American River College’s men’s soccer team has been training face to face throughout summer and is now competing this fall. ARC men’s soccer coach Paul Hansen says the players are grateful to be playing again while also following the new COVID-19 guidelines.

Hansen says the men’s soccer team is off to a great start this season with a 5-1 record.

“Coaching a college fall season has brought life back to more normal for me and the players,” Hansen said in an email to the Current. 

Hansen adds that his new campus routine is different with the new COVID-19 guidelines. 

“I do my Canvas work and other computer work early in the morning, then I usually go into my office around 10 a.m. or so to plan practice and perform other team management-related activities,” Hansen said. “I have much more time to focus on my team because I can do my online teaching work at random hours.”

Hansen says it was tough having no in-person soccer and only Zoom meetings for the last year-and-a-half.

“We did not spend much time in meeting rooms or weight rooms due to the confined spaces but have been able to prepare on the field without many restrictions,” Hansen said. “The toughest part has been keeping the team together and motivated without physically being together and playing.”

Zoom allowed communication on what the team wanted to build, but the whole process was full of disappointments and frustrations as athletics were shut down, Hansen added. 

“It has been fantastic to have athletics back on campus,” Hansen said. “We are thrilled to be back and ready to go.”