Where you at, how you doing? >> Rita Lang

Where you at, how you doing?

RL: I'm in Sherwood, Oregon. I'm good, but it's been a major adjustment for sure. I don't think anyone can just switch completely to quarantine and feel completely normal. My whole family is coming to terms with it. I've been able to spend a lot more time with my them, which I wouldn't have gotten, so there have been some blessings, but it's been difficult adjusting.

Has it been difficult being quarantined in a haunted house?

RL: The ghost is nice, so it's not bad. He's staying inside as well, having a good time. His name is Harold. We named him together as a family. You'll hear someone walking up the stairs at 2 in the morning. It's just Harold. Things will fall when nobody is by them. It's Harold.

What is the mood around Sherwood?

RL: It's been pretty dead around here. Everyone is a little scared and paranoid, so the streets have been clear. No one is out. For the most part people are good about keeping their distance.

One thing has been kind of refreshing. We'll go out on walks and people who you usually would have passed by, now everyone is saying good morning to each other. It's nice. It's been like a reset. Everyone is appreciating the fact that we're all dealing with the same thing. People genuinely want to know how that person is.

What were the last three weeks like for you, going from normal to anything but normal, with spring break coming right in the middle?

RL: A group of us, a few people in my grade and some of the sophomores, decided to go to Canada for spring break. We only made it two days. As we were going to our second destination, we got word from some parents about the virus and people were getting paranoid about us being in another country.

So those plans crumbled. We ended the trip early and came back to Montana. The next day I flew home. I just wanted to be with my family. I wasn't planning on staying here too long, but now that everything is going the way it is, I'm probably going to stay here for the rest of the semester.

How is this impacting your family?

RL: Thankfully my dad's job is considered essential. He works for a metal company that makes things for other companies, so he's still working. My mom isn't working and one of my sisters isn't. The other one is. She works at Starbucks. People need their coffee, apparently.

My brother is still in high school. This week is his spring break. I'm not sure what they're going to do coming back from spring break. I have a feeling they won't be in school until at least mid-April. I think he's off for a while. So we're all around the house for the most part.

Do you find yourself following the news more than normal?

RL: I'm not one to follow the news. I do like to know what's going on to an extent, but I'm not one to check constantly. I struggle with anxiety, so I try not to spend a lot of my time thinking about it and stressing myself out. So, no, I'm not constantly focused on it.

Because of the timing of things, soccer hasn't been impacted as much as other sports, some of which lost their championship tournaments or had their spring seasons canceled. Are you thankful for that? Is there a sense of guilt?

RL: My heart definitely goes out to those seniors who had their seasons cut short. I could not imagine going out that way. I've been taking that into consideration when I get sad about not being able to finish our spring season. When I think of how so many athletes were impacted, I'm thankful to have more time.

Montana won the Big Sky Conference tournament in 2018, the regular-season championship last fall without a senior on the roster. The 2020 season could be something pretty special. Have you and your teammates talked about the impact this could have on your fall season?

RL: We kind of discussed it today in our (Zoom) meeting with the upperclassmen. We do realize there is the potential to have part of our season cut. Maybe we'll go right into conference games.

But we know we're the same season as football, and everyone loves football. People are not going to want that to be affected as much as possible, so what happens to them will happen to us. I'm kind of glad we're at the same time. We are greatly impacted by what happens to them.

What is a typical day for you now, if there is a typical day?

RL: It's pretty much the same every day. Wake up, eat some breakfast. I have a Zoom class at 7 a.m. on Monday through Wednesday, then I'll do other assignments and get as much done as I possibly can, usually before 1 or 2.

I'll try to go work out, either at a local field or around the neighborhood, get a workout in any way I can, while practicing social distancing, of course. Eat some dinner, then watch some TV with my family and go to bed.

How are you adapting to remote learning?

RL: I'm managing, but I miss being in person for some of my classes. For anatomy, that class is very hard to learn online. It helps being in person and having access to a cadaver and to be able to look at a 3D model of a human skull. There are definitely things I miss about being in person, but I'm figuring it out.

How are you maintaining a level of fitness and getting in the necessary skill work?

RL: It's nice that in soccer you don't have to be right next to someone to get some work done or technical work in. My siblings have played soccer, so they'll come out with me and kick a ball around and help me out. That's been nice. It makes you appreciate siblings at a time like this. You don't have to be completely alone.

What's been the biggest challenge in all this for you?

RL: Not having access to a weight room. Lifting is super important to keeping our strength, so that's been hard on me and trusting that the in-house workouts will be enough for now.

Either that or not having my teammates around to push me. That's super helpful when you're doing your running or you're doing technical work and getting really tired. Your teammates are the ones who are going to push you to keep going.

It's been tough not being able to be with the team in person. We've been doing what we can to stay connected and keep our relationships going. We're making sure we're making the most of our time at home. It's affected us, but we're a strong team.

We know you're always going to face adversity in life. How you choose to handle it is ultimately going to show how dedicated you are to making the best out of an unpredictable situation.

University of Montana Athletics

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