Ruchae Walton, senior guard on the Viking women’s basketball team.—Photo by NASHCO
WITH CAMPUS shut down by COVID-19 and classes remote, Portland State’s student athletes found themselves left in limbo. Fall sports were postponed. Then, PSU, along with four other schools, withdrew the football team from competition, citing a lack of preparation. Men’s and women’s basketball were barred by state decree from five-on-five practices until the day before Thanksgiving—just weeks before competition began in December.
Behind every canceled game and season delayed was a group of athletes denied their time to shine. Three of them shared their experiences struggling to adapt and find a new perspective on school and sports.
Behind every canceled game and season delayed was a group of athletes denied their time to shine.
“It was frustrating seeing some of my friends return to their schools and get to practice while I was stuck at home,” said senior men’s basketball guard Ian Burke.
Burke took classes remotely from his parents’ house in Phoenix, Arizona, last spring. As the pandemic shut down collegiate athletic activities across the country, varying state guidelines soon produced a patchwork of restrictions for athletic teams.
“In early summer, we still had hopes to play,” said senior safety Anthony Adams, a 2019 All-American and 2020 pre-season All-American and All-Big Sky selection. As the Vikings watched other division football teams begin practicing while they could not “it took a toll emotionally,” Adams said. “Not being able to do what we love was really difficult…and it still is.”
He’s coping pretty well with the late decision to completely cancel the football season except for one non-counting game. He’s learned to take things day-by-day. But, he says “it’s nice to potentially have games scheduled for the end of spring practice, because that gives our team hope of competition that we have wanted since last March. Guys are eager to compete and would love to have the ability to see another color jersey across from us.”
Ruchae Walton, senior guard on the women’s basketball team, agreed. “This season has been difficult for everyone on every level—physically, mentally and emotionally,” she said.
Her team had hoped the pandemic would fade as fall progressed. Little did they know, their first five-on-five practice wouldn’t happen until November. Scheduled games were canceled. Non-conference contests were hastily arranged to fill schedule holes. Fans weren’t allowed to attend in person, but virtual tickets and streaming packages were available through the website goviks.com.
“Throughout that time of no basketball at all, taking care of our mental health was something that we talked about as a team,” Walton said. “As college athletes—and, I think I can speak for everyone—playing our sport is really what makes us happy.”
In addition to all the uncertainty, men’s basketball was recovering from the letdown of last March.
“We’d won six straight [games] and were coming into the tournament with a lot of confidence,” said Burke. The morning of the 2020 quarterfinals game, the Big Sky Conference canceled the remainder of the tournaments.
“We didn’t even get to play a game,” Burke said. “It was most disappointing especially for the seniors on our team. It was a tough way to end the season.”
Women’s basketball player Tatiana Streun had invited Walton to spend spring break at her Bellevue, Washington, family home. The teammates had planned a Florida vacation following the tournament’s abrupt cancellation.
“We were in Washington when Tots and I, along with the rest of the world, realized how serious the virus really was.”
Then, head women’s basketball coach Lynn Kennedy called and urged Walton to head home to Milton Keynes, England, rather than wait for summer and get stuck stateside.
“It’s always nice to visit home, see
family and friends, eat food that I’ve missed,” Walton said. “But, I was not expecting to be home for five months.”
Still, coaches and teams adjusted.
“The most difficult element of the past year has been the uncertainty and lack of routine,” said Valerie Cleary, director of athletics. “We’ve worked hard to stay connected with student athletes and staff via Zoom and Google Meets and have developed protocols for the resumption of athletic activities focusing on health and safety.”
Loss of daily routines as well as the rhythms of sports seasons proved particularly jarring. They had been a key part of most of the athletes’ lives since grade school. This also left them scrambling to stay ready for whatever the ever-changing situation might bring.
Adams, at home in Newberg, lifted weights and did field drills to stay in shape for football. (Because of restrictions, the football team went 10 months without formal workouts.)
“I was fortunate,” he said. “Some guys didn’t have access to weights or equipment.” To stay sane, he said “there was a lot of golf played last summer and I got up to the mountain to snowboard this winter.”
Adams, Burke and Walton found the transition to online classes difficult, especially Walton. While she was in England last spring—with an eight-hour time difference—she found herself glued to her computer for an online class at 1:30 a.m. with other classes late in the evening.
Still, she’s on track to graduate this spring, as is Adams, who plans to work on his master’s degree in health promotion during the two years of football eligibility he has left. The NCAA has granted athletes an additional year of eligibility.
You don’t realize how much you care about something until it’s taken from you
All three reported that they’d found silver linings in a season none will forget.
“It has made me realize that I have to be patient for the future. I have been here for three and a half years and was eager for the real world. But, this has been a good reminder to be patient and remember that it has all happened for a reason,” Adams said.
“We have all grown as individuals and as a team,” Walton said. “I know that we all are very grateful for every opportunity to get on the court this season.”
The past year has been crazy, Burke said, noting a recent game that was canceled after a five-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Cheney, Washington.
Still, “it has helped me put basketball into perspective. You don’t realize how much you care about something until it’s taken from you,” he said.
“It’s also reminded me that this game is so much less important than the health and well-being of friends and family.”