On the morning of March 12, senior softball catcher Sara Herskowitz and her teammates were preparing to leave for the Liberty Tournament. They went through a light practice and team lift before heading to classes. Later that afternoon, they would leave for Lynchburg, Va.

That bus ride south, however, never happened. Instead, Herskowitz and her teammates were left watching as both the college and professional sports worlds shut down in a matter of hours due to the COVID-19 spread.

In the two months that have followed that fateful day, Herskowitz and her teammates have grown closer. While they couldn't be on the field together, they have managed to stay connected in many other ways.

Take us through the day when you found out the season was canceled.

We had practice and lift in the morning. During practice we discussed how things might be different moving forward and Coach Burrell told us everything she knew at that point, which was just about as much as we knew too. We continued our practice as usual and then went to the weight room and had a team lift.

I had a late afternoon class, and it was my first zoom class so I was trying to adjust to the classroom now being online. About 20 minutes into the class, my phone started blowing up about individual teams who had their seasons canceled, which led into many conferences being canceled. My team was finding out information through all forms of social media and from our friends who are on different teams and in different conferences. The next hour consisted of me trying to keep up with my professor on my computer screen and my team group chat on my phone. By the end of the class, about half of the teams on our schedule weren't playing the remainder of their season. 

The next few hours were spent in the locker room with a few teammates, which later turned into the entire team going to the locker room. Coach Burrell then called a team meeting and she confirmed the dreadful news we knew was coming.

What were the feelings the team had in the immediate days that followed?

It's safe to say that denial was a feeling that most of us were left with. We knew it was happening but no one wanted to believe it was true. Frustration and sadness about how in one day our lives changed more than we had ever planned for. Not only was softball over for our team but classes went online, friends who we had lived with for the past four years will no longer be in our everyday lives. Above all of the bad feelings there was also a feeling of understanding about what was going on. We had to come together in a way we haven't had to do before. We showed each other how much we cared about our teammates and how grateful we have been to have gotten the opportunity to play the game together.

The team had some last time together on the Sunday after the cancellation, what was that day like?

We had our team "senior celebration" that Sunday and all of the seniors were so appreciative and grateful that we had amazing teammates to put it together for us. It was a complete last minute celebration but everyone did an amazing job getting it together, decorating and making scrapbooks. We also played a game of wiffle ball on our field and you had to bat from your non-dominant side. It was a great sunny day filled with laughter and enjoying the last time we would all be together for a long time.

The team has been able to keep a good bond, through Sunday Zoom meetings. What have those times been like?

Sunday zooms have been awesome because we get the chance to see everyone's faces together, hear a little bit about what everyone has been up to and get updates on any new news that has been released that past week. We also have a group challenge each week. We are placed in groups and have one prompt we have to make a video for. Some of these challenges include cooking, remaking baby pictures, making a music video/ singing to songs within your group. This was a great way for us to stay in touch and do something fun together.

Do you see the team as having gotten closer this past month even though you are no longer playing?

Physically we are all over the country -- with the exception of one in Canada --but despite that we have found ways to get closer during this time. We reach out and check on each other, share random memories or funny pictures we have, have zoom calls with the team and zoom calls in smaller groups. Being athletes we have always been taught to rise against any tough situation handed to us.

How have you personally been able to adapt these past four weeks as you continue the semester?
The two hardest parts about this experience for me has been transitioning to an online classroom and not seeing everyone every day. We are all so used to being around each other the majority of every single day. We were days away from getting into the meat of our season which is where the best memories and bonds start to work their way in. It's easy to lose motivation at a time like this, so the hardest part for me has been making sure I stay on track and motivated. 

Do you know what your immediate plans are for next year yet?

Yes, I got accepted into the Public Health Master's Program at Binghamton, which is a two-year program.

Overall, what have you enjoyed most about being a part of the Binghamton University softball program?

The three words that pop in my head are friendships, memories, and bonds.  I think the best part about being at Binghamton is that each year is so different from the last and that each year there is a different feel of the team. There is so much consistency, yet there is so much change. Each year I was surrounded by the five other girls I started my journey with. Each year we went to the same locker room and played on the same home field and took the same bus rides, but it all changes when the seniors graduate and new faces come to the team. Then you create a new team with new dynamics and new relationships but the same goals and the resiliency we always have had, until another year flashes before your eyes and you get to do it all over again. There is something so special about showing new teammates our old traditions while creating new ones.