The last couple of weeks have been difficult ones across the country, as the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought almost everything to a standstill, including organized athletic activity for high school athletes. But that hasn’t stopped the Girls’ Softball teams from continuing to find ways to hone their skills and keep improving for if and when games and practices return.

“I was most excited about getting to experience what varsity was really like, as I used to watch them play a lot when I was younger. I miss seeing my teammates and getting to work with them while having fun,” freshman shortstop Nikki Vojack said.

While athletes such as Amanda Glowacki and Teagan Buckley dealt with the disappointment of seeing their softball seasons shut down, they’ve found ways to alter their routines rather than cancel them. The team group chat was filled with messages about staying in shape and training from home.

“I have been practicing and working out about five to six times a week because either we are going back to play for the high school season or for the travel season and I want to be prepared,” sophomore catcher Glowacki said.
Sophomore outfielder Buckley added, “The way I prepare to come back is I work out every day, take 100 swings off of a tee, and then take grounders and fly balls.”

The lost season may be the most devastating for seniors, many of whom anticipated going out with a bang since they entered high school. While playing sports may not be the highest priority during this pandemic, it leaves the seniors wondering if they’ll get to finish their high school careers.

“Being a senior this is especially hard, everything I have worked for over the last four years has been for [this] season. To go out with a bang, it sucks to have it taken away and the possibility of never stepping on a Barrington field with my teammates is definitely heartbreaking. However, I have been staying mentally positive and physically healthy and in shape, in hopes for the season to resume very shortly,” senior outfielder Kendall Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen along with her fellow teammates are going through these emotions in regards to the unexpected off-season. Dr. Heath McFaul, Associate Principal, and head of all clubs and activities offer his advice to all of the seniors and the student body of the high school.

“Maya Angelou once said, ‘You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.’ There is wisdom in her words. You see, life is not an endless series of pleasant experiences… We all learn from adversity. We learn about our character, our resolve, and we develop plans for ourselves to move forward,” McFaul said.
Though McFaul’s kind words open up new perspectives and allow for new hopes to inspire the team, players still find themselves lost in the midst of this change.

“Softball is a team sport and there’s no way you can play it as a one-man team, so it is very hard to not be practicing with your friend or team. Due to quarantine, it has been difficult to practice without raising the questions of ‘why am I even doing this by myself or with a family member if the point of the game is to play as a team?’” Glowacki said.