US Woman’s Collegiate Soccer Team undergo quarantine measures after Coronavirus outbreak on team: Soccer Player and Coach speak out

“Quarantine is kind of a grace period – to help make yourself better and to improve yourself – not only physically, but mentally as well. It can be lonely and scary for some and even though there is a lot of stress going on, you can still focus on the things you struggle with and work on the things you think you should improve on.”

– Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay

Collegiate Woman’s Soccer Team in Virginia experiences Coronavirus outbreak

According to the Virginia Department of Healththe 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.

Incoming Freshman Soccer Player of Roanoke College, Hannah Shay

“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

 

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

Coach Philip Benne coaching the Maroon’s Soccer Team

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

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.

Cleaning soccer ball

©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

Covid-19: US New Jersey Pharmacist speaks out

“It’s a lot different. We have to take credit cards on the phone to pay for everything. We’re allowed to sign Covid, so that the patient doesn’t have to come inside. So it’s different. There’s more steps involved.” – Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

“Bird Waving” by kiszka king is licensed under CC BY 2.0

New Jersey is a Covid-19 Hotspot in the US

According to the Center for Disease Control, over 149,000 Covid-19 related cases have been reported in the state of New Jersey. Furthermore, New Jersey is currently listed as one of the top hotspots for the Coronavirus in the United States.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy originally issued a Stay-at-Home Order on 21 March; furthermore, as of last week Governor Murphy has extended the Stay-at-Home order another 30 days.

The Stay-at-Home Order restricts those non-essential workers from going outside their homes. Moreover,  pharmacists are deemed as essential workers during this pandemic, and have had to take extra precautionary measures to ensure everybody’s safety at this time.

Pharmacist Shelia Riesco, who works at an independent pharmacy in Wall Township, New Jersey spoke with me about the challenges she and her colleagues have faced and how they have managed to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

US Pharmacist interview

Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

Pharmacist Riesco said, she and her colleagues do have a system in place to ensure herself, her colleagues, and their customers are kept safe during this pandemic.

“Basically, we have a set up down at the end of the pharmacy for pick up. Only one person is allowed in one at a time, or we can do curb side delivery where we can go out and actually bring stuff to their car, while also wearing our masks and our gloves.

I think they like curb side delivery.”

-NJ Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

“File:MOH COVID-19-A4-store-poster FA.pdf” by New Zealand Government is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Pharmacist Riesco also said, their customers have been very cooperative at this time and have been mindful of the social distancing policies that have been put in place.

“We haven’t had a problem. People seem to understand that they need to stay distant.”

-NJ Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

For pharmacists, they do have to take all of the safety precautions in order to keep the customers and their staff safe, which means they have had to do a lot of things differently in order to do just that.

“It’s a lot different. We have to take credit cards on the phone to pay for everything. We’re allowed to sign Covid, so that the patient doesn’t have to come inside. So it’s different. There’s more steps involved.”

-NJ Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

Who has been the most affected?

Pharmacist Shelia Riesco, also mother of two, said her kids have been most affected as both of them have had to stop going to school, two months earlier than a normal expected school year, while also trying to complete their classes online from home.

“The family has been most affected, especially the kids. They have to stay in inside. They have to do online school. Online schooling is not as easy it seems like it was going to be – they are having troubles with that.”

-NJ Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

Pharmacist Shelia said, she is grateful for the technology that is available, such as Zoom, because it has enabled her kids to keep in touch with their friends.

“Thank God that they are able to Zoom with their friends, because if they didn’t have that I think it would be a lot worse.”

-Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

When the lockdown lifts

When the lockdown does start to ease and Pharmacist Riesco’s pharmacy is able to fully open and allow more customers into the pharmacy, Pharmacist Riesco said that they still plan to take the necessary precautions that are needed in order to keep themselves and their customers safe.

“We are putting up some shields, so that when we are able to actually open the doors and allow more people to come in, we’ll be set up. We are going to have a period of time before this is all settled and we’ll open up, but we will still need to keep some sort of barriers in place for safety. It’s going to be one step at a time.”

-NJ Pharmacist Shelia Riesco

Full interview featured below: To watch the full interview with Pharmacist Shelia Riesco and how else the Covid-19 pandemic has affected her press ▶️ on the video below👇🏻.

Covid-19 pandemic: Life Celebrant spreads light to the grieving

“For me, normally at the end of the service families are so grateful for what I’ve done, that they normally would want to give me a hug, or a shake of a people’s hands, when they come out, and not being able to do that has been really tough for me. Because you know, I’m watching people grieving. I’m watching people crying constantly. And naturally, all I want to do is to give them a hug. So not being able to do that, I’m finding that really difficult.”
– Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan

Families struggle to cope with grief during Covid-19 pandemic

As many people are passing away due to Coronavirus related deaths or even non-related Coronavirus deaths at this time, families are struggling to create an atmosphere for their loved ones that have passed away by not having the option to invite the people they would like to have at the crematorium or funeral service due to the Covid-19 restrictions that have been imposed.

According to the UK Government site, every person in attendance at a crematorium or funeral service, should continue to follow the social distancing policy – standing or sitting 2 meters (6 ft.) a part. Also, only 10 attendees are allowed at the crematorium or funeral service, which includes:

  • members of the person’s household
  • close family members
  • or if the above are unable to attend, close friends
  • attendance of a celebrant of choice, should the bereaved request this

More information can be found here for managing a funeral during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Because families are so restricted to how they can plan a funeral or crematorium service, this can often cause more inflicted pain for families that are already grieving for their passing of their loved ones. Therefore, including a Life Celebrant can be a helpful resource to get families through this grieving process. Life Celebrants do their best to make the funeral or crematorium service as personable for the family members as possible.

According to Altmeyer – Funeral Homes & Crematory,  “Celebrants sit with loved ones in the days prior to a service and listen to stories and interests. Then they create a personalized service based on the individual and their beliefs.”

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues and people continue to pass away, Positive Psychologist and Life Celebrant Sacha Marie Mulligan does her best to create an atmosphere for each family that is grieving at this time, so that she can create a special service for their loved ones life who have passed away.

Covid-19 has changed how a Life Celebrant is able to work and comfort those who are grieving

Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan and I set up a Zoom meeting to discuss how she has been able to perform her job effectively during this pandemic. Mulligan said, normally she would go to people’s houses to discuss the arrangements for the family member who have passed away; however, despite the Coronavirus circumstances she is unable to do so.

Mulligan has had to discuss the funeral or crematorium arrangements either through Zoom or simply just speaking about it on the telephone. After she has discussed with the family members what type of person – the deceased – who they were and whether or not they have a religious preference, Mulligan begins to organise a personal service for the family and their lost loved one. However, despite the extreme changes that have been imposed, Mulligan has had to get creative at times to create an atmosphere that the families would appreciate.

“One crematorium is now not offering music or a livestream, as such. However, most of the crematoriums do offer a livestream, so that people can click the link and watch it from the computer or their phones, but one of crematoriums is not offering any music. So what I’m doing is downloading music choices onto my phone taking my speaker and playing it myself for them, because it’s already a time that their struggling and grieving and then to add restrictions that they can’t celebrate somebody’s life as they would normally.”                           – Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan

Once the crematorium or funeral services are over, Mulligan is having a really hard time with being able to comfort the families or accept their gratitude for what she has done to provide such a personable ceremony for their loved ones.

“For me, normally at the end of the service, families are so grateful for what I’ve done, that they normally would want to give me a hug, or a shake of a people’s hands, when they come out, and not being able to do that has been really tough for me. Because you know I’m watching people grieving. I’m watching people crying constantly. And naturally all I want to do is give them a hug. So not being able to do that, I’m finding it really difficult.”                                                  – Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan

With considerations to how funeral and crematorium services are performed and operated due to the Covid-19 pandemic – Life Celebrant – Sacha Marie Mulligan offers a personal message to those families who are struggling loosing loved ones at this time:

“It doesn’t matter how many people are at a funeral service. It doesn’t mean that they’re not getting the send off that they deserve… you’re the ones that they loved and you loved them and it doesn’t matter how many people are there. Just know that they were loved and you were loved by them and just really try not to overthink everything. For example – thinking, ‘This isn’t what my dad or mum would have wanted.’ Just know it’s out of our control and let’s do the best with what we have and what we can do.”                                   – Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan

Final words from Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan:

“Just be grateful, because when you’re grateful you cannot be in a negative state of mind. Your mind doesn’t let you, so just look around and see what you can be grateful for.”                                                                                     – Life Celebrant, Sacha Marie Mulligan

Zoom interview featured below: To hear the full interview I had with Life Celebrant Sacha Marie Mulligan and what else she had to say, please press ▶️ on the video below.

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