Sophomore Mya Sellers puts on her knee pads and laces up her volleyball shoes as she begins volleyball practice for the 2020-2021 season. She has been practicing all summer for this season, and is thrilled to get back into the gym.

“I am super excited to be starting up volleyball again!” Sellers said. “I have an opportunity to play on varsity this year and I am super excited for what this future season holds,” While COVID-19 has made major adjustments to school sports and pushed seasons back, this has given many student athletes the opportunity to improve on their own time and achieve their goals. 

Many student athletes are upset that their seasons have been pushed back. “COVID-19 has definitely given me more time to work on my craft and just improve my overall performance on the court,” Sellers said. 

For most student athletes, balancing remote learning and homework with workouts may be a challenge. However, it is important to stay motivated in order to be successful. “Keeping up with my school work can be troubling at times, but you just have to push through and realize what you’re working for,” Sellers said.

 The stress of online school, sports and other extracurriculars can have a negative effect on mental health. There are many strategies that student athletes use in order to improve their mental health and keep a positive mindset.

“People have different ways of improving mental health.” Sellers said. “Use whatever works best for you. Personally, I like to meditate and use crystals. These methods calm me down and allow me to think positively when things get rough.”

There have been strict rules put in place during sports practices in order to keep everyone safe. For example, everyone must wear a mask when staying in place, everyone must be six feet apart at all times and all equipment must consistently be sanitized. “I’m glad there are lots of rules in place to keep us healthy. It can get difficult at times, but the hardest part is definitely not being able to hug or high five my teammates,” Sellers said.