Spring Sports Are Finally Here!
After no Spring Sports last year due to COVID-19, they have finally resumed.
Anna Pontzious running track for Eisenhower
June 7, 2021
Spring Sports are finally back after they took a year off. When COVID-19 hit last March, many schools were in the middle of tryouts or trying to begin their seasons, which sadly never happened. Now sports like baseball, softball, and track are finally back but not without obstacles. UAIS is very unique because there are kids that go to all four homeschools: Eisenhower, Stevenson, Utica, and Ford. Multiple students will share what their sport’s season looks like under all kinds of rules and restrictions.
Julia Sitek attends UAIS and plays JV tennis at Henry Ford. Earlier in the year she also did swim at the high school level. Regarding tennis, she expressed that there are several procedures that they must follow to ensure that the team doesn’t have a COVID shutdown. Julia said that some procedures include weekly Covid Testing, wearing masks, and sanitizing items. All of these precautions make getting through the season that much harder. Ford did have to delay the season a few weeks, but the team hasn’t had to cancel any games due to an exposure and hopefully it stays that way.
Another student Athlete that attends UAIS is Toby Layson. He plays varsity baseball at Eisenhower. After missing his sophomore year, he is ready to get back to playing. Most of the procedures are similar, but some things are important to note. For baseball, they don’t have to wear masks while they play on the field, but they do in the dugout. Their season was also pushed back a few weeks, but they are still looking to get all of their games in. Unlike the Ford’s tennis team, Eisenhower varsity baseball has had two players that either contracted COVID-19 or had to quarantine. Luckily, they haven’t had to cancel any games yet.
One last student athlete at our school is Anna Pontzious. She runs track at Eisenhower, and is pictured at the top article. Just like Toby, she doesn’t have to wear a mask while she runs, but she does while on the sidelines. Weekly testing is also a procedure that the track team has to follow. All of the students featured in this article have to go through the COVID testing. This was a new rule implemented for Spring Sports because of the current rise in COVID-19 cases. Even with many procedures, the season seems to be in full swing.
All of these students have endured so much to get on the field, and we hope them the best as they play their seasons.
