The Bluffton University volleyball team has found ways to stay connected, motivated and focused despite the delay of their season in response to COVID-19. The team continues to keep its goals focused on growth on and off the court.
“Our goals always revolve around becoming better as people and as volleyball players,” said Steve Yarnell, head volleyball coach. “We had a growth year last season with a lot of new faces being asked to play a bigger role than they had in previous years.”
Players have continued to push themselves physically while adhering to social distancing guidelines by conducting workouts in small groups of 10 or fewer. The team uses a variety of methods in working on their fitness by having 6 a.m. track workouts on some days and weight lifting on other days.
Socially distanced volleyball team meeting. Photo by Claire Myree.
“Our goal was to acclimate the team back in slowly to training,” said Yarnell. “We want to make sure we are doing so safely both from a physical and mental health perspective.”
Mental health is a main focal point within the program as part of the team culture of personal growth. The team uses group discussions about important topics like mental health as a way to stay connected.
“Each year we read a book as a team in the summer,” said Yarnell when asked what the team was doing to stay connected. “Each athlete selects a book that interests them and then we discuss what the book was about. This summer we made a list of books revolving around topics of leadership, mental toughness, mental health and character building.”
Not only are the coaches doing their best to keep the team connected, but the players themselves are doing their part to stay united as a team despite having to be physically distanced.
“We play sand volleyball throughout the week in small groups,” said Logan Tabler, senior captain defensive specialist. “Chemistry on and off the court is really important to our success. COVID protocols have made it hard for us to build this chemistry since the team has been split up into groups, but we try to do the best we can while staying within the safety guidelines.”
Even though the team is carrying on and trying to stay positive, it has not been easy to deal with feelings of loss as a result of the cancellations that the pandemic has caused.
“The team was supposed to go to California this year, but that is no longer happening,” said Tabler. “This has been the biggest upset for me, especially since it’s my senior year.”
The program continues to push forward with an overall attitude that is geared toward fighting through adversity and learning and growing from this experience.
“We must look at the bigger pictures of the joy sports, health and teammates bring into our lives,” said Yarnell. “We are Beavers: intelligent, hardworking and resilient. We will prepare, and when our time comes, we will be ready.”
