It has been a sad ending for most college senior athletes throughout the country. COVID-19 has put an end to all sports for the remainder of the year. Within just a short period of time, people in the United States have been advised not to leave their homes or be within six feet of others.
Loyola lacrosse player Riley Cox ‘20 said his team had a chance of reaching the NCAA championship this year. With the great early start of a 4-2 overall record, the Greyhounds appeared to be in great shape for the rest of the season. Cox said, “It’s sad to see such an opportunity go to waste, especially with the talented group of individuals we have.”
Cox also expressed the work they put in to get to this point. “We would practice almost every day for the preparation of the season. Now it’s all different, some people can’t even do anything besides remain inside due to quarantine.”
The cancellation of this season has not just affected Cox and the seniors on his team. Thousands of senior athletes around the country will lose out on their final seasons.
The seniors who had an opportunity to play in the March Madness basketball tournament are truly saddened. Boston University’s senior starting forward Max Mahoney expressed his feelings on the unexpected end to the season. “This one hits hard; it’s my first time making it to the tournament and the final memory I have is how we didn’t even get a chance to play.”
Boston U beat Colgate in the Patriot League Championship on Mar. 11, a week before the NCAA announced March Madness was cancelled. Mahoney and his team had put in a lot of hard work to win the championship. “It seems like hard work wasn’t enough,” said Mahoney.
Many athletes feel this is truly one of the saddest ways for seniors to end their careers. Grinding and working since day one to get an opportunity of a lifetime to play in March Madness, and COVID-19 took that opportunity away.
With all the frustration around the nation, it seems the coaches are expressing it the most. East Tennessee State basketball coach Steve Forbes said, “My five seniors will never get to experience hearing their name called on selection Sunday.” Coach Forbes is worried for his seniors. They will never get this year back.
This could have been an experience that created lifelong memories to share with people in the future. As expressed by Coach Forbes, “Every senior should have the right to come back.” The possibility of having seniors come back an extra year gives another opportunity for the 2020 team to play a full season together.
COVID-19 has created a lot of dilemmas for senior athletes across the nation, but not all are affected by this pandemic. The NCAA has given spring athletes another year of eligibility to make up for the lost season.
This is huge for certain Loyola programs because seniors are a vital part of a team’s success. Andrew Kostecka ‘20, a member of the Loyola men’s basketball team, shared his thoughts on how this virus has affected his future. “It doesn’t at all. Our season ended a week before the coronavirus appeared and even if it had, my future wasn’t being jeopardized at all.”
Kostecka plans on entering the NBA draft once he leaves Loyola, which creates a great opportunity for him despite the pandemic.
As for others, sports aren’t everything and some may be affected by this virus more than others. Malcolm McKenzie is a business major at Loyola and is always surrounded by competition. Regardless of COVID-19, it is very challenging to find a job in the business world after college. McKenzie said, “In my field, it will be harder for me to get a job. Since Corona has hit, a lot of companies are downsizing and making pay cuts.”
COVID-19 has made the future very unclear for many seniors around the country. Students are worried about what will happen after graduation. The loss of cherished memories will be the last memory for most seniors as the 2020 school year concludes.
Featured Image Courtesy of Loyola Athletics.
