With senior athletes seeing the final months of their high school careers affected both on and off the fields and away from the gyms, The Ruden Report is running a series, Senior Moments, to put the spotlight on some of the best of the Class of 2020.
Next up is Mia Gregory from Danbury’s softball and volleyball teams.
TRR: Was the uncertainty of the spring season more difficult for you because you are attending Springfield College but will not play a sport?
MG: It was pretty difficult. It was a change and not what I was used to. It was hard. It’s so hard to explain. It was different not doing something every day and not seeing … the girls that I play softball with I’ve been playing with since we were seven or eight years old so it was hard not ending my softball career with them.
TRR: Did the team do anything special to stay together or prepare for the possibility of a partial season?
MG: One of the assistant coaches tried to put together virtual workouts but that didn’t work out. We tried to stay in contact as much as possible and on Saturday all the juniors put together a Senior Night for myself and the other two seniors. That was really nice. They met us at the field and gave us gifts. It was nice to see everyone and have some closure.
TRR: How are you dealing with your athletic career being over?
MG: It has been a tough pill to swallow since softball has been a big part of my life for about 12, 13 years. Honestly, having it come to an abrupt end like this is a rollercoaster of emotions. I played summer softball so during that last game, I appreciated that but I knew I still had high school softball. If I knew all this was going to happen I would have appreciated that last game a little bit more.
TRR: You are going to study exercise science at Springfield. What are your career goals?
MG: I want to do occupational therapy. I was originally interested in athletic training but as I did more research I found it just wasn’t my speed. Then I did more research into occupational therapy and it focuses more on the wellness of patients and I kind of like the positivity. Live your best life after an injury or after surgery.
TRR: What did you do during those first weeks of the quarantine to stay busy?
MG: At the beginning of everything my dad and I did a couple puzzles, I learned how to knit. I just did what I could around the house. I rearranged my room. I got rid of a bunch of clothes. Just a bunch of little chores that I honestly was too busy for in the past months.
TRR: What do you hope to do this summer?
MG: Work a ton and make a lot of money for school. Just make the best of it. Hopefully things will be back to normal and spend as much time with my friends as I can.
TRR: What will you remember most about Danbury High School?
MG: You just never know what you are going to get. Again it’s a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s just crazy there and that’s what I appreciated most about it. It’s so diverse and different from everywhere else. I just appreciated that so much.
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