Not The Same
This year is not the same. The bleachers groan with an eerie silence. Built to support hundreds of people, they are now blocked off to everyone. Only the announcer is allowed in the press box. For 15 seniors, they look to the stands and then down at the ground when they realize no one is there. They waited four years to play in front of cheering fans, and now they play for ice cold metal seats with no one filling them up. As you make your way down off the bleachers, the next difference meets you on the track. Bags are lined up, spaced apart in an orderly fashion. When a player comes off the field to get water, they grab their mask and give their teammates elbow bumps, high fives eliminated from normalcy. Without the close physical connections, comradery looks different this year. There are no team handshakes or team dinners before games. There is soccer and only soccer. All of the fluff is removed, so it takes everyone’s best effort to make the new players feel at home. As you move closer to the field you step on the same artificial grass. The same black rubber turf pellets find a way to get stuck in your shoes no matter what. Looking at the bench you see more of the same that you saw on the track. Tape marks off the bench, preventing players from getting too close to each other. Six feet between everyone, almost enough to sit with your arms straight out. No more huddling together when it’s cold or raining, and no more leaning close to whisper jokes when you aren’t on the field. When you do get on the field, a flood of emotions hit you when you look around and realize that this year is not the same.
