Carlmont’s baseball team is working with COVID-19 safety guidelines and beginning preseason workouts in preparation for their possible playing season in March.
The pandemic has affected the entire world, and especially the realm of sports. In sports, social distancing has made it difficult for players to practice or play with their teammates.
In addition to social distancing, the team has to respect other guidelines introduced by the California Department of Public Health’s order for youth sports.
“We’re not able to do things like play catch because multiple people would be touching the baseball. We have to be in pods as well,” said Tripp Garrish, a junior on the team.
The order states that there can be a maximum of 14 players and one coach within each pod, and everyone must remain six feet apart. Despite these restrictions, the players and the coaching staff have found solutions to strengthen the players and improve their game.
“We do lunges, squats, weighted ball throws, deadlifts, box jumps, running, and other workouts that strengthen our bodies,” said Brady Greene, a junior on the team.
With restrictions on physical workouts, the players are able to practice the game’s mental side as they read Heads up Baseball, a book about baseball’s mental aspect. After reading, the team discusses how to make smart in-game decisions and handle stress on the field.
The team believes that practicing the mental aspect and strategy will set them apart from the other teams and give them an advantage come game time. However, the team still faces the challenge of communication and connection with each other.
The masks players are required to wear cover half of their faces, and coaches have found connecting with the players is difficult without the vision of their whole face.
“I’m big on connecting with my players. Communication has been bad because of the masks. I can’t really see if they’re smiling or if they don’t understand what we’re doing. I’m the type of coach who wants to know what classes they are taking, to know my players better,” said Ryan Hamilton, head coach of Carlmont’s baseball team.
Even though the safety guidelines make practice difficult, the team’s morale is still high.
“The players are really motivated, and we have a group of really great guys. I believe that we’re doing the best we can to prepare,” Hamilton said.
