Although school athletics were cancelled several weeks into the spring, students were able to play for their club teams over the summer.

Junior Jack Mehler plays club baseball in the summer. “The high school season was cancelled, but it was great to still be able to play in the summer for Elite Baseball,” Mehler said.

Mehler is comfortable playing because of the safety protocols. “Before every game we have to fill out a form marking that we don’t have any symptoms. These safety precautions are very comforting,” Mehler said.

Baseball is considered low contact, which allowed games to be played earlier on than more physical sports. Because of Covid, rules had to be changed. “In baseball, the umpire was moved six feet behind the pitcher to allow for social distancing. We also had to wear masks at all times,” Mehler said.

Montgomery County has been cautious on their guidelines for sporting activities. Over the summer, players had to travel out of state to play. Sophomore Josh Erd traveled to play a baseball tournament in Georgia in June, where COVID guidelines were less restrictive for sports. “It was great to be able to play the game I love,” Erd said.

Basketball is different , because the sport is very physical. “My travel basketball season for the summer was cancelled because it is too dangerous to safely play the sport during the pandemic,” junior Caitlyn Kwan said.

In other states, basketball tournaments are happening. “My parents wouldn’t let me play in tournaments. My travel team has been having practices and we have been working on individual skills and other aspects of the game,” Kwan said.

The future remains uncertain for when basketball games will be played. “I don’t think basketball will be fully safe until there is an effective vaccine,” Kwan said.

The college recruiting process also has completely changed because of the virus. D1 schools have been on a “dead period” all summer, meaning they cannot go out to watch athletes play in person. Social media has been the primary source for recruitment. “We are able to show college coaches our skills through social media,” Kwan said.