Months removed from the stoppage of club sports activity, athletes are practicing in whatever limited capacity they can with no return to competition in sight.
When club sport competition stopped in the spring, people like Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Mario Rios thought quarantine would be temporary, but as time went on, hope dissipated.
“When we had to stop all club operations in March, there were people who still had hopes of playing their sport later that spring,” Rios said. “As time went on, it was clear that we were in for a much longer road to return than we thought.”
Rios believes club sports are important to the student body and that they give students a chance to stay in shape while doing something they love. As of right now, there is no set date for them to return. 
“With Campus Recreation, we hope that we offer something that helps create a change in lifestyle for our students, or to continue their fitness journey,” Rios said. “Obviously, this is not the ideal situation that our club sports want to be in, but I believe it is the better thing for society right now.”
The uncertainty about the future is shared among club sports teams.
“I honestly have no clue or am unaware of a timetable for our return,” men’s lacrosse President Rylan Billings said. “All we can do is entrust in the university that they are doing everything they can to have us return to the field.”
Rios says he would be concerned about club athletes traveling for games, considering students are typically exposed to others on a daily basis. 
“What if a team that is traveling goes to the restaurant and they just so happen to be exposed to the virus?” Rios said. “It just spreads so fast. What if an asymptomatic student goes home and gives his family the virus? It is just such a slippery slope for our societal well being, so I understand the precaution.”
Club sports are under the Department of Recreation, not the Athletics branch which tests athletes on a routine basis, so they do not have the same resources to keep players safe.
“I am no expert or doctor by any means, but if I were to speculate based on the way things are trending, club sports may not even return this upcoming spring,” Rios said. “There is a bigger picture going on right now, and I support the university’s decision with club sports because I realize that there are people who are losing loved ones because of this pandemic.”
Rios says some club teams have decided to hold socially-distanced workouts off campus to stay in shape, something Billings says he likes.
“I like to think that our athletes are still keeping themselves in game shape,” Billings said. “We don’t know when our return will be, but I know our athletes will be ready when it comes.”
Lacrosse team Captain Ryan Meade has a more optimistic outlook on the current club sports situation. He says he is making sure to take advantage of the time off to work on his craft and improve as a player.
Meade believes that while COVID-19 has set the team back, it has also given it extra time to progress.
“At first, I was really upset to know we weren’t gonna be able to have team practices or anything,” Meade said. “Then I started to think of all the positives that could come from taking extra time to work on my body.”
For players, club sports are more than just a way to play sports. It serves as a way to connect with others and represent Texas State.
“I believe that sports bring people together in ways that most things aren’t capable of,” Rios said. “When people with similar passions put their efforts together to accomplish something, it is a beautiful thing to see.”