When he sung the timeless lyrics “Country roads, take me home, to the place, I belong” in his 1971 song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” John Denver probably wasn’t aware that, 50 years later, Chapman University athletes would have to mull whether they wanted to take the Interstate 5 back to their home on campus or stay remote during the pandemic.

But so are the times.

As multiple teams have finalized game schedules for the spring, athletes living remotely have had to make a difficult decision — choosing whether or not to return to their teams for a limited season. Players like freshman Racquel Fhima, a member of the women’s tennis team, are weighing the risks of contracting COVID-19 with a chance to again play the sport they love. Many, along with Fhima, have chosen to return.

“One of the factors that influenced my decision was fitness,” said Fhima, a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Honestly, because of the pandemic, it's really hard to motivate yourself and tennis has always been one of the biggest motivators for me.”

Avani Tumuluri, a sophomore on the women’s golf team from the San Francisco Bay Area, has decided to return for a similar reason: it’s easier to get out of the house. While conventionally taking classes online might limit one’s activity, Tumuluri mentioned it’s actually easier for her to balance her schedule. 

“We have to go out in the mornings to do the qualifying rounds (for tournaments), and I was thinking, ‘It would be so hard if this was in person, because I'd have to go out and then come back (to campus),’” Tumuluri said.

Some non-spring athletes have also been faced with the choice of coming back to campus for in-person workouts despite not having a spring season. Orel Shilon, a senior women’s basketball player from Los Angeles, returning was not the best option for her. With the basketball season canceled, she believed it was best for herself and her family’s safety to remain at home.

“I decided not to go back because it just didn’t make sense to put my family at risk, put myself at risk, or even just make the drive to Chapman if we weren’t even going to have a season,” she said.

As for those who are back, Fhima mentioned the support of her teammates as another factor in making her decision to return.

“I really wanted to be a part of the tennis camaraderie,” Fhima said. “That honestly helped me settle into (my college) freshman year a lot better, because there were these older girls that already knew the ropes.”

For some students like Erin Coogan, a senior softball player, the decision is easier than traveling from out-of-state or taking a long road trip. Her move from her home in San Diego to Orange during the spring was a smooth process, she said — rather than that of some of her teammates, who had to hustle back to make the week of Feb. 15 move-in-date to on-campus residence halls.  

“Their transition was a lot faster because you had to get tested separately for housing and then there's a whole testing process that athletes have to go through,” Coogan said. “But for me, I was already kind of settled before the big rush of everyone coming back.”

Despite the risks associated with COVID-19, Fhima, Tumuluri and Coogan are all excited to compete once again — particularly Coogan as a senior.

“A huge part of softball for me is the social aspect, because my teammates are literally my family here at Chapman,” Coogan said. “Having that closure feels great.”