By: Kate Connors
Never in my life, I thought I would have to temporarily say goodbye to sports, especially due to a pandemic. Before March 12, 2020, my life was jam-packed with games, social events, and nights of editing pictures. Now normal life has been flipped upside now with classes moved online, stores and restaurants closed, college students forced to move home and of course, no sports.
I wish I could say that I have adjusted well to no sports and all the other changes, but right now that’s just not the case.
My main job at Texas State is a sports photographer for the University Star newspaper and for Texas State Sports Properties, so without any live sports, I’m out of work.
Sadly at Texas State, we were right in the midst of exciting sporting seasons. The men’s basketball team going to New Orleans for the Sun Belt tournament, baseball looking forward to games such as UT, and of course spring football. Peak time in sports if you ask me.
But, my camera had to be put on the shelf for the time being and I had to adjust to a new lifestyle. Since classes got moved online and the threat of catching the virus was growing I moved home for the rest of the semester. This was a major adjustment as I was used to going to class, then to the sorority house to see friends, then ending my night with sports and now being stuck at home with no events to go out for.
So, what do we do now? Other sports reporters have been finding new ways to report such as athlete features and throwback posts. I have been trying to also do throwback posts by putting up old pictures on Instagram to still have my work on people’s feed. Otherwise, I can’t do more for my job except for hope that sports come back in the fall.
Until that is able to happen again, I am working on keeping myself occupied. I’m focused on finishing the spring semester of classes, learning photo editing skills such as photoshop, and doing art projects. I even created a jean jacket with Boko the Bobcat on it to get excited for the next time I am on the field.
In our world right now it is important to care for others and be smart in our actions. We need to keep social distancing and wearing masks to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Everyone needs to work together in order for us to get back to normal. Personally, I would really like that normal back, so please be safe and healthy.
My fingers are crossed that we can pick up again with new sporting seasons in the fall. We can see what head football coach Jake Spavital does in his second year with the Bobcats and with a new class of recruits and transfers. We can see how new head volleyball coach Sean Huiet does in his first season without Karen Chisum. We can get the excitement of kickoff, scoring and cheering our favorite athletes on again. We can get our lives back on track and live with our new and hopefully similar normal.
Till then, eat ‘em up cats and stay safe.
