For Northwood High School student-athletes and the Irvine community, having our swim team begin is a sign of hope and progress that we can begin to get back to a sense of normality in this Covid-19 pandemic. Photos courtesy of Swim Staff.
"Sports, even at its best, it's never any more perfect than the rest of the world. But if, once in a generation or so, sports presents a glimpse of ourselves at our best, well, that's enough for me." - rapper Ice Cube.
It's a "welcome back" to swimming practice for the Northwood High School swimming team. Eight months is a long time, and it seems like yesterday that all sport ceased suddenly due to Covid-19. On March 12, 2020, the NBA suspended play during a Utah Jazz game and all sport followed suit, from professional, college and high school athletics. When high school sports halted there was a lot of uncertainty concerning their return. Our CIF Southern Section gave their thoughts about the decision to shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. So, it's only appropriate to once again see how much the return to high school swimming really means to our community and bringing us together. But we're back now.
The student-athletes and coaches at Northwood High School are very excited about the return of high school swimming training and the upcoming 2021 season, but, it is a cautious excitement. For our student-athletes and the Irvine community, having our swim team begin is a sign of hope and progress that we can begin to get back to a sense of normality. Of course, we have a new normal in the Covid-19 environment. We need to wear masks and maintain social distancing, in accordance with California CIF state and Orange county requirements. Take care with personal hygiene, hand sanitizing, and cleaning and sanitizing of personal gear, bags and all equipment. Avoid using communal showers and changing areas.
It may feel daunting, starting again after an 8-month hiatus, but it's a great opportunity for a fresh start, to lose old habits and set new goals. Swimmers bring your best memories to training and forge ahead in the new season. Think about good form and visualize excellence in technique.
Tryouts now on Saturday, November 21, 2020
The day has been changed due to weather predictions, but the time slots remain the same. If you need to change your reservation, please do so. Here are the sessions and the tryout link:
Session 1 - 1:00 to 2:15 PM
Session 2 - 2:20 to 3:35 PM
Session 3 - 3:40 to 4:55 PM
Sign-up Link: https://forms.gle/FZRCKAuktcDRAgAz6
“We are thankful for the opportunity for our student-athletes to get back in the pool preparing for the 2021 high school swim season," said Head Coach Alex Nieto. "We appreciate the Southern Section CIF and Northwood High School in providing that opportunity."
On another note, the longer this Covid-19 pandemic goes, the more grateful we continue to be to those that are ESSENTAL. Thank you to the Doctors, Nurses, Grocery Store Workers, Postal Workers and so many more. Thank you for everything you do!