Covid-19 is something that seems to have affected everything, especially how we do things.

Now according to definitions.com it states that bowling is a game in which a person rolls a heavy ball down a lane to try to knock over a group of objects known as pins. Bowling is an indoor sport that can be played by people of almost any age, and millions around the world participate in it. Often time this sport is under looked and unappreciated. Luckily here at Morton, Bowling not only do we have dedicated players and students but as well as a good team who have been regional champions for the past four years and by one pin they were short to qualify for state. IHSA has helped all the schools involved in sports determine whether or not a sport is safe to continue to be played. IHSA has a chart that has determine how high risk it is and how the season will look like, Bowling falls under Low risk, to start as soon as possible, no state series, and its end date will be March 13.

As a member of the Morton Bowling Team I’ve experienced and seen many things have changed down from cheers, lane positioning, and time. For starters the season has been reduce to 2 months, compared to the 5 months that usually happens. All tournaments except one has been cancelled. One of the greatest struggle is time. Time is everything, the team no longer has the same amount of practice time as before, the games have been shorten, and all games are cramped together and so little time to actually practice. Positioning has been one of the biggest changed and may affect how intense and how the game is played. Not only our own cheers that have been removed have been impacted, but as well as our family presence is no longer available to be there to watch, we are still unsure if we will have a senior night. Bowling for fun hasn’t change. In a poll that was take it shows how 89% of people still have continued to go bowling and to them there really hasn’t been a change. The only change there has been is the use of a mask. Bowling for fun rather than competitively is a completely different environment.

It’s been a drastic change for all of us, and it’s a hard to think Seniors last season will end like this.

“This is my fourth year being on the bowling team but compared to before, we are going through a pandemic. It is unlike years past, and for the most part it is emotionally difficult. For many of us it is because we know that it is our last year. With it being our last year it adds pain to the fact that this may be the last time we get to bowl with people whom we’ve made such strong connections to. I find it more difficult compared to last year as our season was also cut short this year. In years past we were used to starting pre season in November and ending in March. Our season had our schedules packed. Hard practices everyday and early Saturday tournaments. Before I used to complain about having to wake up at 6 Every Saturday and get home late in the afternoon. But now I miss it. I miss being able to freely socialize with my team. To joke around with my coaches, chant cheers, those Saturday morning McDonald’s run’s. All of it. With having to be spit up and shorten practices and meets it does feel a bit depressive. But we’re a great time and I know we can make the most out of it,” Varsity Bowler and Senior, Marilyn Flores stated.

The environment has been affected drastically and it feels like different vibes.

“I’d say that it’s a different spirit of competition. Before Covid we could cheer, have spectators, and compete with multiple schools, where now it’s only one school per competition and there’s just a general silence during games since people can’t come anymore. Overall it just has a different atmosphere,” Varsity Bowler and Senior Jessica Rosa stated.

The team has been affected and it isn’t something we would expected.

“We used to compete in long tournaments amongst 20 other schools or more, and throughout the day it was this constant competitive pressure of scoring well and bowling well. In addition, there was more cheering and interaction with the other schools. This season however, there’s less of that. sure both teams bowl in the same bowling alley, but we’ve lost that pressure of having them next to us, and we lost the ability to actually see what they’re scoring so that we could either match up what they do or simply get ahead. The competitions have lost that essential element of being competitive. The way it’s affected is that the team doesn’t feel as close and united meaning that since we’re all separated (especially varsity) we feel as though we’re each doing our thing and not really doing it together anymore. We’ve also lost that aspect of being more competitive with the other team whether that’s through cheers or scores. Overall i feel that the competitions have lost their competitiveness and the team is basically torn apart in a way,” Stated Varsity bowler and Senior Carolina Herrejon.