This year, the Covid-19 virus has impacted many industries and aspects of life, with sports being no exception. Nearly every major American sports season has been suspended including that of Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Major League Soccer (MLS), and impacting many events for sports organizations such as the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and the National Football League (NFL). Though these changes are already having an impact on the organizations they have affected, athletes and athletic associations aren’t stopping trying to share their athleticism. 

In an attempt to keep people interested and players playing, in one way or another, the NBA has decided to host the NBA Horse Challenge on Sunday, April 12 and will conclude on Thursday, April 16. NBA and WNBA teams are sending athletes from across the country including players from Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Oklahoma City. Players competing in the Horse Challenge will be playing from their respective home courts to keep players and those involved safe. This is the first ever NBA Horse Challenge and may become a regular event depending on its success.

The MLB association is another group to feel the impact of the virus heavily, having to push back the start of their regular season to a currently unknown date and cancel a portion of their preseason spring training. Training has changed quite a bit for the athletes as they can no longer meet with several trainers and their teammates. Some players have even gone to social media to show their homemade batting cages and infields to practice while waiting to return to the field. Professional football players have also began training in small groups or in one-on-one settings with their trainers as they still are preparing for the now fully virtual NFL draft.

So as many athletes and athletic associations are feeling the changes brought on by Covid-19, they are doing their best to work around the issue. Whether it’s the NBA’s first Horse Challenge or an entirely online NFL draft, the world of sports is preparing for an unorthodox year ahead.