“I didn’t think it would get this far,” said junior Serineh Hayrapetyan, who plays volleyball for the Hoover High School team. “I thought that once our season got pushed to January that would be the final straw. Now that campus is closed, we don’t even have a way to work out. Previously, we would work out outside, and our coach was optimistic about going back in the gym. Apparently, that optimism was short-lived,” Hayrapetyan said.  

On Jan. 11, Supt. Vivian Ekchian sent out an email confirming that all in-person activities would be shut down due to rising COVID-19 cases. 

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health had placed guidelines for sports teams to condition under. Until further notice, all sports conditioning must take place outdoors. Upon entering, all athletes must go through a screening, and keep a face covering on for the entire practice. Also, athletes are not allowed to share equipment in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19. 

Hoover High School was open, and the volleyball, football and water polo teams were conditioning outside at the time. However, after the superintendent’s announcement, all GUSD campuses closed for in-person activities, including sports conditioning, until Feb. 1. 

“It’s really disappointing as a community that we aren’t being responsible,” said sophomore Sarah Manookian, who plays on the GHS water polo team. “Going to practice was something I enjoyed, it was a way to get away from the world and schoolwork for a little. We got another opportunity for conditioning, but that was also cancelled.” 

Some teams began conditioning in early November. Many teams were told that they would begin practices in late December, and start their season in the beginning of January. However, all games were then cancelled, and now so too are the outdoor workouts — at least until Feb. 1. In addition, on Jan. 19, CIF Southern Section released a statement saying that they pushed fall sports to March and April, as well as cancelling the fall sports championships.     

Sophomore Maria Galstyan, a swimmer on the GHS team, was very happy about the closure. “I am very happy that the campus is putting the life of students and teachers above personal wants of going back,” Galstyan said. “I think the sacrifice of sports activities for a period of time was and still is necessary in order to ensure the safety of our community.”