Favored student activities, such as sports, were temporarily suspended earlier this year due to stopping the spread COVID-19. Many participants of team sports lost about a year’s worth of practice, and some even dropped out. But just a little before campuses reopened for in-person learning, team sports began to start again, but with a different set of rules.

Sports like football, water polo, and volleyball are very common team sports here at Carlsbad high school and were some of the first sports to be accessible to the public since they shut down. Students were excited that sports were starting again since most of them couldn’t join a sport for a while. But the lingering question was how participating in a team sport would follow the Covid-19 safety regulation.

“Before covid, I was always looking forward to trying out for tennis, and I didn’t even know if there was going to be a team this year,” freshman Carmen Auerbach said. “When I found out there was going to be one, I got very curious on how it would turn out and be like with covid happening. Usually, the team wouldn’t be coed, but this year it is. There usually would also be a JV team and a varsity team but this year it’s only one big varsity team. The team atmosphere is really great and I love all my coaches and all of the people I’ve met.”

A shared feeling amongst students is how different team sports are this year than from the year prior. Evidently, the pandemic had a role to play, but the team’s dynamic has been altered to an extent. Senior Halle Hewitt gave us the details of her experience participating in the volleyball team this year.

“With COVID-19, volleyball is different because the season is shorter, we had to get covid tested every week, and play games with masks on,” said Hewitt. “The team bond is still super strong but we were all sad that we couldn’t have a longer season. We had a pretty successful season and played great with the teams that we played!”

The new regulations had both benefits and drawbacks as the students were able to have a season yet most were shorter than normal. However, all sports at CHS thrived this year and gave it their all. Students seem to be content about starting a new team sport or continuing a sport they played, despite the pandemic.

“This year was still fun because we got to play music at practice and we were able to make the most out of the season,” Hewitt said.