The Impact that COVID-19 has had on MN High School Football

The coronavirus pandemic has put the sports world in unprecedented territory. Although the start of the high school football season is nearly sixth months away, the top players in the state’s daily lives have been impacted and we can only hope that the 2020 season will be able to run smoothly. I was fortunate enough to catch-up with some of the best high school football players in Minnesota, and I was able to find out how they have been handling the widespread pandemic that has affected all of our daily lives. <b>Recruiting</b> The virus has caused the NCAA to create a nationwide recruiting ’dead period.’ A dead period is, "a period of time where a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools." The NCAA had originally set the ban to last until April 15, but as of April 1 they extended it to last until May 31. [embed]http://twitter.com/InsidetheNCAA/status/1245450773590409222[/embed] [caption id="attachment_18968" align="alignright" width="139"] <span style="font-size: 8pt"><em>Kamara on a UNI visit.</em></span>[/caption] The consensus top running back in the state, [player_tooltip player_id="18033" first="Terrance" last="Kamara"] of Minneapolis North is still adjusting to the new norm. "The recruiting process has been very different, I planned on going to camps, working out in front of coaches and talking to them in person. Everything is digital right now and i’m trying my best to adjust to the new normal, said Kamara." Kamara’s Minneapolis North teammate and one of the best linebackers in the state, Dominic Mcmillian was asked how the changes impacted his recruiting, and he had to be honest. "Just a little slower than usual, but patience is key so you have to be patient for them [the offers] to come anyways. They will come, because when the season come there will be plenty more," Mcmillian said. Arguably the top uncommitted player from the class of 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="18032" first="Dorian" last="Singer"] was fortunate, as the bulk of his offers had came at a time where he was able to visit in person. He had said that he is still in contact with the majority of programs, but the communication has just transitioned to the phone. <strong>Staying in-shape</strong> With the majority of facilities and weight rooms being temporarily shutdown it might be hard for the average person to get a workout in, but these world class athletes have been creative in finding a way to get as much work in as they can. The consensus top prospect in the class of 2021, [player_tooltip player_id="18025" first="Riley" last="Mahlman"] of Lakeville South has been able to adapt to the unprecedented times. "Luckily for me I have some weights in my basement. Of course it’s not even close to any other gyms but it more than most have. Also I have been going for runs to try to stay in shape," said the Wisconsin commit. [player_tooltip player_id="18033" first="Terrance" last="Kamara"] has gotten help from anyone he can find, and he is fortunate enough to have some high-level talent in-house. "I have been doing a lot of body weight lifts on the lifting part. I’ve been pretty active with the football workouts, staying loose. My younger brother [[player_tooltip player_id="18066" first="Zach" last="Yeager"]], is the starting QB for Minneapolis North, so it’s nice being able to just go out and run routes for him. I also do some workouts sent to me by some of the schools I’ve been offered by," said the North Polar. [embed]http://twitter.com/Terrance_Kamara/status/1245908670568898560[/embed] <strong>Impact on winter sports</strong> Some of the top football players in the state also play other sports during the off season. The basketball season was nearly over, as the section tournaments were beginning to wrap up and the state tournament was nearly beginning until the state-wide closures came in. [player_tooltip player_id="18025" first="Riley" last="Mahlman"] was gearing up to play in the section 1AAAA championship game on Friday, March 13 for Lakeville South. Mahlman was averaging nearly 10 points a game, until he found out the news that day that his season was over. "Me and the team actually first found out on Twitter. I think it was John Milea who first tweeted it out. Then right after that class me and a couple teammates went to the AD to confirm it. We were shocked. They already had many meetings and took measures like reducing fans. I for sure thought we would be playing that night," said Mahlman. <strong>Use of free time</strong> Since virtually every school in Minnesota has been closed, all of the top players in the state have had plenty of free time with no in-person class. When asked what he was doing to stay busy, [player_tooltip player_id="18033" first="Terrance" last="Kamara"] has said he’s trying to keep his mind off things. "Watching a lot of film, on myself and players like Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey. trying not to spend too much time thinking" Tartan, DB/WR, [player_tooltip player_id="18032" first="Dorian" last="Singer"] had an answer that most high school juniors would have. "Push ups and playing Fortnite, ’lol’ and eating healthy." Singer has even had some help around the house, as he said his Mom and Sister have helped with cooking his favorite meal, Chicken Shrimp Alfredo. Like a lot of us, Dominic Mcmillian has reverted to doing a lot of the same every day. [I’ve been] cleaning a lot. Doing some homework, rearranging my room a lot. Just more cleaning and playing the game or doing some push ups. About 200 a day," said the Minneapolis North linebacker. [embed]http://twitter.com/dominicmcmilli2/status/1245802915593363458[/embed] [player_tooltip player_id="18025" first="Riley" last="Mahlman"] had has been doing what ever he can to stay productive. "I cleaned out my whole room then painted it. I started reading a book. have been watching Netflix and playing PS4 also." <hr /> During these unprecedented times it has been hard for sports fans and athletes to find the positives, but [player_tooltip player_id="18032" first="Dorian" last="Singer"] had a very simple quote that says a lot. “Tough times don’t last forever tough people do”