Playing Sports Without Fans
LOS ANGELES, CA - On March 11, 2020, the NBA postponed their season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension of the season was announced after NBA player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. On June 4, 2020, the NBA came up with a plan to continue the season in a bubble. The remainder of the season took place at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
Sports without fans has been a weird experience for a lot of people. Asaad Muhammad has been impacted by sports with no fans in a big way. His basketball season got canceled due to the pandemic. He says “My season got canceled unfortunately but the people that I talked to that I used to play with say it has been a weird experience. It is a different world and I would have never imagined something like this happening.”
When it comes to motivation teams won’t always have a crosstown rival to get them excited. Sports psychologists say the athletes that focus on adapting to the new circumstances will fare best. They wonder if mental preparation specialists are getting more work these days. The NBA’s new normal still feels weird to some players.
Some people have enjoyed the change of sports without fans and some people have not. Regardless of the situation, people are finding ways to adapt to it. Despite being affected by the change players have been working well through it. Some players can play better without fans in arenas.
There is no timetable for when all stadiums are going to be able to have fans again. Some stadiums are currently having fans at a limited capacity. Nobody knows when everything is going to go back to normal.
Asaad Muhammad says “Basketball arenas in California should let fans come back soon. We can’t predict the future but we just have to see what happens.”
Attendance for indoor events, including NBA games and concerts, are still prohibited.
Video Credit: LAFC
Video Credit: Alfonso Henry
How Teams Keep Fans Interested From Home
________________________________________________________________
By Alfonso Henry
Contributions from Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports
Video Credit, Alfonso Henry, Los Angeles Football Club
Photo, Alfonso Henry, Deseret News
Audio, Alfonso Henry
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Advantages of Playing Sports Without Fans