As Selma High’s fall sports have been postponed or delayed, many athletes have found it difficult to adapt and keep up with the same level of practice they had before quarantine. However, senior Anahi Soto has been doing all that she can to power through and improve in spite of the difficulties this new normal has brought.

Soto reports that there have been some struggles for her because of the pandemic, both in sports and in academics. 

“This pandemic has been hard, trying to get assignments done on time when I also have to clean the house and take care of my brother,” she says. “As an athlete, it’s also been hard as well, since I can’t go out on a run.”

With social distancing rules, going out to exercise has been compromised, so going to the gym or on runs is often not an option. Instead, Soto has been working out at home. She works to improvise with what she has in order to stay in shape, even without the aid of the usual equipment. 

“Lifting weights is important and I don’t have any at home. I try to make do with what I have at home, like lifting gallons of water or doing push-ups,” Soto says.

Working out on their own often and consistently is very important for student athletes during their time at home. Soto states that she tries to workout at least four times per week, mostly focusing on her legs and on cardio. 

Making sure to keep up with workouts and pushing herself will help Anahi to keep her endurance up, and to return to the tennis season ready to perform at her best. She hopes this upcoming season will help her to improve even further on her technique, especially as quarantine has prevented her from playing matches as often as usual. 

Soto started playing tennis when she was in the 8th grade, then started playing again during her sophomore year. However, she has been doing sports for even longer, starting when she was eight years old, with activities such as wrestling and jiu jitsu. 

As she has played tennis in high school, she feels she has improved a major amount. Getting to the position where she is now has taken a lot of hard work and commitment, and she is proud of how far she has come, especially as many of her teammates have more experience in playing tennis than she does.

Being on a team with other talented individuals has seemed to have helped her to grow as an individual as well, and she’s become very close to her teammates. 

“I’m happy about how well of a relationship I have with the girls on the team,” she says. “They’re like family.” 

Improving oneself takes a great deal of effort, but Soto also highlights that a dedication to taking care of oneself is crucial to bettering one’s skills. Sometimes this means sacrificing events in order to rest up for a tournament match the next day. She makes sure to eat right, hydrate, and get enough rest during the season in order to perform at her full potential. 

When the season starts up once again, she hopes that the team will be successful as they compete in tournaments. 

“I also hope to win most of my matches, but I have to work hard for it,” Soto states.

For now, however, she will continue to push to improve herself, and will make sure to stay dedicated during the rest of her time at home