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SPORTS
Athletics return to pre-pandemic schedule
CCC women’s volleyball team plays their final game of the season versus
Chemeketa Community College on Nov. 10. Photo by Anna Hermens.
STORY BY MADALENA LARKINS
SPORTS EDITOR
“l/l/e ju s t w a n t to p la y b a ll and have
Clackam as C om m unity College’s sports team s are
functioning in a state of n ea r norm alcy as they return
to com peting on their pre-pandem ic schedule after
m ore than a year and a h a lf of canceled or delayed
seasons and h aving m asks instead o f fans.
t
This is possible now that a percentage o f players
are vaccinated, and regu lar COVID-19 surveillance
testing is conducted w ith unvaccinated players.
W hen the pandem ic began in the spring o f 2020,
sports w ere canceled. D uring the 2020-21 school
year, a lim ited num ber of sports activities took place.
“Last year w e w ere able to return to cam pus, and
w e just did conditioning w orkouts and practices
fall and w inter term s,” said CCC athletic director
Jim M artineau. A ll o f CCC’s sports team s, w ith the
The Clackamas Print
exception of w restling, com peted in the spring,
regardless of w hat tim e of year each sport is typ ically
played. W restling com peted during w inter as normal.
“This year w e ’re at least on a. norm al tim efram e, it
feels m ore norm al for us this year because of that,”
said Martineau.
Fall sports have com e to a close and w inter sports^
such as w restlin g and basketball, have begun. Last
year, w hen va ccin e s w ere not yet w id ely available,
athletes and coaches had to w ear m asks w hile
practicing indoors, and team s w ho did not do
COVID-19 surveillance testing, like the volleyball
team, also had to w ear m asks w hile competing.
This year, athletes are not required to w ear m asks
w hile practicing or com peting, but COVID testing is
required for unvaccinated athletes every couple of
w eeks, or before the team travels or has a competition,
if the team is playing indoors.
M artineau also noted that there is “a v e ry high
percentage of vaccinated student athletes.” Spectators
are also allow ed this year, as long as they rem ain
m asked and complete an online form accessible
through a QR code certifyin g that they don’t have
sym ptom s o f COVID-19.
fun.”
- Hem ani Kalia
“We can fit in a couple hundred fans and still social
distance, and m asks are required based on the state
m andate,” said M artineau. “Last year, all o f us played
in front of nobody.”
Hemani Kalia, a sophom ore on the w om en’s
basketball team, expressed excitem ent for the
upcom ing season and said, “W e’ve taken the proper
precautions as far as vaccinations, regular COVID
testing, and overall m akin g sm art decisions. This
year is feeling pretty norm al so far, and w e just w ant
to play ball and have fun.”
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