Three Ways To Stay Engaged With Your Team When You're Apart

By Elizabeth Carey for DyeStat

One of the obstacles athletes face in the current pandemic is feeling stranded. No practice, no high fives, no baton handoffs, no spotting in the weight room, no spectators in the stands, no coach shouting splits. Weird, right? 

It’s human to crave social and physical connection. Before, sport filled a lot of those needs for athletes, coaches, and fans alike! Track, for example, delivers heaps of psychological perks: friendships, camaraderie, accomplishment. In track’s absence, it’s on you to fill the gaps. 

That is, safely. Essential physical needs (think: health and safety) take priority. Despite a messy patchwork of lawful regulations around the U.S., data suggest it’s still risky to meet up with and be near people you don’t live with. And, yes, that includes staying away from runners and fast-moving exercisers — more than six feet away, in fact. 

The good news? There are easy ways to connect with your team. Staying engaged can keep you motivated and encouraged — so you’ll each be a better athlete-human for it. Whether you focus on maintaining team spirit or motivating your training buddies, being a good teammate means being supportive. Like being a good human, it means helping, not hurting.

Here are three actionable tips that’ll keep you engaged with your team:

1. Participate

Showing up looks a little different these days. With IRL sports canceled, participating in team activities during a pandemic takes more than just getting your body somewhere and going through the motions. Your options may vary, depending on what your coach, league, or other governing body has organized. Is your team participating in virtual meets? Has your coach organized video calls or guest speakers for the squad? Do you have a training plan in place? If you’re able to step up and be present in those opportunities, that’s the first step. 

2. Connect

Regardless of physical or social distance, now’s a great time to strengthen social bonds with your teammates and, by extension, your community. Some teams, like Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, have volunteered by making sack lunches for people in need. 

Other athletes are simply checking in on each other with group texts. Think about how you stay in touch with your teammates. What about beyond social media? (Have you tried that ancient app on your cell, called “Phone”? It’s especially nice when you don’t want to look at or be on a screen.)

3. Take care

If you’ve flown an airplane you’ve heard about putting on your oxygen mask before assisting others. Tending to your own essential needs allows you to help the people around you—plus be a successful, happy athlete. Nail the basics: Nourish your body with food, water, and sleep. Tune into your mental health, including stress and anxiety; check out these tips. Tap into chiller activities to counter the stress of uncertainty and the work of training. Think: reading, coloring, maybe even crocheting like Aliphine Tuliamuk. 

Be wary of what saps your energy. If scrolling Strava is giving you FOMO or watching pros’ live ab workouts is draining, sign out. And you’re never obligated to like or comment on, say, pics of people training with buddies they don’t live with. (One more time for the people posting not-so “socially distanced” workout group selfies in the back: stop it until public health officials give a go-ahead.) 

WRITING PROMPTS

1. What do you like about being on a team?

2. Who or what do you miss right now?

3. How are you showing up for yourself?

4. How are you connecting with others?

5. Are you supporting your community? How?

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Elizabeth Carey (https://elizabethwcarey.com/) is a freelance writer and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. Sign up for updates on her first book, GIRLS RUNNING, co-authored with Melody Fairchild, forthcoming from VeloPress: https://elizabethwcarey.com/writer-editor/book/.