COVID-19 Impacts Senior Athletes MET News Middleborough High School Television Production 2 March 18, 2020March 18, 2020 By Carly Quill Many seniors have been looking forward to this moment since freshman year, they have been dreaming about their senior night and being able to play their final season of their favorite sport. This is a dream that may not be able to come true for many students. The Coronavirus has taken away three weeks of school in Massachusetts and has a possibility of taking even more time if COVID-19 is still rapidly spreading. There are so many possible cancellations of sports, proms, and even graduation ceremonies. MIAA has recently had to switch their spring sports opening twice already, originally it was switched from March 16, 2020 to March 30, 2020, now not till April 27, 2020. This is if the students are able to play this season at all. At Middleboro High, these students have been looking forward to playing on their new sport facilities all year, they have recently finished the turf and bleachers, and the baseball and softball field that should have been ready for use for the 2020 spring season. As a girls lacrosse player, last year we finished the season with making it to the tournament for the first time ever. In the off season we have been practicing and preparing for months to go into this season strong, we were all very excited and finding out that we may not have a season is hard after putting in so much hard work and extra time. This is the time of year many student athletes look forward to and it may be taken away from them. The Coronavirus has canceled professional sports, this is making it scarier for high school sports because although they are postponed at the moment they could cancel them as a whole if the virus continues to grow and infect more people. Teams vying for state championships during their spring seasons might not get to finish writing their stories. Unlike the NCAA, there’s no way for high schools to grant athletes another year of eligibility, which means seniors in all spring sports have potentially lost their final season. Although this suspension is not just affecting these seniors, The suspension affects younger classes, as well. For some, high school sports are a path to an athletic scholarship at the next level. With no high school sports season, there’s no opportunity to play in front of college coaches. COVID-19 is affecting more than just school it is affecting the student athletes passion and a season that they were looking forward to all year, it may be taking away some athletes last season ever, they may not get to step onto that field for the last time with a team they call family with a crowd of their classmates and friends behind them to support them. They may not have their senior night that they have been looking forward to while planning others before them, they may not have their final goodbye. For now, hopefully we will see everyone on the field on April 27, 2020.