By Kurt Wheeler
Like every other team, the Cazenovia girls track team was denied the opportunity to practice or compete together this spring as we responded to the coronavirus.
As is so often the case, we don’t recognize something’s importance until we lose it. The silver lining of this disappointing circumstance is that we have learned how much we value athletics and the many important roles our teams play in our lives.
We’ve discovered that teams are about more than just running races and winning meets. They are a source of encouragement and motivation. They are a support network and a resource. Our teammates aren’t just beside us as we strive for physical fitness – they are an important component of our mental and emotional health as well.
We have learned since March 16, 2020 just how much we value the opportunity to do all that in person.
Our student-athletes have proven to be incredibly resilient, adapting to new circumstances and new expectations. As a teacher, I have been incredibly proud of my students’ perseverance and resolve through all this, turning in quality work with exceptional consistency. My athletes have been equally adaptive, maintaining a positive attitude, finding new ways to train and new ways to engage one another as teammates.
We have worked hard to maintain a “virtual team” on our website, posting daily photos and messages, celebrating birthdays and accomplishments. The girls have shared workouts and healthy recipes, provided encouragement and just made one another smile.
We have established weekly “team meetings” via videoconference, celebrating the completion of another week of remote learning and sharing stories and laughs. We look forward to conducting some socially-distanced team events when conditions allow, and note with amazement that just being allowed to stand six feet from a teammate is something we await eagerly.
All these reflections have come into focus this week as we look back on our “Senior Meet” last year and celebrate what would have been our last home contest this spring.
For the majority of my athletes, they can look forward to future seasons. This was not the case for the seven seniors on my squad who lost their final campaign without any notice or recourse. We’ll never know what records they may have set, personal bests they might have achieved or timeless memories they could have created with their teammates.
They are a remarkable group of young women who made indelible marks on our program, even with their plague-shortened careers. Last spring they capped the best decade in our team’s history, finishing another undefeated season as they completed a 63-3 run over 10 years, winning eight league titles and three sectional titles.
Tragically, there will always be an asterisk next to the 2020 season. We will never know what they might have added to their legacy, but we will never forget the grace with which they responded to adversity.
Congratulations and best wishes to our 2020 seniors – Peyton Basic, Claire Edwards, Tessa Hanskenecht, Savannah Johnson, Madison Jones, Emma Moynihan and Chloe Smith. Thank you not only for what you contributed but for what you sacrificed. Your season that never was has made us all realize how precious every season together truly is.
