The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a great amount of worry and resentment towards the lives of athletes, especially student-athletes at the collegiate level. As most sports seasons have been canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, the Fairfield University men’s and women’s basketball teams are isolating at the Trumbull Marriott Shelton Hotel, to keep all players and others safe before their seasons start on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
The only sports teams on campus allowed to practice at the present moment are the basketball teams. Despite the men’s and women’s basketball teams being in isolation, they are still allowed to be in contact with one another to practice, as well as continue their online studies. Of course, sports practices will be different due to the regulations that need to be put in place for the season to continue.
“Practices are going pretty good, we are just very excited to be able to play again after eight months,” Allan Jeanne-Rose ‘23 stated.
The excitement of finally being able to play the sport they love is what is getting them through the constant changes.
The teams have been taking isolation quite seriously. It can be quite hard to be away from campus, having to miss on-campus events and their in-person classes. Life in the hotel versus on campus is quite a different experience for the athletes.
Jeanne-Rose stated that, “at the hotel, everyone is pretty much in their room and you have to walk around the hotel with a mask, as well as make sure everyone is social distancing.”
When asked about life in the hotel during these times, Chris Maidoh ‘23, a player on the men’s basketball team, stated: “Life at the hotel during these times is challenging. Nevertheless, being with your teammates, who are like family, makes it really easy to stay in isolation. At the end of the day, we want to have a season, and being at a hotel is part of that.”
The team isolation is necessary in order to ensure that the teams are ready to play for their first game later this month.
“Being isolated is only a small sacrifice to pay to have our season, it is going pretty well though. As long as we are having a season I don’t mind staying in isolation,” said Maidoh.
The men’s Fairfield U basketball team will be playing an away game against Providence College on November 25th at 2:00pm. The women’s basketball team will open up their season on November 25th as well, however the time is to be announced. They will play at home, at Alumni Hall, against Sacred Heart University.
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