Eligibility extended to athletes

Eligibility+extended+to+athletes

With college athletics across the country canceled for the season, the National Junior College Athletic Association is allowing an extra year of eligibility to athletes who had their seasons shortened.
Sophomore pitcher and third baseman for the Lady Chargers softball team, Haley Robinson, is taking advantage of the opportunity given by the NJCAA and is continuing her education at GHC.
“I’m going to stay at Highlands one more year and continue playing,” Robinson said.
She said she also plans to start working on her bachelor’s degree so she can hopefully get recruited for a four year school.
The Lady Chargers’ season was halted at the midway point with a team record of 12-11.
“We were just starting to truly play as a team,” Robinson said. “Right as we were figuring it all out, it got shut down.”
Collegiate athletes everywhere have to come to terms with their seasons being canceled due to COVID-19.
Robinson said the players were anticipating a shutdown because the NCAA made their decision to cancel all athletics before the NJCAA did.
“Coach Sloane had sent out a text letting us know what had happened,” she said. “Everyone was really upset about it and thinking, ‘This can’t be happening,’ and it just felt like it wasn’t real.”
For the time being, Robinson is continuing to work out and train, but it is getting difficult.
“At first I was able to go to the field and practice with the help of my dad,” she said. “But now that they’ve closed the parks and locked the fields, I’m really only able to do small things inside my house and yard.”
Robinson’s situation is one that all athletes are in right now with gyms, fields, courts, etc. being closed due to COVID-19.