Figuring out a topic for this week's post has been a struggle. To be honest, the last thing I wanted to write about is anything to do with the Coronavirus. I wanted to write about something that could give us all a mental break from the global pandemic, but with everything going on it is hard for me to not think about the crazy times we are in. One thing that has been on my heart this week is how many athletes and fans are being affected by sports seasons being cancelled or postponed. There are different levels of how this feels, but no matter if you are a athlete or a fan you are being affected. This is one of the very few times in history that athletics around the world are at a standstill. It is one of those things in life that you do not realize what you have until it is gone.
My heart goes out to every single athlete who has been taken away from their sport. Many collegiate athletes only have four chances to accomplish their goals. Spring athletes have worked all year for their season. Fall and winter athletes were supposed to have this time to prepare and better themselves for their upcoming season. Professional athletes are having their jobs and livelihood stripped from them. If you can not relate to any of these examples, I want you to keep in mind that athletes do not have luxury of thinking, "I will just wait for next year". Sadly being an athlete means there is a time limit on your career that you do not always have control over. For some athletes, there will be no next practice, next game, or next season. This was their last chance to accomplish their goals and it was taken away from them. For example, it is very heartbreaking to think about the athletes who have been preparing their whole lives, to participate in this Summer Olympics. As the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed, many of these athletes have lost their opportunity to represent their country. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most athletes.
While athletes have not been actively participating in their respected sport, they are still finding ways to give back to their fans. There is a huge gap in content for all types of fans, but with the use of social media athletes have made an effort to connect to their fan base. If you have been watching ESPN, there has been NBA and WNBA 2K live streaming contests, NBA Horse Tournament, and a variety of other ways that athletes are still finding ways to entertain and connect with their fans. In addition to entertaining, there has been an overwhelming amount of athletes giving back to their communities. For example, Kevin Love graciously donated $100,000 to the Cleveland Cavaliers stadium staff.
This is a perfect example of athletes giving back to the people who have supported them their entire careers. Even though they are internally battling with the emotional distress of being removed from their profession, many of the athletes are continuing to make positive impacts through out the world.
While you may be missing your season or can't watch your favorite team, athletics have continued to find ways to bring us all together. If it is following your favorite athlete on Instagram to watching an NBA Horse competition on ESPN, players and fans can all agree that sports is a major contributor to our society. With this in mind, the sports community can all stand strong together and get through these tough times.
I wish you all the best and are staying safe and healthy!