Items

• 
  2020-07-11

  Pickleball Tournaments Lost

  Athletes at all levels have lost seasons as the pandemic has swept across the globe. For professional athletes in emerging sports, such as pickleball, the challenges must be immense. As an avid pickleballer, I've watched as tournament after tournament get canceled and the sport's forums (such as the Pickleball Forum on Facebook) have become sites of controversy as some counsel not playing while others deny the crisis altogether. Lost in that space, though, are the really personal challenges that so many athletes face, including professionals who are defining the future of the game. Steve Deakin, one of the top men's players in the world, posted this evocative statement to the Pickleball Forum on Facebook about the gradual loss of the 2020 pickleball season; with 223 likes, 74 comments, and 5 shares in its first two hours, Deakin's post clearly struck a nerve within the pickleball community. "I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to the PB community. Please read this to the end if you can spare a couple of minutes today.....As you may or may not know, I took the plunge to pursue PB full time late last year. This was the best move I have ever made. It was scary and exciting all at the same time. I left a job that was secure to pursue what I loved to do. My business/brand was gaining incredible traction and then boom...COVID. My tournament earnings dried up, sponsors pulled back support, my clinics/camps cancelled as "lockdowns" were implemented in Canada. I was livid. I truly believed at that time this was a glorified flu and I asked myself "Why is the Canadian Government taking such drastic action?" I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. I took the time while I was in this "lockdown" to educate myself as my common sense told me something is not right here. There has to be a reason why our Federal Government is taking such drastic action by literally shutting our country down? Well, there is a reason. It's called a Global Pandemic. This is real and it is not a "hoax". The country where I am proud to call home, united as one (regardless of the political differences), and started this battle against COVID-19 together. It was not easy and we continue to adjust our lives today. Whether it be by wearing a mask, not gathering in large groups, or social/physical distancing, the majority of Canadians took it on the chin and did what was asked of us. I feel strongly we are in a great spot today because of these actions. Businesses are reopening safely, new cases are minimal, and most importantly, the deaths related to this virus are starting to dry up. The message here folks in unity. Not division. I have many friends down south in the US that I truly miss. I love this sport. I love the competition. I love the fans. I know I am not alone on this. However, what is currently happening in the US is tragic on so many levels. Trust me, I understand the importance of getting back to work and reopening/rebuilding an economy. As a new small business owner impacted by these shutdowns paired with slow, phased re-openings, I get it. It has been tough. On the other hand, I understand everyone's circumstances can be very different. What we all share though unfortunately (literally) is this virus. I know what I am going to say next may not be popular with everyone in the PB community but it needs to be said by a player that uses this sport as a source of income. Running tournaments in hot spot states in particular with multiple hundreds of registrants is just not necessary right now as cases soar and people die. I cancelled my tournament schedule for July and August to protect my Dad, my Mom, my wife, my kids, and my friends from this virus. This decision was easy for me. There is no amount of prize money and personal brand exposure that can replace them. I want nothing more than my friends in the US to band together and get healthy. We will eventually all get back on the courts safely and responsibly together. Now is just not the time for me. I appreciate every one of you that took the time to read this whether you agree with me or not. I will always respect your opinions on this subject. It's an extremely tricky one for sure. Stay safe and stay healthy."
• 
  05/11/2020

  Christopher Krizek Oral History, 2020/05/11

  Curator Note: Interviewer, Alexander Michalski, and narrator, Christopher Krizek, discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on jobs, politics, the economy and families.
• 
  2020-06-08

  No State, No Regionals

  My daughter was having the gymnastics season of her life in 2020, placing in every event at every meet, and even reaching #19 on America’s Top 100 for vault for her level. One of the last places we went before quarantine in March was a gymnastics competition and I remember being uneasy at the crowds and the fact that the girls used the same apparatuses and equipment throughout the day. No one else seemed concerned, and when I asked if State Championships were still happening, everyone looked at me like I was insane. Of course, two weeks later, everything shut down. She has now been away from gym for over three months - the longest she’s been without her coaches since she was 3 - and both State Championships and Regionals were cancelled. No word on whether there will even be a 2021 season. To keep up the morale of the team, her gym sent information about a virtual State Championship, where gymnastics could submit videos from previous meets and judges would watch and score. I submitted without telling her, because I wasn’t sure what to expect. When she received medals and a champion t-shirt in the mail because she scored 1st All Around for her level (first in every event) she looked happier than she has since quarantine began. It’s not USA Gymnastics sanctioned, so it doesn’t “count,” but to my daughter, it is as real as any in person meet and was exactly what she needed to have closure to what had been an amazing season. We don’t know when she’ll go back - her gym opened three weeks ago, but with numbers rising dramatically in our area, the risk isn’t worth it for us. Competitions are fun, and my daughter loves her sport and is extremely dedicated, but a healthy and alive daughter is way more important to us than medals in a coffin.
• 
  2020-05-31

  A Time For Reflection

  Like everybody else, I have recently spent the majority of my days at home. I can say that I have had my fair share of ups and downs, some that I never even saw coming, but I think that there is a lot that I can take from my time in isolation. Of course, I really miss some things about my normal life such as talking to my friends every day at school and practicing for my school's track and field team, but in the end, I realize that I have to fix my head onto the present and do what I need to do right now until the whole COVID-19 pandemic blows over. I joined my school's track and field jumps team this year, and as season approached, I was stoked to see where my performance would stand. I actually felt as if I had found a hobby that I genuinely enjoyed doing, and even better, it was productive too. Its hard knowing that something so out of my control impacted my life as well as the lives of those around me so much, but at the same time, I have to remember that there are countless other people that have it way worse than I do. I would say that I am upset about not being able to experience track season this year, but I can always look forward to the next, or at least the possibly of there being a "next season". As for some other student athletes, they have it worse. Many seniors did not get to have their final moments in their athletic career, and worse, they won't get the graduation they looked forward to. It is sad when you realize that so many people have been affected by this pandemic, but it is important to look forward in the face of adversity. I admit that I spent way too much time complaining about what I won't get to experience because of the corona virus, but I recently began to see the lesson that this quarantine is trying to teach me, to teach all of us. For anyone awake during these uncertain times, it seems as if the year somehow gets worse and worse every month. As disaster rears its head, we must act appropriately in order to turn each moment of misfortune into a learning experience. I am grateful for what this quarantine has helped me realize, because with all of this time reflecting, I feel like I was given the time to really think about my past and my regrets. It would have been easy for me to say that this pandemic has made me miserable, but I want to bring light to such a dark time by acknowledging the positives I have been obtaining from this quarantine. Although many of us have lost a lot, there is always hope for new opportunities in the future.