Mask Exemption led to Forfeit

Covid changes in sports affected some students on a personal level. Georgia Tarleton, a freshman at the time, started field hockey last year with trouble breathing and getting light headed. She had some tests run and was diagnosed with asthma.

“This means that already it is harder for my lungs to get air when I am exercising, so with a mask on my symptoms were worse,” Georgia explains. When basketball season came around and they were required to wear masks, her doctor wrote a medical exemption.

This had an effect on the team.

“Schools would decide that they didn't want to play us once the word got around that a player from Woodstock Girls Basketball didn't wear a mask,” Georgia says. The teams said they would play our school if she didn’t go but in the end the other team had to forfeit the game. This happened despite the fact that the CDC said that schools had to respect when there were medical exemptions from masks.

“My teammates were supportive, and my coach was even more,” Georgia says but she also says that she knew they were a bit disappointed because they didn’t get to play those games.

Georgia was upset because of the reaction of other teams. She felt as if she was the problem. “ I was angry; something I can't control was keeping me from playing the sport I love.” They did get to play some teams but Georgia recalls, “When I walked in the gym all eyes went to me. It wasn't fair what happened, I am just hoping this year can be better!”