It is almost 2021 and students in Kelly Walsh and around the state still spend everyday wondering if it will be the last day before the schools get shut down again. Many worry every weekend that it will soon be the end of our 2020-2021 school year. A lot of students did not think they would be back after Thanksgiving break.

 When summer came to an end and fall sports began, athletes and everyone around them tried to enforce new Covid-19 regulations in fear that they would not get their sports season. Now that all fall sports have finished up their seasons, the next thing to wonder is: will Kelly Walsh get a winter sports season? As wrestlers, skiers, and basketball players begin their seasons, they are hoping that they will get to see the end of their season like the fall athletes did.

Alex Yakel, a downhill skier, and a junior at Kelly Walsh spoke on how he feels about winter sports. He said, “Nobody really knows what is going to happen, so I just show up to enjoy the sport and not worry about if it could be my last day.”

A lot of athletes have the same mindset as Yakel; they do not want to spend their time worrying. They are there to enjoy the sport while they can. However, it is harder for senior athletes to just brush off the thought of losing their last high school season.

Senior basketball player Caleb Cockrum spoke on how that is a worry of his. Cockrum said, “Sometimes I worry if the season will be cancelled, it seems like there is a lot of talk about it coming from the outside, but this gives us as a team the opportunity to really lock in.”

This school year, athletes have tried really hard to come together to encourage people to follow Covid guidelines.

“Wearing masks is not fun, but all of us would do anything to have a season… especially us seniors, with this one  being our last. Nobody on our team is guaranteed another of basketball, but us seniors are especially limited in time,” said Cockrum. 

Many seniors worry that they will not get the opportunities that seniors normally have. Such as, college coaches coming to watch them, having a winning season, or leading a team. Despite the worry, all of the athletes show up to Kelly Walsh every day to show their dedication and commitment to the sport they love.