test positive meet with our doctor and our team physician. They have to get their heart checked out to make sure Covid did not have any effect on their heart. Once they pass that, then they can rejoin the team.”
– Head Coach of the Woman’s Soccer Team of Roanoke College Philip Benne
As hygiene is extremely essential during the Coronavirus pandemic, Coach Benne said, ‘every player has to bring their own water bottle and if the players need more water, the coaching staff will bring out water stations that are consistently cleaned to ensure their safety’. Coach Benne also said, he understands how important it is to keep the field and the equipment clean in order to ensure that he, his coaching staff, and his soccer players are kept safe.
©Stock image – 1744128575 – by Mungkhood Studio
“We clean the balls after every practice. Also, the players are not using their hands at all, except the Goalies, and they have gloves on.
We have designed our practices to minimise contact, so that they do not throw the ball in. We have not done that all year.”
– Head Coach of the Woman’s Soccer Team of Roanoke College Philip Benne
In spite of how difficult this year has been for Coach Benne, his coaching staff, and his players, he said that he is quite pleased with how well his players have abided by the safety measures that he and his coaching staff have put in place in order to keep his players safe at this time. Coach Benne offers a message of hope to those who are engaging in sporting activities at this time:
“It’s going to get better everyday.
Our goal is to hopefully have games in the Spring. I know a lot of the clubs have started to play games, so we are getting back there, but it’s going to take some time.
Everyone hang in there and let’s just hope it gets better everyday.”
– Head Coach of the Woman’s Soccer Team of Roanoke College, Philip Benne
Interview featured below: Coach Philip Benne shares with me how he and his coaching staff have been able to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic and what safety measures have been implemented to ensure that his soccer team – The Maroons – stays safe amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6mLbJ-Szz8&feature=youtu.be
