COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Zoom meetings, online classes, and binge-watching TV shows have become #TheNewNormal in the last 30 days due to COVID-19. During this time, people have found joy in discovering their newest hobbies or focusing on their mental and physical health. Others are focusing their time on making sure their student-athletes and colleagues are striving during these trying times.
The University of Maryland Student-Athlete Development Program, Maryland Made, teamed up with the University of South Carolina, Team Gamecocks, to create an online Twitter chat titled #TheNewNormal Wednesday, which focused on the circumstances and lifestyles that have been impacted by COVID-19.
Timothy Bryson, the program director for student-athlete career development at Maryland, developed this interactive chat to provide an opportunity for students and staff to engage with each other through social distancing.
"I believe this hashtag benefited student-athletes, staff, and faculty members because it normalized this new reality for all of us," Bryson said. "However, I believe it requires vulnerability to embrace how this pandemic is making us feel and using this moment to evolve both individually and as a community. It is within these moments that we truly appreciate #TheNewNormal."
Bryson wanted to promote engagement opportunities not only for the Maryland community but extended a welcoming hand for people across the country to connect with and learn from each other.
People from several schools across the country engaged in the chat, including East Carolina University, University of Illinois, University of Oregon and Louisiana State University.
The term "#TheNewNormal" holds weight as people are transitioning from daily face-to-face interaction, normalizing the new reality that students and staff, in particular, have to encounter.
"Whether you are a student-athlete who is no longer training, or a staff member who is no longer working in a traditional office, this is new to all of us and we are all learning together," Bryson said.
He added that he believes it is important to both mentally and emotionally embrace what is happening around and within us, especially when it is difficult.
Questions included in #TheNewNormal promoted an opportunity for personal reflection, development and a list of things to do while staying at home:
Student-athletes followed along during the hour-long interactive chat. Junior Taylor Wilson, who is the first baseman on Maryland's softball team, said she appreciated the conversation on Twitter.
"I think #TheNewNormal has helped student-athletes stay connected through involuntary 'isolation,'" Wilson said. "It shows that people care, provides a sense of community in challenging times, and lets us know we'll all get through this together."
Resa Lovelace, assistant athletic director of student-athlete development, said that the pandemic has boosted her workflow. She has dedicated her time to connecting daily with student-athletes and the staff.
"Being in a space for one hour, where we are all connecting about our current situations, was helpful to know where people are," Lovelace said. "It has given me an extra boost to carve out an hour of time to make the effort to connect more often with people I would under normal circumstances."
This is a time where people have been faced with unprecedented issues, however, Maryland Made and its staff are working to turn this into a positive time for development and productivity.
