Story by Jordyn Capra and Natalie Gutierrez
Although Palomar College sports have been canceled this season, the men’s and women’s soccer teams are still trying to stay positive.
The Palomar soccer team is said to be on the right track for playoffs this spring and the upcoming fall. According to one of the women’s soccer players, Monica Saltz, the team is doing its best throughout the pandemic to stay on the right track.
Saltz said the women’s team has been practicing new habits in order to achieve their goals for soccer.
“Almost every day each one of us is working on fitness, speed, and ball work,” she said.
She explained how the women’s soccer team is encouraging one another to strive.
“We all have days where we are tired, stressed, or not in the mood to do anything, but it’s the uplifting text messages from my teammates that keep me going and staying on track towards my goals,” she said. “We also hold weekly Zoom meetings where we can touch base with each other as a whole and keep building our team dynamics.”
Saltz also discussed how much of an impact the pandemic has had on the soccer team, claiming how it has completely changed the team in a huge way.
“The pandemic has affected everyone’s lives in different ways, and, for those of us playing soccer here at Palomar, it has drastically changed everything,” she said.
“Most of us went from playing and practicing everyday to nothing at all in a blink of an eye. I think we all just miss playing the sport we love,” she added.
The Palomar soccer player went on to describe how the pandemic has impacted her personally, claiming that soccer has been her favorite sport to release energy and tension.
“I know for me soccer was a way to release all my stress about school and life,” she said.
On the men’s side, Head Coach David Linenberger shared his thoughts on the cancellation of sports due to the pandemic and how this has affected his athletes.
He explained how disappointed his players are that soccer has been taken away from them, and that there are many uncertainties about if and when they will be able to play, train and see each other again.
“It’s very frustrating, especially when you see youth soccer playing, high school soccer is starting up and other colleges are playing,” Linenberger said.
“[My players] are of course very frustrated,” he added. “They want to be back on the field playing. It is more than just playing a game. It is also about physical health and mental health.”
The athletes are having a hard time understanding why their season has been canceled but high school sports remain operational. Comets soccer is not allowed to train as a team anymore, and they miss the interaction with their teammates.
Linenberger shared his thoughts on how he would like everything to move forward with the season and program.
“We are working hard to keep everyone engaged and committed to the program. We are trying to stay positive and looking forward to the time we are back on the pitch,” he said.
