Play Ball: Emory’s Return to Sports

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought damage to many areas of our life, and sports is no exception. Stories of empty stadiums and athletes in quarantine painted an alarming image of the losses the sports world faced. Within our own Emory community, these losses have been felt with the cancellation of the 2020 spring and fall seasons. However, the story doesn’t end here. In December 2020 the University announced that practices would be resumed, bringing some hope for the return of sports as we once knew them.

We speak with Sports Editor Michael Mariam about the changes in Emory athletics over the past year, the recent outbreak and the future of sports normalcy. Coaches Mike Twardoski and Adrianna Baggetta tell us about the hardships without formal sports engagement last semester and how Emory athletes have remained optimistic despite uncertainties. With the return of official practices and local competitions, volleyball player Ro O’Dowd (22B) and soccer player Grace Reyer (24C) express what it means to be back playing with their teammates.

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