International Article Summary

With the arrival of the Covid-19 virus, came a wave of unexpected changes to the

athletic world. More specifically, college student athletes have had to greatly adjust the way and

frequency in which they can train. Most studies have shown that over 90% of students have

experienced at least one cancellation or postponement of a major competition during the

pandemic. These abrupt disruptions to their sports lifestyle have had both social and

psychological impacts on university athletes. For example, at least 90% of students have

admitted to feeling isolated and disconnected because of the lack of sports engagement caused

by the outbreak.

The interruptions have also affected collegiates in physical ways as well. Majority of

students fear the loss of fitness activities and training will cause them to fall behind in physical

preparedness and lose a competitive advantage they once had. Despite being unable to train

and perform in person, most student athletes are still pursuing daily activity, either virtually with

a coach or adapting a trainer’s workout plan to their at home routine. However, even with the

continuation the frequency has lessened, with 77% of athletes now training less than 8 hours a

week. The transition to solo training and the absence of sport-specific practices is especially

challenging for those who participate in technical or group sports, such as artistic swimming or

skiing.

Most students plan to return to regular training practices after the social distancing

restrictions are lifted. For now, many have turned to leisure activities to cope with the stress of

this major life event. More than half of college athletes say their lifestyle will completely change

after the pandemic, which highlights the significant impact Covid 19 has had on the future. Once

things return to normal, one of the main goals of students will be catching up to their previous

strength and technical levels. They have also found that the mental and resilience training used

in sports has provided them with the tools needed to adapt to this adverse time.
 Social anxiety has had a major impact on college athletes since the start of the

pandemic. Having the social aspect of team sports removed due to distancing measures has led

to feelings of isolation and disconnection. As a result, athletes are experiencing lack of initiative,

motivation, and energy loss with regards to training. With the cancellation of competitions, many

students feel all the training, dedication and sacrifice they put into preparing for them has been

wasted. Despite feeling cut off and anxious about these events, most athletes said they did not

fear being infected by Covid 19.

More attention has been paid to the mental health and support of student athletes

because they are tackling both academic and athletic challenges at the same time. This can be

overwhelming for a young person who has had their sense of normalcy pulled out from under.

Ensuring they have a support system to make it through tough times and also maintain a

healthy mind and body is incredibly important for those in college. For so many, sports is an

outlet to help fight depression and keep young people socially engaged. Therefore, more

resources must be available to make sure their well being is protected.

National Article Summary

 College athletes have since adopted various coping methods to deal with the onset of

the changes brought forth by Covid-19. These include: having a support system from coaches,

fitness trainers, and nutritionists; emotional and mental support from family and friends; making

a game plan and active goals to safeguard their physical and psychological well being; and

accepting the new challenges with a healthy way of expressing the negative emotions about the

situation. Athletes have also had to cope with the loss and grief associated with losing someone

due to the virus. A loss in the support system of young college athletes can greatly impair their

ability to maintain their usual activity and even their drive to continue in the specific sport.

Therefore, having well developed coping mechanisms can assist students in managing their

anxiety and curb depressive emotional states.

The unexpected halt in the competition aspect of collegiate sports has led many to

modify their goals and focus. Many have turned their attention to online team training or classes

and fulfilling other academic responsibilities. The decision to change and search for alternatives

indicates the student-athlete’s effort and desire to stay motivated and close to their sport’s

involvement despite the unpredictability of the situation. Connectedness with close companions

and sportsmates played an important part in dealing with confinement. However, the limitations

imposed by online meetups have been challenging in terms of building team relationships and

cohesiveness as compared to in person activities.

Being confined to their houses, athletes were forced to adjust to the new role which is to

be “a family person” which could be difficult for some. They had become used to large crowds

and audiences and are now reduced to interactions inside their homes. Relationships that

athletes spent months or years building with fellow teammates could reduce in quality and a

greater effort is needed to revive the rapport and camaraderie they had before the pandemic.

The sleep patterns and diets of college athletes have also been greatly impacted because they

have become stuck in a pattern of staying home and have lost track of their former habits. Many
will find themselves trying to break these habits once regular sports training and activities

resume.

The coping strategies of college athletes could be divided into three variations. The first

being “task oriented coping”, which means many students have set up alternative goals and

activities related to sports to keep their motivation up. The second is called “emotion oriented

coping”, in which athletes reach out to emotional support systems such as coaches, family and

friends. And the third being “avoidance oriented coping”, which means the student has found

distractions such as social media, sleeping, or entertainment to avoid the negative feeling

surrounding the situation. All three of these coping methods are normal reactions to such a life

changing event, but we must make sure they create productive and healthy outcomes in college

athletes who might feel burnt out.

Overall, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a wide range of effects on the athletic training

of college students. We see these effects in both the physical sense and emotions sense.

Though many have had to lessen their amount of training and in person activity, they have found

ways of coping with this by reaching out to a network of coaches, trainers, and teammates to try

to maintain virtual connection. Also, college athletes have adjusted their activity to fit into a

home routine that gives them some outlet to feel a bit of normalcy. The impact has been in some

ways a permanent adjustment for most athletes, but their willingness to adapt and turn their

focus on problem solving and maintaining their overall well being has been successful as well.