“So, what did you do during the pandemic?”
One day, our descendants will inquire. Kylee Fuller and Tavis Hunt will have a ready answer.
The two soccer girls recently completed the workout required of the Mustangs football team. They earned custom backpacks for their efforts.
“Tavis and I started doing the workouts just for fun to see what it was like,” said Kylee. “During soccer, we’d see the boys running around to every station. After we worked out for one day, we decided we should do it every day and complete the required days in the football workout.”
“Kylee and Tavis completed all 28 workouts, so I wanted to reward them even though they play on the soccer team,” said coach Mike Brooks.
Background
All over the world, coaches grapple with keeping their athletes motivated and in sports shape during the pandemic — not an easy feat.
The coronavirus upended competitions several months ago. The future looms ahead like a huge question mark. But, Coach Brooks had an idea.
Over the summer, he challenged his football players to complete a workout regimen. They faced obstacles.
For one thing, they had to work out on their own since the high school weight room closed in mid-March due to COVID-19.
Despite the temporary loss of camaraderie, several players finished their agility and conditioning requirements by the time school reopened.
For the rest, Brooks had a plan.
“I restarted the lifting and workout requirement because not many kids completed it over the summer,” he said. “For that, they could get horses on helmets or their names on their jerseys.”
They’d earn every letter on that jersey. The workout wasn’t easy.
But what about the athletes who already completed the requirement over the summer?
The coach challenged them to complete a second workout. They’d earn a custom backpack, black with the school mascot galloping across the front.
In mid-Sept. the weight room reopened. Graduating senior Victor Flores finished his lifts and earned the backpack. Now, he feels better prepared for whatever life throws at him.
“I plan on competing in basketball, football and track,” he said. “I am more focused with basketball. The sport was an eye-opener for me to work hard and push through.”
Football players Logan Oberman, Haydon Burrows, Conner Fecht, Jordan Gentry, Bryce Sherron and Devin Moura joined Flores in completing the workout and earning the backpack.
They hope to use their skills starting Feb. 13, 2021, when they may begin practice.
Soccer girls meet their goals
Tavis and Kylee are longtime friends and teammates on the soccer field. Kylee, a junior, is also a distance runner on the track team and plays basketball. Tavis is a sophomore and a recent PCHS student of the month.
As part of her workout, Kylee used a piece of equipment favored by the football team. She wanted to improve her footwork.
In soccer, footwork is everything. The players are always on the move and often change directions in a split second to control the ball.
“The penalty box is a four-square thing you put on the ground, and there’s workouts that help you with footwork,” she explained. “If you mess up, you have to do five pushups.”
Update: On Friday, Dec. 17, Governor Sisolak extended Nevada’s statewide ‘pause’ until at least Jan. 15. The restrictions include a prohibition on adult and youth sports tournaments.
Asked how the extension might affect Pershing athletics, Brooks replied, “We aren’t 100 percent sure, but it will likely delay our start. Also, the statewide ban on basketball and wrestling is still in place.”
Football and wrestling are considered the highest transmission sports. Soccer and basketball are moderate. There is no guarantee when school sports will resume.
