Here in the United States, the daily lives of citizens have been drastically changed, and daily activities that used to occur, ceased to exist. Sports have been heavily impacted, as the concern for their players and the fans brought every professional sports league to a halt for the first time ever, causing teams to figure how to stay in shape from the safety of their own homes.

The NFL, MLB and WNBA had yet to begin their regular season.  These leagues are considered lucky, based on the fact that they are not being forced to postpone all games and practices.  For leagues like the NBA, NHL, and basically every soccer league worldwide, they are being challenged with waiting this virus out at home and hoping to come back to their season.

The NBA season couldn’t have ended during a more crucial time as they were stopped in the midst of the playoff race as teams had been battling for better seeds and a chance into the playoffs. The players at the moment can only make sure they are fit and ready to go when given the chance to get back on the court. The NBA Denver Nuggets, have been given daily workouts assigned by their strength and conditioning staff. They can find the workouts and track them on an app known as “Teambuilder.” This is the same app that is being used by over a half-dozen teams throughout the NBA. One of the most important components of basketball is shooting.  Thankfully mostly every player is fortunate enough to have a basketball hoop somewhere in the vicinity of their property.  This makes staying sharp and consistent with their shots a whole lot easier.

Soccer leagues around the world including, Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Seria A (Italy), Bundesliga (Germany), and as most of you know, the MLS (America), had just begun their season. The MLS had just been two weeks into their regular season when it was announced that the season was put to a hiatus. Soccer is a sport that requires a lot of cardio, especially at the beginning of the season. Every MLS team had completed their preseason training and had been building up their overall fitness to be ready for the 90+ minute games they would be playing during the season.

The Colorado Rapids training staff had sent them home with a soccer ball, foam roller, rubber bands, and multiple weights needed to complete their “at home” workouts to make sure that, when this hiatus ends, they are ready to get back on the field and do well in the season. On top of the workouts, they included a dietary plan and daily runs so that staying healthy wouldn’t be an issue.

The NHL teams have been using different types of workout to stay in shape, including zoom calls with the team’s trainers. Although with hockey, getting practice in with the stick and the puck isn’t the same on the floors of their homes compared to being on the ice.

This hiatus has put many players in positions they’ve never experienced before. I think that finding new ways to stay in shape during this pandemic is something that’s really tested these players, especially the ones mid-season.