Alec Zerlein ’22

---

COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives in some way, and this year’s varsity basketball players were no exception. At Strake Jesuit, all players, varsity or otherwise,  were required to wear masks during practices and games, something the majority of schools don’t do. Even with masks, the situation wasn’t perfect. 

“January 11th was the first time we had our full complement of players available,” Varsity Head Coach Dominic Amorosa said. 

Players and students in Strake Jesuit are required to stay home if they have COVID or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID, so the team was rarely at full strength. 

Boston University broke headlines when their players were all seen wearing masks in a game. The reaction was largely negative by the sports community. In an instagram post-NBA player Tobias Harris complained,  “Come on now.”

However, Coach Amorosa believed the benefits outweighed the inconvenience. 

“It’s definitely a little harder, but I think it’s been worth the fact that we have not had to quarantine our entire team,”he said. 

New Rockets general manager Rafael Stone agreed as well, saying, “If that’s what it takes so that people get a chance to play, I think that’s a no-brainer.”

What about our players themselves? 

“It was hard to get used to, but now it’s normal,” SJ varsity center Drayton Jones said.

Strake Jesuit had numerous games cancelled because COVID outbreaks at other schools, but we did not cancel any of our games. This basketball season provided an example to the Strake Jesuit community to remain safe in and out of school by wearing masks and social distancing. If a varsity basketball team can do it, so can you.