Daniel Ochoa is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Xavier College Preparatory for AZPreps365.com

In a year and half long battle with COVID-19, high schools and all other schools around the nation have had the issue of overcoming setbacks and delays in their classes and sports, but the setup from high school, especially private, seem to have been ahead of the curve and surpass others by a mile.

High schools, specifically in Arizona were allowed back onto campus varying from late July to early August in 2020. With mask mandates in place to maintain safety and even distanced classrooms, there was only one thing left to determine if it should be started: Sports.

Over the 2020 year with its initial cancelation of everything in-person, to 2021’s vaccination mandate, private schools found a way to continue their standard of high value and follow guidelines, while also ensuring student athletes get their opportunity to return to the field. Xavier College Preparatory has had to face more strict guidelines, following not only the state’s policies, but also those of their private academy.

Although Xavier does not enforce vaccination and, as of Oct. 18 — “Freedom Day,” according to Sister Lynn Winsor — does not require masks, the school nurse Cara Gillem, preaches the advantage of being vaccinated and has become the voice and model for guidelines at Xavier. Gillem sets policy for Xavier that comes from the AIA, CDC and the state guidelines to cast throughout the school.

“Xavier handled it very well,” Sister Lynn said.

There was one incident, however, that seemed to have caused a spark to get vaccinated for the athletes specifically.

In August, the girls volleyball team had obtained a COVID case. It did not affect their matches since their first match wasn’t until the beginning of September, but both Gillem and Sister Lynn say this is what influenced the spark.

“It kind of took a couple positive cases on a team for [students] to realize, ‘Okay, there is an advantage to be[ing] vaccinated,’” Gillem said.

Since this incident, there has been an average of two cases a week at Xavier, which is a major difference from double digits at public high schools. Even with this smooth sailing Xavier is breezing through currently, the earlier COVID times presented a different case for athletes.

After there was an initial delay by the AIA to withhold 2020 fall sports, a change resumed play and allowed possible recruits to get one last season in before graduation. It was a confusing time period, one in which athletes wouldn’t be allowed to share the same ball at times, distanced practices and postponements affecting games and practices. It became a hassle with some schools playing very few games in the fall because of COVID regulations and quarantine of athletes.

Xavier volleyball head coach Lamar-Renee Bryant told Cronkite News' Brandon Jones, “Well, (our season) started a little bit later because the Diocese of Phoenix has the final say of what we do here at Xavier College Prep.”

Bryant added that they had tryouts later than usual and were a week behind every other high school in the area. Although it did not affect Xavier’s dominant volleyball team as they made a deep state run, it did affect the way recruiting played out for all athletics held at Xavier. Luckily for one of the volleyball athletes, Zaire Reyes, she was able to sign a letter of intent for the University of Rochester.

Although spring sports didn’t have the same setbacks as the fall, another graduated athlete in Macy Lee and softball head coach Brad Downes, recognized the setbacks for athletes trying to commit to collegiate sports.

“In the summer, because all of the college coaches were prohibited by the NCAA from going out and recruiting in person, we had to change the manner of recruiting to strictly video,” Downes said.

It became much more than a local issue, with national athletes having to use previous year’s footage to gain recognition and not have the cherry on top season to potentially boost them into their dream school.

Luckily, the times have changed. Many local Phoenix area sports are open with very minimal game delays, especially at Xavier because of their COVID protocols and with Gillem being so forceful on these protocols. Without her ability to control the students and gain the trust that everything would work out in the long run, Xavier would not be the thriving school it is now with very few cases and even less quarantine required.

“It’s a team effort, just like sports,” Sister Lynn said.