COVID-19 impact on Kern County sports teams

COVID-19 impact on Kern County sports teams

SPORTING EVENTSFROM OUR COUCHES RIGHT ABOUTNOW.SINCE THE APPEARANCE OF THECORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK.

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.LIVESPORTS ACTION HAS DISAPPEARED.UNFORTUNATELY SO HAS THE LIFE OFCHECKING YOUR PHONE FOR BRACKETUPDATES .

.AND CATCHING UP ONTHE HIGHLIGHTS.INSTEAD.

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.THE CURRENT SPORTSWORLD HAS BEEN PAUSED.JUST LIKE THE TRACK AT LIBERTYHIGHSCHOOL REMAINS AT A STANDSTILL ..EAGER FOR THE RETURN OF ITSATHLETES.

AND VICE VERSA.ELLEN PALMGREN, LIBERTY RUNNER:"IT'SA LITTLE DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE IWAS HOPING THAT I WOULD DOREALLY WELL THIS YEAR AND THENTHE TEAM.

WE WERE EXPECTED TO DOREALLY WELL THIS YEAR."THE PATRIOTS WERE POISED TOFINISH TOPIN THE STATE AND GO FOR THEIRSEVENTH STRAIGHT LEAGUECHAMPIONSHIP.LIBERTY TXF COACH RYAN RENZ:"WE'VEBEEN WORKING FOR EIGHT, NINEWEEKS AT THAT POINT.

AND NOW WEGET TO SEE SOMEOF THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR, HOWTHEY'RE GOING TO MATURE AND WHATTHEY'REGOING TO DO OVER THE NEXT NINEWEEKS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'REMISSING THE FUNNEST PART OF THESEASONS IS WHAT WE'RE MISSING."NOW IT'S ON HOLD.

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WHILEATHLETES LIKESENIOR AND MASTERS UNIVERSITYCOMMITT ELLEN PLAMGREN CONTINUETO TRAINWHILE THEY WAIT TO SEE IF THEIRHIGH SCHOOL SEASON RETURNS INAPRIL.ELLEN PALMGREN: "I HOPE THAT WEAREABLE TO COME BACK THIS YEAR ANDRUN.

BUT IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN,THEN, YOUKNOW, LIKE THE WORK WE PUT IN,IT'S LIKE WE STILL PUT IN THEWORK AND IT'S STILL VALUABLE ANDIT'S NOT WASTED."COACH RENZ: "WE HAVE SOME HIGHLYMOTIVATED KIDS, THEY CAN KEEPWORKING OUT AND UNDERSTANDHOPEFULLY THERE'SLIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.WHETHER WHENEVER THAT LIGHT ISAT THISPOINT."AT BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE.

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.THESPRING SPORTS TEAMS SEASONOFFICIALLY CANCELLED LATE LASTWEEK PER RULING BY THE CCCAA.CASEY GOODMAN, BC SOFTBALLCOACH: "I'MUSED TO THIS TIME OF YEAR, YOUKNOW, BEING SURROUNDED BY MYATHLETES ANDOUR STAFF AND ALL THAT KIND OFSTUFF.

SO IT'S DEFINITELYDIFFERENT.

IT'S NOT EASY, IT'SHARD.

IT'S HARD NOT BEING ABLETO YOU KNOW, SEE YOUR KIDS ANDKEEPWORKING WITH THEM AND KEEPWORKING TOWARDS ANOTHERCONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUTTHAT'S THE REALLY THAT'S THESMALLEST OF THINGS WHEN WE LOOKAT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON, YOUKNOW, IN OUR COUNTRY AND EVENNOW IN OUR STATE."AND ACROSS TOWN AT CAL STATEBAKERSFIELD.

.THOSE TEAMS WERETHE FIRST TO BE SUSPENDED ALONGWITH MANY NCAA PROGRAMS ACROSSTHE COUNTRY.FOR THE SWIM TEAM.

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THEIRSEASON ENDEDAT THE NATIONAL INVITATIONAL INCLEVELAND.CHRIS HANSEN, CSUB SWIM COACH:"WEWERE SWIMMING FASTER THAN WE DIDAT THE WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS ANDWE WERE PRETTY STOKED, WENT BACKTO THE HOTEL TO REST AND WE WOKEUP TO THE NEWS THAT WE WILL SOMEFINALS, BUT THEN WE'RE DONE."SIX CSUB SWIMMERS WILL ALSO NOWPUTTHEIR OLYMPIC HOPES ON PAUSEAFTER LEARNING THAT THE TOKOYOSUMMERGAMES WERE OFFICIALLY POSTPONEDUNTIL NEXT YEAR.COACH HANSEN: "AND WE'RE JUSTGONNASIT BACK AND KEEP DOING WHATWE'RE DOING AND HOPEFULLY WE'LLBEIN TOKYO WHEN, WHENEVER IT IS."THEN THERE ARE OTHER ATHLETESLIKEEMILY HERNANDEZ WHO HAS NOT BEENABLE TO PLAY WITH HER CLUBVOLLEYBALLTEAM YET SHE'S GRATEFUL TO HAVERECENTLY SIGNED TO CONTINUE HERCAREER AT SONOMA STATE.EMILY HERNANDEZ, MIRA MONTESENIOR:"JUST A GOOD FEELING TO KNOWTHAT LIKE, I'M GOING TO BE ABLETO LIVE MY DREAMS,LIKE OUT OF MY HIGH SCHOOLEXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY MY SENIORYEAR LIKE THEHOME GAMES, VOLLEYBALL, THEYWERE LIKE SO HIGH AND ALL THISANDNOW IT'S LIKE, I'M GONNA BE ABLETO DO THAT FOR LIKE FOUR MOREYEARS COMINGUP AND IT'S THE BEST."NOT EVERY SENIOR LIKE EMILY ANDELLENWILL HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOKFORWARD TO.COACH RENZ: "THIS IS PROBABLY ITFOR ALOT OF THEM.

SO IT'S A MEMORYLOST."ELLEN PALMGREN: "IT'S MADE MESAD ALITTLE BIT FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'TPLANNING ON RUNNING NEXT YEAR.EVEN IF THEY AREN'T GOING TOKEEP RUNNING YOU STILL HAVE THATEXPERIENCE AND HAVE SOMETHINGTHAT YOU WORKED HARD FOR AND YOUCAN TAKE THAT INTO OTHER THINGSIN YOUR LIFE."NOW IT'S TIME TO FOCUS ON THOSEPOSITIVES WHILE SHIFTING THEIRGOALS AS ONE TEAM.COACH HANSEN: "WE HAD A GREATSEASONAND WHEN WE BROKE 12 SCHOOLRECORDS AND WE HAD SOME WACKCHAMPIONS SONOW WE'VE HAD SOME OBSTACLES,BUT I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH HOWTHEY'REHANDLING IT."COACH GOODMAN: "MAKING SURE THATYOU KNOW WHATEVER MOVEMENTS I'MMAKING IS NOT PUTTING ANYBODY ATRISK.

THE SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSEREALLY IS JUST YOU KNOW, MAKINGSUREMY FAMILY'S OKAY MAKING SURE MYFRIENDS ARE OKAY AND MAKING SURETHAT I'M DOING MY PART YOU KNOW,WHATEVER THAT MAY BE."COACH RENZ: "THIS IS NOT ABOUTSPORTSTHIS POINT.

THIS IS ABOUT OURCOUNTRY, OUR WORLD AND KEEPINGPEOPLESAFE."FOR 23 ABC SPORTS, I'M KARIOSEP, CONNECTING YOU.CONGRESS FINALLY REACH