OAK CREEK — The winter season kicks off with practice for some WIAA high schools, while others are on pause. We checked out Oak Creek High School, as they learned to adjust on the first day of practice.
"So our new normal this year is, we gotta wear a mask when we're playing games, when we're practicing," Jasin Sinani says.
As practice and play begin in the OC, the reminder of being a good teammate takes on new meaning this year.
"Coach has always been stressing since he got here, communication. And with the mask on, it's going to be communication a lot more. So keeping the mask up and talking loud or talking more is going to really help us out in the long run," Jasin Sinani says.
"It's hard for kids to wear a mask due to sweating, breathing heavily. They just want to constantly pull it down so we're stressing that. We're stressing the six feet as much as we possibly can," Oak Creek Head Coach Kyle Johnsen says.
"I told them to bring extra masks just in case one rips, you know especially with those medical ones that they're using. I actually like this mask I'm currently wearing. It's an athletic mask. It's a little bit more expensive, but you're able to breathe in it a lot easier," Johnsen says.
The team is wearing these masks all in hopes of giving these kids a season. And not ending short of the finish line, in the playoffs, like last season.
"The biggest thing was today. Hoping that we would get to today," Johnsen says. "And we're here. So I'm extremely thankful for that. These kids deserve to play. They got their spring sports taken away. Their fall sports were changed differently. And all the winter sports, not the exact same but the opportunity to play. And you know, if things have to change. We have to adjust, you know week in and week out. Or every two weeks. I'm ok with that. They have the opportunity to play."
