The following story is from the Fall 2020 edition of the "Roar Report". It is authored by Gary D'Amato, the former longtime sportswriter and columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who joined the staff as the feature writer for the Roar Report in the Fall of 2018.

The Long-Awaited (Safe) Return to Campus
 
Te'Jon Lucas, trying to catch his breath during an early practice, accidently sucked in his mask and started to choke. On several occasions, Brandi Bisping had to pull back her hand just before giving a teammate a high-five, something that comes as naturally to basketball players as dribbling.
 
Coaches shouting instructions through masks. Practices held without contact. Weight room workouts done in pods, with limited interaction and equipment cleaned after each use. Colored wrist bands distributed to signify players have satisfied daily protocols.
 
There's nothing normal about the "new normal" in the age of COVID-19.
 
But the players, coaches and support staff in the Milwaukee men's and women's basketball programs want to have a 2020-'21 season – no matter how short or long or what it looks like – so no sacrifice is too big. As inconvenient and cumbersome as the protocols and procedures may at times be, they are a small price to pay for being on the court and playing the game they love.
 
"We stress every day, stay safe," said Lucas, a redshirt senior and the Panthers' starting point guard. "If our goal is to win a championship and compete, we'll do what we're asked and do what we're told and stay safe. We've got to be professionals about it. We've got to man up and do what we're supposed to do. We've got to make sure our priorities are straight, especially seeing that (the Horizon League) canceled fall sports. We definitely don't want to be the next sport canceled."
 
The coronavirus pushed back the players' summer workouts to August and they arrived on campus a few weeks ahead of the start of the fall semester. The sports medicine and strength and conditioning staffs, following CDC guidelines and state mandates, put together a comprehensive program to ensure the safest possible environment.
 
Players had to be tested for COVID. They had to fill out a daily questionnaire asking where they'd been and with whom they'd interacted. Temperatures were checked. Masks were required in all buildings at all times.
 
"It's all about kind of maneuvering this new life that we all have to live," said Bisping, a senior guard on the women's team.
 
Much of the conditioning work was done outside, on the soccer field or at Atwater Beach, where the players could remove their masks. Early practices required adjustments on the part of players and coaches. With no contact allowed, there was no five-on-five scrimmaging or hands-on work.
 
"That's the greatest change," said Pat Baldwin, head coach of the men's team. "We as coaches love the contact, as well. We love to be a part of the practice from that standpoint of teaching. It was a little bit more hands on. Now, we're a lot more distant. There's no contact on the floor between player-coach and player-player. So, a lot of the stuff is skill work, it's five-on-oh, but no physical contact."
 
Said Bisping, "We're playing defense against cones in set positions. Our coaches are running back and forth between the cones. Honestly, it's crazy to me how creative our coaches have had to be to make it a competitive and motivated practice. How do you compete without contact? I think they've done an excellent job of that, making sure it feels as normal as possible."
 
Perhaps the biggest adjustment was having to practice while wearing masks.
 
"As long as anybody has played sports, I don't think anyone has ever worn a mask during football or basketball or baseball," Baldwin said. "Trying to run with that and move with that and breathe, understanding how your breathing is impacted … it's a definite adjustment."
 
Matt Holt, Milwaukee's director of strength and conditioning, acknowledged that a mask "to a certain extent changes your breathing patterns. Certain athletes have more difficulties than others."
 
"Everyone responds to things differently," said men's assistant coach Paris Parham. "Breathing is a huge part of living and to have it interrupted or hindered at all is definitely tough. I'm just passing balls and trying to give some direction and every once in a while, I have to take my mask down and take a deep breath."
 
Lucas, who nearly choked on his mask, wasn't the only player who struggled initially.
 
"Someone would be lying if they said it wasn't harder to breathe with the mask on than without," Bisping said. "I think it's something that takes getting used to. You notice it, like when you take off your mask it's kind of a breath of fresh air and you can recover a little bit and put it right back on."
 
Ever mindful of player safety, Baldwin and Kyle Rechlicz, the head women's coach, allow players to step out of drills if they're having problems catching their breath or are struggling with their masks.
 
"I have a policy where if they get to a point where they're getting anxious with the mask on, or they're really out of breath, then just step off to the side, away from everybody else, and remove the mask," Rechlicz said. "Even if they're in the middle of a drill, because safety is No. 1."
 
Another change: no more high-fiving, chest-bumping or bringing it in for team huddles. "Good spacing" on the court has an entirely new meaning. The women have even taken to giving "foot-fives."
 
"I catch myself constantly going for a high-five and people have to get out of my way," Bisping said with a laugh. "I'm coming in hot and they have to avoid me. We do the foot-five, but that's a little awkward. Sometimes you miss. Sometimes you kick someone in the shin. It's about finding those little ways to encourage your teammates."
 
Once practice is over and the players leave the gym, it's on them to be mindful of their surroundings, to limit their social interactions and to take every precaution to stay safe.
 
Accountability has been stressed forever in team sports, but never has it been more important. One person's carelessness could impact the entire team.
 
"We constantly remind them every single day, 'Do the right thing,'" said women's assistant coach Stacy Cantley. "It's all about being smart. Don't jeopardize our season by going to a party or whatnot. We cannot take a step back because of one bad decision. I know they've bought in, but you never know. They're college kids. But so far, they have handled it very well."
 
Said Rechlicz, "You're asking 18- to 22-year-olds to grow up when they come to college, and now you're asking them not to just grow up and to take that one step, but to become complete adults. And it's difficult, especially for the freshmen who are coming in and this is their first experience of college. … We're asking them to live in a bubble."
 
Lucas said he lived a near-Spartan existence during the summer, leaving his apartment only to go to the gym or to the grocery store.
 
"I'm pretty careful," he said. "I really just go home, watch film, watch games and get ready for the next day. I live with one of my teammates. It's just me and J.T. (Josh Thomas), and that makes it easier."
 
Now that classes are back in session, however, there is an increased danger of exposure.
 
"The biggest thing is now there's a lot of students on campus," Holt said. "There's a lot of social gatherings. Our players are constantly reminded that they're athletes and they have to live slightly different lives than the rest of the students."
 
Said Baldwin, "Our guys are trying to do the very best that they can. Obviously, we know the virus has its own mind, where it travels. And so, while we're trying to do the right things and be safe, it can happen to any one of us. But the first part of it is the protocol, making sure we're doing our due diligence in doing what we need to do. I think for the most part our guys are policing themselves pretty well."
 
The players and coaches know that despite all the precautions and measures they have taken, to a certain extent the future is out of their hands. It wouldn't take much to shut down a program or impact a schedule. There are no guarantees about the 2020-'21 season.
 
"I'm optimistic that we will have some sort of season," Baldwin said. "The biggest thing will have to be when, or if, we do start the season, what is the protocol for how we're playing the games and testing prior to the games? Or, if a team or player comes down with the virus, how do we adjust based on that? I'm optimistic that we will have a season, but once you're inside of a season what happens if something goes wrong? What happens after that?"
 
Said Rechlicz, "I definitely think there will be some sort of season. What that looks like, honestly, I don't know. And I'm trying not to predict because I don't want to get my players' hopes up or get a message to them that might not come true. We're really taking everything day by day."