Sports is now a waiting game

MIAA officially cancels spring schedule

By LORENZO RECUPERO

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association (MIAA) announced the cancellation of the 2019-2020 spring high school sports season Friday.

Here’s the official statement released on their website:

“In accordance with Governor Charles Baker’s announcement Tuesday that Massachusetts schools will be closed to in person learning for the remainder of the school year, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) regretfully has cancelled all spring sports and spring tournaments.

Today’s decision by the MIAA Board of Directors was difficult, disappointing, and one that was deferred for several weeks as Association staff, Association members from the Tournament Management Committee (TMC) and the Board worked aggressively to construct optional structures to save the opportunity for our MIAA 80,000 student-athletes to enjoy a spring season.

Despite this disheartening but unavoidable action, it is paramount to applaud our constituents, principals, athletic directors, coaches and student-athletes for their positive power of example and cooperation during this unprecedented crisis. The “life lessons” inherent in the games we play will be our resiliency to provide mental and physical strength to focus on the discipline and teamwork to make a difference in the challenging chapters in the Game of Life. #OneTeamOneMIAA. Stay Well.”

The MIAA’s decision to cancel high school sports was inevitable once Governor Baker announced all Mass. schools would close for the remainder of the academic year but waiting for the news wasn’t nearly as tough actually as getting it.

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The quarantined athlete

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Shayna Foppiano (above) during a night of professional boxing promoted by Boston Boxing. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso)

By Lorenzo Recupero

Athletes all over the country and beyond and right here in Everett have all had their sports careers come to an abrupt stop as a result of Covid-19 emergency actions. From the city’s high school and younger athletes, to the professionals such as local boxer Shayna Foppiano, lifestyles have changed and when they will return to normal is kind of an unknown.

In a cell phone conversation recently, Foppiano shared what she does know about staying active and possibly ‘reinventing’ yourself during the time of coronavirus and quarantines. From studying film to getting loved ones involved, here’s her take on it all.

What’s your mindset through all this? How are you able to tell yourself as an athlete to keep working your hardest even though you won’t be able to compete?

I personally don’t feel like it’s difficult to keep active every day during all of this – In fact, I think of this time as an advantage. Of course, it’s hard not being able to go to the gym and use the bags and train with my team and coach, but on the upside now I have all of this free time out of work to train. I’ve been studying a lot of boxing film while I’m inside and making sure I work out in some way for 2-3 hours a day. I crave the structure and my body feels awful when I’m not working out regularly.

Has social distancing effected your workouts with not having your trainer and usual equipment? If so, how have you supplemented that loss?

Not having my team and coach has definitely altered my workouts but I’m making sure they still are boxing focused. My husband has been holding the pads for me a few times a week so that’s been helpful. I also started running more every day, which is great because my coach told me that I needed to “fall in love with running”- what better time than now.

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