With the COVID-19 virus causing a pandemic around the world, student-athletes are not able to do all the physical activity they once did. School sports will be coming back in winter, but how will the teams be prepared to face their opponents?

Junior Moses Garman has been a part of the Buena JV basketball team for 3 years. He believes that the preseason is what helps the players prepare for the season.“I think we will not have much preparation,” Moses said, “no practices before the season will make us look uncoordinated and rusty.” 

Coach Noah Garman has been the coach for the Frosh/Soph team for two years and has become the JV coach over the school year. Noah believes that the preseason is most important for incoming players. “I think the shorter preseason will mostly affect freshmen and players who have not played any high school level competition,” Noah said. “I think at first it will be tough, but teams will adjust the same since we all went through COVID-19.”

Coach Garman also says that the preseason plays a huge role in getting the player’s bodies in shape.  “The preseason usually would consist of a summer camp, then summer league, followed by fall league,” Noah said.   “The players participate in multi-week conditioning and weight training to get their bodies in shape.”

There is no doubt that this season will be very different for the team. “ We have zero preparation, we all don’t know what to expect from this season,” Moses said. “We don’t even know if people will be at the games yet, which could play a toll.” 

The team has started to take matters into their own hands in regards to strength and continuing to have a positive mindset.  “At the beginning of quarantine, I did a lot of running expecting the season to start again,” Moses said. “Recently, I have been doing a lot of shooting drills. It’s been taking up most of my days, I am trying to perfect it.”

 Last season’s Buena JV basketball team’s record was very good: a 21-4 win/loss ratio. “I believe we are playing 28 games,” Moses said, “I think we will lose five to seven games. More than last year, but not by much.”Coach Garman thinks differently. “Hard to say not knowing our competition level. With that being said, I always strive towards undefeated records. . .If not that then at least a pacific league title.”