Bethany Student-Athletes Adapt to the Times

Bethany, W. Va. – The normal pattern of life for Bethany student-athletes who dedicate most school-year time to academics and team-related activities was recently turned upside down in a matter of days. A month has passed since the announcement of the suspension of athletic events and remote learning would take place. The spring competitions pulled right out from beneath the student-athletes in March, and every member of the Bison community was affected in some way, with the announcements cancelling first individual events and then entire spring sports seasons. That precipitated to Bethany like most colleges nationally transitioning to remote classes for the remainder of the semester.

While online classes have been around for a while, some students have not had to experience remote learning before this spring, especially for many of the underclassmen.

"Within the first two weeks I started to get the hang of it" stated sophomore volleyball player Brooke Corley.

"It took me about two weeks to get used to the new format" expressed freshman women's basketball player Sophie Morey. "It was confusing at first, but my professors and peers were great with helping me through it."

Bethany like many other colleges have students from all over the map, from the neighboring states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, to Florida and Texas and overseas to Germany and Australia. This gives the professors, student support staff, and coaches the challenge of how to bring everyone together remotely and still create a positive learning experience for the students. The Bethany College community has done an amazing job in preparing students for the online process and keeping everyone engaged as if they were still on campus.

"It didn't take me much time at all to adapt to the online courses as all of my professors had very good communication with all of the students" said freshman baseball player Jake McGlumphy.

"My professors really made the process smooth and I was able to adjust a lot quicker than I expected" added Brooke Corley.

For some of the student-athletes like freshman football player Dadrick Vickers, and Jake McGlumphy they had experience with online learning from high school, so it didn't take them as long to get the hang of the remote learning.

Over the course of the last three weeks, there has been many adjustments for our student-athletes from online learning to finding new ways to stay in shape for their sports. Finding a routine and managing their time has been one of the biggest adjustments.

"I wake up at around 8am every morning and complete any and all class work for that day by 3pm. Then I spend the afternoon outside and working out" expressed freshman distance runner Danielle Williams.

"I have to pay more attention to my email and make sure I keep in contact with my teachers" said Vickers.

For international student, Sophie Morey, remote learning takes a whole new meaning.

"As an international student, the time difference has been a major obstacle for online classes. I am constantly trying to navigate zoom times and assignment deadlines into Australian time" stated Morey. "I have created my own daily schedule and routine so I am able to get my classwork done."  

"My professors have been really understanding with everything. Some have extended deadlines and are fast to respond to emails when we have questions with technical issues whilst doing online learning" added Morey.

Not only were academics disrupted from the COVID-19 virus. Like many schools across the country, spring sports were cancelled. With the closures of schools, gyms, parks, and training facilities, athletes are also faced with the challenge of staying in shape and working on their skills to become a better athlete.

Many athletes have discovered new workouts from using online resources and apps to using equipment they have around the house whether it is old weights in the basement or an old jump rope. The use of neighborhood sidewalks and roads have become the path of athletes getting in their miles. Athletes have gone back to their childhood days shooting hoops in the driveway or getting groundballs in the backyard.

"I have been working out and lifting weights in my basement, taking batting practice, playing catch, and taking ground balls in the backyard" added McGlumphy. "I am lucky to have a big backyard so the closure of parks hasn't impacted me that much."

"I'm doing more workouts that still build strength and endurance that don't require specific equipment" said Corley. "I'm also able to do some volleyball related workouts even though I don't have the equipment; I'm able to work on repeated reps of approaches and block jumps to better myself for the fall."

"I have been doing a lot more bodyweight workouts and cardio, as well as skill work" added Morey. "I am using online resources such as Youtube and the NIKE app to find inventive and new workouts. I have also bought some additional workout equipment such as resistance bands and a jump rope."

The use of technology has also kept many student-athletes in touch with their teammates and coaches. Whether they are connecting through FaceTime or Zoom, athletes are able to video chat with multiple teammates and virtually hangout. Although it's not ideal, connecting virtually keeps the teams together and helps spread positivity to each other. The use of social media platforms has also kept the Bethany College community engaged and positive until students return to campus.