COVID Normal: New Level of Sports Accountability

Pre-pandemic, sports accountability is tended to be thought of a combination of being there to put full effort into practice, into your reps, and being there to improve the team. There was a sense that you need to make smart choices, but COVID-19 has become a bigger push of individual and team accountability.

I want to tackle on what this new accountability is looking like in athletics. I am wanting to get a wide spectrum of where accountability is taking place.

First, I thought about the individual athlete, particularly a senior or captain. These are players that influence the team and have influence over the entire team. With COVID-19, it is vital to establish that actions have consequences and that it can especially effect the team.

Others I thought about interviewing was the strength coach (central figure that majority of Morningside sports know), Coach Ryan (keeping accountability with over 100+ athletes), an RA (get a sense of if people are being smart throughout the weekend), then possibly a nurse/doctor (see team accountability is really going to help prevent spread).

I know a lot of sports are already feeling the changes with COVID, with mask wearing spectators and coaches. But I do think there is a push to be smart with athletes due to the lost of sports seasons and national championships for some.