COVID-19 Means Detox For Athletes

For athletes, time is short and days are full. Schedules are important, and oftentimes, they just have to take it day by day. 

Delaney Sain, junior public relations major, and Josh Whitney, senior marketing major, are both students that are highly involved at Union. Some might say they are teetering on the edge of being a little too involved, as they balance being not only a student-athlete but also leaders on and off campus. 

In light of recent events, Sain and Whitney no longer have their calendars booked for every hour of the day. 

At Union, Sain and Whitney both fill their days with practices, training, traveling for tournaments and putting in countless hours for their teams. They also are full-time students, balancing projects, papers and homework assignments. To most, that would already seem like plenty of time and effort in a day.

And yet, something so beautiful and extraordinary about the athletes at Union is their willingness to continue to serve. 

Sain has been playing for Union’s golf team for two and a half years. She is a co-founder of Delight Ministries for women on campus, a member of Chi Omega, chaplain for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and a worker in Union’s admissions office. 

Currently, Sain is staying at home in Murfreesboro, Tenn., during this pandemic. Family is something that naturally comes up when talking with Sain. She has two younger sisters and a great relationship with her mom and dad. During this time off, she has been able to spend more time with her family playing games, cleaning their house and going for walks. 

Sain expressed how at the beginning of the announcements about COVID-19, she was a little relieved to be given a break. Granted, her time was very limited, which left her with little time for school or personal rest. But Sain really loves being a part of her team and all her activities on campus. She’s thankful that she will still have another year to play. 

“I hate not being with my people,” Sain said. “One of my favorite things about Union is the close community we have even when we are not with one another. I cannot wait for the day I can hug my friends next semester!” 

Whitney has been on the cross country team during all four years at Union. He also is a YoungLife leader for Jackson Christian School, a leader of Athletes in Action and the secretary for SAAC on campus. 

He also admitted that he has more time for schoolwork and being around his family during this time. He laughed as he told me that now he can actually wake up and read because he can eat breakfast during his Zoom classes. 

Whitney still trains while he is home in Arizona and is trying to keep his mind ready for the fall, both mentally and physically. He will return to Union in the fall as a graduate student, which allows him to continue to run for the cross country team. 

However, Whitney is a team player. Even though cross country is more of an individual sport, Whitney loves to be with his teammates. 

“In the past, we have spent so much time together, and some of our best memories are when we are just messing around during a run,” Whitney said. “This time not being able to add to those memories just stinks.”

Whitney was supposed to have several “lasts” this semester with his teammates and organizations. Sain was really kicking off her ministry and continuing to bond with her teammates and new coach. Both are sad that they will longer be able to create those memories this semester. 

This pandemic has taken away from all student-athletes in a number of ways. Everyone has the right to feel their feelings as they process this new life change. Coping strategies are different for everyone. 

But Sain and Whitney remain encouraged. 

“The rest of the semester is going to be tough,” Whitney said. “But I think group FaceTime and Zoom meetings are huge during this time. Just trying to embrace community in any way possible will allow for us to continue to grow friendships in this crazy time.”

Sain and Whitney both remarked how they are really trying to spend more time in God’s Word during this confusing time. It’s a day-by-day approach, and finding the little things to bring a smile to their faces is important. 

“In the end, I feel like this is a good lesson from the Lord,” Sain said. “We needed to slow down and seek Him first above all. We get so busy in different seasons of life with sports, school, jobs, etc. I am so extremely thankful for that. I pray that people will find the Lord during this time of pausing.”

All athletes are coping in different ways. It’s a hard and confusing time. Athletes put a lot of time into their sport, but they also are very involved on campus. COVID-19 has taken away more than just the opportunity to be on a team. It has taken away a source of community and leadership. 

But that won’t stop Whitney and Sain. Both are using technology to connect to people on their teams and in their ministries. 

So, even though life is online, these athletes will continue to take it one day at a time.