Kyle Wang
This year for Thanksgiving and I have a lot to be thankful for in sports. Ever since the COVID regulations, sport seasons and practices have changed drastically: fewer practices, delayed or canceled seasons,, and mandatory masks. With these regulations still taking place, I am very grateful to have memories of enjoying volleyball in middle school and cross-country in sophomore year.
Volleyball was the first sport that I gradually enjoyed playing throughout my middle school years. When I first started in 6th grade, I didn’t know how to play volleyball and memorizing the formations were all new to me. I was appointed to be the setter and this role made me practice many times to get the sets right for hitters. Also during the games, being the setter makes you have constant communication with your teammates on who is getting the ball and what position the setter needs to call out for them to hit the ball. I am always thankful to my coaches for always guiding me and showing me ways to get the ball in a certain direction and to what height for the hitter. The coaches gave me several hand practices, such as setting the ball into the basketball hoop and constantantly setting the ball to yourself, and those gave me bruises on my fingers, but it was to help me get used to the pain and continue on. In the last year of middle school volleyball, the hard work and coaching during the practices paid off as our team won the championship, and we were very thankful for the coaches pushing us and giving us pep talks to do better.
#3 is Kyle
Another sport that I was excited to try out for but was cut short because of COVID was track. I am grateful though that I could try the different aspects of track and practice with some of my friends. The two parts of track I tried were hurdles and fast sprints and I remembered falling over one of the hurdles during practice and bruising my knee. I missed the group warm-ups, small races that we timed to see who is faster, and group runs on the field or school; even though we only had a month, I am grateful that I got to experience a new sport and be able to enjoy normal practices unlike present situations today.
I definitely reminisce about the days of athletes gathering around on the field to practice for the competitions and coaches yelling advice for the athletes to keep in mind during important stages of the game. I will always be grateful for the memories of volleyball and track that made me new friends and experienced a new liking for the sports. It has taught me to don’t forget those vivid times because you may never know when these moments could be stopped or paused for several months or years. Currently in my junior year, I am attending XC small practices held by coaches and even though a season is not exact, I am very thankful to at least enjoy sports through small group practices and taking precautions by wearing a mask or practicing at home.