For a school known for its team sports, Heritage sure is doing a good job with isolating players. Kids who played sports and went virtual are now being left out of a big part of their lives.

While grades, attendance, and motivation are all affected by going virtual, they’re not the sole victims of virtual learning: many sports are suffering from more of their players going virtual. But worse than that, many players are suffering as a result of losing their sport.

“I feel distanced from my friends,” Bonnie Garcia (10) said. “I really miss the team and bonding with my friends.”

Her story is just one of many, with such large numbers of students leaving sports for safety reasons.

“I was a tennis player, about to begin my third year as one,” Logan Espinoza (10) said. “I went virtual to protect my family from the Coronavirus”.

Despite being virtual, there are still many students who attend athletics. 

“For baseball, pretty much all my kids are in person,” Coach Blackwell said. “And even those virtual still have to show up for athletics unless they are quarantined.”

However, for those that went virtual, it’s difficult to have to put safety over life.

“Quitting tennis was one of the hardest parts of becoming virtual because I loved tennis and I loved being a part of the team,” Espinoza said.

In addition to the loss of sport in their lives, many players, now just students, find that void filled with other responsibilities.

“I have to help take care of my baby sister at home because both of my parents have to work,” Garcia said.

But despite these unfortunate circumstances, those allowed to continue to play realize how lucky they are.

“I’m just thankful we get to play, last year our season got cut short,” Coach Blackwell said. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get to play a season this year.”