Senior athletes’ late season cause for uncertainty
Don Lugo football team running onto field. (Photo Courtesy of: Diego Cruz)
October 21, 2020
Seniors are seeking the social aspect of their final year in high school and opportunities that come with it. A big opportunity is with sports. Sports open a gateway that can allow student-athletes to go to a college with a scholarship if you meet a college’s expectations and have the opportunity to show your skills.
A popular way for student-athletes of showing one’s skills is through a program called Hudl, which is used to showcase their film from in-game footage that can attract colleges to look at and potentially offer an athlete a scholarship. Students may not be able to have the essential film due to the struggle of COVID-19 which has put all student-athletes at jeopardy. No film, no offers; It’s as simple as that.
My opportunity to be noticed by colleges to play football is now slim to no chance. — Stephen Cabrera
Jared Duffy a senior that plays Varsity Football at Don Lugo says “If we don’t have a season but teams in other states do, their chances of getting looked at are much greater than mine because all of their stats are up to date.” Seniors like Jared are really counting on their senior year to show colleges what skills they can contribute. Not only that, but it puts some athletes at a major disadvantage to other athletes who are having a jump-start to their season.
On the other spectrum, student-athlete Jojo Galindo a Varsity Baseball and Football player comes in with a positive mindset stating, “All you can do is stay working, stay positive and stay motivated. Nothing can stop you if you get the mindset set on positivity.” With a positive mindset and practicing social distancing these seniors may have a final season to keep their hopes alive.
With less time then what students would have had prior to pandemic is a challenge in itself. Sports is another addition that is impacted immensely and can cause concern during college application time. Senior students who play sports and are seeking college scholarships are hopeful but are losing time to train/practice which creates a space of uncertainty for their future.
