During this second stay at home order in Hawaii, student-athletes are going through struggles to keep in shape and improving themselves during this time. Much like professional athletes, they are very much in the same boat as everyone else so they have had to get creative to stay in shape to be ready to go in their sports. But because Radford’s student-athletes do not make millions of dollars like those professional athletes they have had to get even more creative to keep in shape during the pandemic, student-athletes like Senior Malachi Henry and Junior Che’ Barksdale have had their own ways to keep up with their competition during the pandemic. During the lockdown phase of the pandemic the Hawaii High School Athletic Association put in a no-contact period on July 20th and then further extended on August 17th players and coaches have been limited in contact from that window of time. 

Varsity Football player Henry explained, “They (HHSAA) put a rule in so I haven’t been in contact with my coaches but they know I’m working.” In terms of working, keeping in shape is half of the battle when it comes to team sports like football and basketball keeping in touch with your teammates is key to success and with the no contact period being in place between coaches, the only people that can better you are your teammates.”

As a result of the stay at home order student-athletes like Henry and Barksdale are working out from home and staying in their communities to get things like fieldwork and shootarounds just to knock some rust off. For example, Che’ used his surroundings to his advantage, training on a basketball court in his neighborhood.

Varsity Basketball player Barksdale stated, “We have apps like BAND that we keep in touch and recommend workouts to each other.” Using apps like BAND that keep coaches and players connected via message boards and videos will have to be made do with stay at home orders being adjusted once again. 

With the ending of the HHSAA’s no contact period between coaches and players there are steps being taken to get the season back but like all things, during the pandemic it is moving slow. Although things are moving slowly, student-athletes like Henry and Barksdale are using this extra time to their advantage to improve and use the ending of the no contact period to their advantage to catch up with their coaches. With no set schedule for athletics to return, student-athletes are going to have to make these stay at home and do-it-yourself workouts the new regular.