Peninsula Sophomore Soccer Player Maintains Self-Motivation While Practicing Independently
With his second year of high school soccer finished, sophomore soccer player Ryan Mahrum found himself in a unique position following the school closure on March 13. Mahrum continues to discipline himself and practice in open fields alone, without the usual guidance and motivation from coaches and teammates due to recent coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing guidelines. Many sports teams, including both Peninsula and Mahrum’s club soccer team, have had to make the transition from in-person training and games to online forms of contact with each other. This includes using teleconferencing software such as Zoom to maintain communication with the team and stay connected.
“I have been training for soccer by doing at-home workouts and going for runs [to keep myself active],” Mahrum said. “I have also been practicing outside by myself to get touches on the ball [which is practice using the ball] so my performance will not decrease.”
The shift in communication during quarantine brings along with it both benefits and disadvantages. The mandated quarantine allows athletes to focus on improving various skill sets and facilitates further learning of self-motivation, which is crucial for off-the-field work ethic. Unfortunately, working remotely proves to be difficult, as practicing alone is unrealistic compared to the environment of an actual game. For example, teams cannot hold scrimmages against other teams digitally. Among these challenges, the lack of in-person contact with his teammates has impacted Mahrum.
“I miss my teammates a lot because they are like a family to me and we are no longer able to connect and play at a competitive level,” Mahrum said. “I also miss being able to play competitively like I used to and being able to have fun playing soccer.”
After being away from his teammates during quarantine, Mahrum has become more appreciative of his time spent with them. Mahrum hopes he can soon step on the field again alongside his teammates.
