So sports have been taken away from us amid the coronavirus pandemic, what now? No matter what sports you follow, and what teams you root for, there are things you can even do now to enjoy your favorite sport. 

Our nation has faced many tragedies, and one of the ways people have gotten through them is by watching sports. Sports have always had a special way of helping people escape reality while also bringing people together during the toughest of times. Whether it was the horrific attacks on the Twin Towers on Sep. 11, 2001 or Hurricane Katrina, or the Boston Marathon Bombings in 2013, sports were always able to give people a sense of normalcy and unity afterwards. 

The most recent problem to disrupt the sports world is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. This is very different from any situation before. Most, if not all major and amateur sports leagues have temporarily suspended operations in an attempt to keep players, coaches, personnel and fans as safe as possible.

Right now, sports fans are feeling lost. As a sports fan, there are still ways you can enjoy your favorite sports and your favorite memories from all the history. Rewatch the most iconic moments in sports history, spark discussions and debates about your favorite athletes, and even reach out to your favorite athletes on social media and just tell them what they mean to you and how they may inspire you. 

The thing I think that is forgotten sometimes is that athletes are people, too. Athletes have families and friends that they care for, athletes have feelings and athletes pay bills. Even though I am sure they want to be back out on the field or back on the court right now, I am sure many are enjoying the time at home with their families right now and that they are pushing to find all the positive things through such a negative span of time. 

Why am I saying all of this? Because this is a weird and difficult time for all of us, but we can’t let it defeat the things we love. Through hardships comes unity and unity helps heal the wounds. We need to come together now more than ever, and as sports fans, we can’t forget what sports mean to us, and we certainly can’t let this temporary problem leave permanent damages to the sports we love. We can do this by staying together and getting through this hardship like we got through the ones before, and we can not forget what sports mean to us and how they always provide a light at the end of the tunnel.