Outside Sports Makeover

School sports play a huge role in school spirit, helping to bring students and faculty together. So when Covid-19 caused FCHS to drastically change how these sporting events are organized, as well as to cut back on how many people are allowed to attend the events in order to maintain social distancing and reduce the spread of the virus.

As a result, these changes have literally affected thousands of people in Fluvanna County, from students to staff to parents. While the winter and fall sports seasons appear to have coped well with the changes,  the outdoor sport teams are preparing for a significantly different season from what they might be used to.

FCHS Assistant Athletic Director Darren McCauley helped shed some light on what the outdoor fall sport season is going to look like this year. One main question that students have been asking is if the student body will be allowed to attend the outdoor sporting events. Unfortunately, McCauley said, “the student body is not able to purchase tickets to any sporting events this season.”

McCauley elaborated, “it is not up to the school board, it is up to our governor. Our governor has said that recreational sports may hold 250 spectators max (this does not include participants–players, coaches, trainers, managers, game workers). Cheerleaders and the band is not included and is part of the 250.” Students participating in the sporting events will be able to invite family and friends with the limited amount of tickets they are given, often just one to two tickets per game.

Many students look forward to the excitement that comes with attending sporting events, but with Covid-19 restrictions, they will lose much of the excitement that comes from fans. FCHS junior Maggie McWilliams is a very spirited Fluco fan who enjoys encouraging her school during the games. “The chance that my classmates and I might not be able to see the games would be really upsetting. I love having events like school football games and I really hope that I can cheer on the Flucos this year,” said McWilliams.

There are many different rules and regulations that will be taking place this season to ensure safety for everyone who is attending, including the following:

• Players are not required to wear masks, but are allowed to if they prefer to
• Masks must be on during time outs and on sidelines
• Chairs on sidelines will be separated and assigned
• People must be socially distanced in stands, and masks will be required
• Each time the ball goes out to play, it will get sanitized

Cross Country is also also going to look very different this year with a new rule: only two teams may be on the course at a time.

Change is hard for everyone, and many athletes are forced to adapt to these changes to continue to play the sport they love, even during these difficult times. “The biggest difference for me is not being able to practice in full pads and hit each other to prepare for games due to Covid restrictions,” said sophomore Jaden Ferguson who is playing football.

Ferguson has some words of wisdom for Fluco athletes: “At the end of the day, we can’t let Covid take away from how we perform on the field, but without the fans to create the energy and hype on the field we have to create it for ourselves.”