This is the 12th installment of 'In Their Own Words'. Sacramento State student-athletes and coaches share thoughts on their careers, life, love of their sport, uncertain times, and much more. Today we hear from baseball head coach Reggie Christiansen.
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It's Easter Sunday as I write this and at this time it has been 23 days since our last game.
In that time, I, like many in college athletics, have gone through a wide range of emotions. Initially there was hope our season would resume but quickly the focus shifted to fighting for eligibility relief for seniors. One must understand that as coaches and athletes our brains are wired for competition and being together. We had spent so many hours together since August 1st and were just starting to find out who we were as a team while we drove home from San Francisco on March 10th.
On that drive, I think we all knew we had likely just played our last game - it wasn't as if COVID-19 snuck up on us. I know that there are real issues being caused by this virus; death, unemployment, anger, anxiety and depression just to name a few. As a coach and athlete your brain goes back and forth between what is happening in society and then back to your team, your sport and the future. As time has gone by, we all understand that this is bigger than us as athletes/coaches yet we can't wait for the day things will resume for our teams and athletes.
As a coach my brain has now shifted to what's next. My first thoughts are about our student-athletes. How will this affect our student-athlete's mental health? How can we keep them connected with one another? How can we keep them motivated and working, etc. Then as a head coach you start to wonder how this is going to affect budgets, rosters, schedules, conference affiliations, and on and on it goes. There are so many questions and so much is uncertain, but one thing I am certain of is that I don't believe college athletics will ever be the same. From budgets and travel to scholarships and rosters and even schedules and how games are played, much of it is currently an unknown and all of it is so far from what we are used to. I have been lucky to be in college athletics for 20 years and its becoming clear that this will forever change the landscape of college athletics.
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IN THEIR OWN WORDS ARCHIVE
April 15: Jessica Scott, Softball
April 13: Mac Harrington, Men's Soccer
April 10: Sarah Davis, Volleyball
April 8: Joshua Patton, Men's Basketball
April 6: Ege Tomey, Women's Tennis
April 3: Ruben Volta, Volleyball Head Coach
April 1: Nishtha Madan, Women's Golf
March 30: William FitzPatrick, Men's Baskeball
March 27: Tara Catour, Gymnastics
March 25: Kennedy Nicholas, Women's Basketball
March 19: Estel Boix Noguer, Rowing
