As a student, one of the few things we have to enjoy is our time as teenagers. Some go on adventures while others like accomplishing other things like first place awards. For most students, sports and after school activities are what they look forward to every day.

One of the many sports that are now in season at Apopka is Volleyball. As their last home game has passed, Senior Emma Smith has been able to look back on all of her accomplishments, sports and school wise. Her biggest motivation this season were her teammates and striving to be better for them during games and practices. As crazy as this school year has been, she was able to stay positive and hope for the best. “With the time constraints and constant schedule changes, I feel like everyone did their best to stay positive and make this season as enjoyable as possible.” Like every other sport, there are many challenges our athletes and coaches will face, for Emma, she explains that their biggest challenge was being able to work well together with almost no time to practice before their first game and having players with very different levels of experience. But in the end as the hard working team they are, they were able to work together and get through it.

The sudden change of normalcy for sports and everything around us has caused many students to question if they even want to keep playing their sport. But Emma states she does not regret laying this year. “…although it has been rocky, it was my last season playing and I had fun playing with everyone.” When asked how she felt about this year’s safety rules regarding sports, she said they were unfair when the season started, but as for the masks the regulations were adjusted to fit their safety standards and were bearable. As a student athlete who has been affected by the sudden changes and new rules this year, she has had her own share of disappointment, but she never gave up. Her advice to any seniors is, “although your sport may change, it’s the last high school season you’re going to get, so I would be thankful. And to underclassmen, we can’t do it without the rest of you, a team isn’t one person. Just think of this season more as a practice for next season to be even better.”

Being a student in the midst of this mess we call COVID-19 is not easy. Day after day we are faced with new challenges that make us want to give up all hope. But we have constant reassurance from the things we love and people around us to not give up, and push for excellence.