COVID-19 And The Red Shirt Senior Year Nobody Wanted
The ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic and the subsequent social distancing and quarantine protocols have transformed everyone’s lives. The Pandemic continues to affect the global population. Everyone salivates with the growing anticipation for the arrival of the day; life returns to the way it was before COVID-19. Student-Athletes, however, have witnessed firsthand just how cruel COVID can be. High school seniors who participate in athletics are among the most eager to get back to the routine sporting activities that showcase their skills and talents for college recruitment season. However, COVID-19 prevented many teenagers around the country from participating in regular academic and athletic activities that adequately set them up for recruitment. The notion of having fewer opportunities and limited practice schedules are just among a few ways that COVID-19 has emerged as the plague for student requirements.
COVID-19 affected high school athletes in several ways, especially regarding recruitment for college athletics. One can only imagine the immense psychological strain students endured stemming from new social distancing protocols for athletes or players, especially in contact sports. Social distancing and quarantine protocols adversely affected the involvement and engagement of high school athletes in sports. Players have to follow strict guidelines while following a social distancing regimen apart from typical rules and practice routines. The increased risk of infection in contact sports has reduced sporting engagements, leading to postponements or cancellations. Subsequently, no participation means no showcase, which means no senior resume to submit to the NCAA. Platforms like Max Preps that originally were pivotal for athletes to showcase their athletic potential became irrelevant. Many high school seniors eager to exhibit their skills or talent had no way of showcasing their potential to college recruiters. When the NCAA stamped an iron fist when they suspended all in-person recruitment in 2020, collegiate programs became desperate for only the best and most marketable high school talent. “For us as a staff, we were like, who are our top 30 guys? Let’s just identify those and go all-in with our chips.” were the words of B.J. Dunne, head men’s basketball coach at Gettysburg College. With coaches making wild gambles in desperate times, mid-tier student-athletes who fail to make the Sports Center top ten or put themselves on an institution’s radar face stark challenges because they cannot showcase their skills on an even platform with more recognized athletes.
The reduction in competitions and team engagements adversely affected recruitment and scholarship possibilities for many high school seniors. Other students feel that they might suffer from financial woes because they were confident that they would attain scholarships because of their sporting skills. Similarly, athletes also believe that they might pass out. They would not be able to grasp the opportunity to perform in front of college recruiters. The quarantine and social distancing protocols may continue to prevent high school athletes from getting into college athletics due to a reduction in sports engagements. This is a concerning factor for various players. The authorities should devise a formidable plan to manage this chaotic situation.
The appropriate solution could involve implementing changes or even entirely overhauling the collegiate recruitment process as restrictions and high school athletics around the country race back to normality. Thus ensuring that no student will lose out on an opportunity due to the raging complications from the Pandemic. In cooperation with state athletic commissions, the NCAA has made minor adjustments that allow athletes more flexibility for recruitment and make unforeseen exceptions to students aiming to transfer. However, COVID has stifled many young students, and while society seeks to move on in the COVID-19 Pandemic. College student-athletes are still trying to put the pieces back together.
