The sports desk at the Richmond Observer is pretty slow right now. It’s really an eerie and surreal feeling, if I’m writing candidly.
In the last week, our “new normal” has swept across the country and transformed the way we live in small towns and big cities. Hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes and toilet paper have gone from commodities to necessities.
You know the story by now.
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to change our daily routines, I think it’s important to come back to square one and recognize that we can do things better together.
Yes, this is a new and challenging time. I’m no doctor or health expert, not a politician or government official -- but what I do know is that this is something we can overcome together as a community.
Unprecedented measures have been taken to protect ourselves and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Schools are out of session, colleges are sending students home and high school and collegiate sports are being put on hold.
That’s just in the sports world -- now restaurants, bars and small businesses are being affected. “Social distancing” is a new term that I hope we master in the short term but don’t have to get used to.
When the news broke last Thursday that the North Carolina High School Athletic Association was suspending all spring sporting events statewide, I just sat at my desk for 10 minutes and thought about how my routine would broken for the first time in nearly three years since I started covering Richmond County athletics.
At first I thought I wasn’t reacting harshly enough, then I thought I was too cautious in what I wanted to do next. I think that was the consensus for a lot of people in our community and across the country, which makes us all alike in this journey.
Speaking from the sports desk, sports in general provide a safe space for a lot of people, be it at the professional, collegiate or high school level. Athletics give us something to watch, to cheer for, to feel passionately about and triumph in times of victory and feel inspired during times of defeat.
I have the privilege of getting to cover one of the most storied high schools in the state of North Carolina, and it’s not something I take for granted. But this current hiatus made me realize how much Richmond County’s athletics have become a part of my being.
Spring sports are supposed to be a time of fresh cut grass, bright white chalk lining the basepaths, the pop of a starting pistol at a track meet. But when I drove past Richmond’s fields on Tuesday afternoon, everything was quiet.
As much as I wish we could rally around this problem as a community by saying “play ball” or announce the starting lineup for the soccer team and listen to the National Anthem, the unfortunate reality is we can’t.
But what we can do is make things the best we can by doing it together.
To the seniors in the class of 2020, and especially the soon-to-be graduating student-athletes, I can’t imagine how tough this is. Your senior seasons and final semester are being taken away from you without a definitive answer of if you’ll get any part of them back.
But if there’s anything I’ve learned about Richmond County since moving here five years ago, it’s that we’re a community of driven people ready to band together to overcome any curveballs thrown at us. I’m not saying it’s an easy task, but the grit and determination of our county is something that should be revered and put to use.
Instead of focusing on the negatives, which can often be easier than finding the positives, challenge one another to find a bright spot. We get the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, catch up and remind ourselves of who and what are really important in our lives.
Initially, I was devastated when the state pulled the plug on spring sports. If you ask my wife, or anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you that reporting on Richmond County athletics is one of the biggest joys in my life.
Coverage to me is not a job or a hobby -- it’s my passion and I’m itching to return to the dugouts and sidelines just as much as the players and coaches. It’s been less than a week and I already miss forging those relationships and writing stories.
I went to two final events -- a track and field meet at Scotland and a soccer game at Jack Britt -- last Thursday. Normally I save my “good lucks” and “thank yous” for the seniors and coaches for the end of the season in May. It didn’t feel right trying to convey those messages in mid March, but I didn’t know if we’d get another chance.
But then I realized that this time is also an opportunity to reconnect with people and reestablish relationships. I got to eat dinner with my wife several nights in a row and I talked to my parents on the phone -- small things that don’t sound like much, but things that are sometimes lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
So that’s my challenge to you while we wait for the next first pitch at a Lady Raider softball game, the trill of a whistle to start a soccer game or the clink of a driver making contact with a golf ball off the first tee.
Take advantage of this time and focus on the little things, the important things. Check on your neighbor, offer an extra hand, give someone a good laugh when we need it most. Sports will be back; when, I don’t know, but in the meantime, make every moment count.
We can do this, Richmond County. The coronavirus is an unwanted obstacle, I’m not going to try and convince readers otherwise. But it’s beatable, and we can come out on top, just like many of Richmond’s athletics programs.
I’ve been encouraged already to see athletes working out on their own, taking to social media to be uplifting to one another and I’m inspired from talking to parents and hearing how our student-athletes and community aren’t ready to give up just yet.
If the bond is half as strong as the one that was evident by our community during the football team’s postseason run, or helping “super fan” Michael Clinton get new eSight glasses, then I know we’ll be operating at full speed sooner than we think.
We can do this, Richmond County.
