WHEELING,W.Va. (WTRF) – Spring is usually an important time for college football athletes. It’s a time for these athletes to get in their reps, see the field again after some long winter months, and connect with their teammates and coaches as they set their focus for the fall season. But due to this year’s pandemic, college football players aren’t meeting in-person for spring practice this year.
West Liberty head coach Roger Waialae told us, “It’s a little depressing but it shows how much I miss and love coaching football and love being around coaches.”
Despite not seeing one another face to face, college coaches in the Ohio Valley have used technology to look at film have meetings and still be productive.
Wheeling’s Zac Bruney told us, “The interaction is good you know guys can ask questions, we can screen share, film, you know drawings, anything that we would be doing in a positional meeting, we can do it virtually.”
And both West Liberty and Wheeling University are teaching their football players to practice having a strong mindset during these hardships.
Bruney added,”From a mental health standpoint, as long as their families are okay physically, as long as everybody’s health is okay they’re doing alright, some guys have taken on jobs and responsibilities being back home, working a little bit, stocking shelves and doing some things that essential workers are doing right now so I’m really proud of them.”
Times may be difficult now but when these football players do see the field again, they will appreciate it more than they ever did before.
“They’ll be excited to get back because once you take something away you don’t realize how much you miss it.”, said Waialae.
