We believe that our spring senior athletes should eventually be honored even under the current circumstances pertaining to the coronavirus outbreak.

Senior year is the year that everyone looks forward to. All of the major senior festivities and privileges are a part of what makes senior year special. However, these significant aspects of senior year have gotten taken away by the dreadful coronavirus outbreak. What hit senior athletes the hardest was when PIAA announced that all spring sports seasons will be cancelled. No senior night, no signing day, no ability to fulfill captain duties, and no closure.

Athletic directors, coaches, and parents are spreading love for seniors via all social media platforms. The Pennridge Softball Booster Club made a statement that, “[they] will still try their hardest to honor [their] seniors.” High school sports teams are remaining hopeful they will get to have closure at a later date. Pennridge softball senior, Wiss Chiappetta, states she “is very distraught by the news, but the hope that we can have a makeshift senior night is there.” Seniors should be granted a senior night even if it is unconventional.

Festivities such as picnics, “fun pick-up” games, and inter league tournaments are all hopeful options that teams are considering. However, critics say that everyone may still need to practice social distancing in June. “If 20 percent of the population is infected by June, you can have one meeting with 10 people in it and pretty well assume that there will be someone there who can transmit the virus,” Dr. Osterholm, University of Minnesota Infectious Disease Researcher, said. If the precautions are put in place, such as wearing masks and keeping a safe distance away from each other, it should be possible to give seniors one last hurrah on their sports fields.

Senior athletes should be given the closure they need amid this pandemic. Booster clubs should be making posters and social media posts that highlight their seniors’ high school athletic careers. Ideally, when the virus has slowed, teams should be able to make plans to all come together one last time to celebrate their seniors.

For more information pertaining to the coronavirus, what schools are doing to celebrate their seniors, and more visit https://sites.google.com/view/covidhiatus