On March 11, it was seemingly just another normal Wednesday night for over a million people who habitually watch NBA games. The stage was set for the Utah Jazz to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The arena was packed with fans standing shoulder to shoulder with no masks on, cheering loudly, shaking hands and high-fiving.
However, just before tip-off, the news broke that the star center for the Jazz, Rudy Gobert, had tested positive for COVID-19. After a few minutes of what seemed to be collective confusion, the players began to return to their respective locker rooms while decisions were made. The final decision would eventually be to not play the game.
It was as if the curtain was drawn back and COVID-19, taking center stage, began to show just how powerful it could be. In the weeks to come, the world would see sports slowly dissipate in the wake of the deadly pandemic, and see priorities shift to much more paramount problems within society, and rightfully so. However, we now find ourselves coming out of what seems to be the other end of this completely sport-less span of months.
Fans are once again able to watch their teams play, and players are able to return to doing what they love, and because of this there seems to be an overwhelming sense of thankfulness on both sides of the political spectrum. It is as a result of sports that individuals who would otherwise have never interacted form a certain community. In a time where there is so much division and uncertainty, it is a blessing to be able to see a certain level of unity within sport teams.
Furthermore, this unity created within sports can lead to a new unity in society. This highly valuable aspect of sports is perhaps something that has been overlooked before this pandemic, and it is also something that is seemingly essential in today’s situation.
The challenge for us all now is to make the most of the platform that we have in sports, whether that be as a fan in a particular community with other fans, or as a player with other teammates. Here at Covenant College, it is hard not to be able to play some form of a season in all of our respective teams, and support our peers in their games as well.
We are in a situation where we have to wait until there is a safer time to be able return to competition with other schools. In the meantime, it is important to simply appreciate being able to practice within our teams, and share the unity experienced within a team. A team is a very valuable thing to be a part of; and looking back on a time when there were no sports to either watch or play, it not only became more evident that communities are a huge part of sports, but also that sports are a huge part of communities.