The RoundHouse | 3/25/2020 4:32:00 PM
Rashard Kelly didn't sing from his balcony in Italy, but he did enjoy the now-familiar scene. Italians, locked down by COVID-19, played music and sang from their apartments to lift spirits.
"It was something we looked forward to," Kelly said. "Same time, every day. It helped the time go by faster."
Kelly is one of many former Wichita State athletes playing professionally overseas now in suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly, who played men's basketball from 2014-18, was with Aquila Basket Trento in Trento, Italy. He came back to the United States earlier this week to start a 14-day quarantine.
Life in one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 changed dramatically.
"Before (COVID-19), it was beautiful," he said. "Every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner you had people interacting. It was big to have social gatherings. After, it was shut down and strict. The government had to stop the virus and it was spreading like a wildfire."
In mid-February, FIBA began canceling basketball tournaments in Asia and did the same in Europe by mid-March. Those international cancellations left former Shockers such as
Markis McDuffie (Hungary), Conner Frankamp (Greece), Ron Baker (Russia), Ramon Clemente (Puerto Rico) and others idled an indefinite amount of time.
Former Wichita State volleyball players Jody Larson and Elizabeth Field both played in Finland this winter. Larson is in quarantine after recently returning to Wichita. Field remains in Finland, although she has a plane ticket ready if she feels the need to return to her home in California.
Their league canceled the season in mid-March, soon after the regular season ended and playoffs were about to begin.
Finland, Larson said, was not hit hard by COVID-19. But she could see the problems in the United States and in other European countries. When the United States limited travel from Europe, she said many Americans in the league immediately booked flights home.
She departed from Finland the morning after the federation canceled the season and coaches came to her apartment to help her with travel plans.
"I had two-and-half hours to get ready, get on the train and then I spent that evening and morning in the Helsinki airport," Larson said. "It was a very, very hectic week."
Field remains in Finland because of her parents' age and her mother's occupation as a nurse. The prospect of a 14-day quarantine at home isn't appealing, as another potential problem.
"They're in the risk category," she said. "I decided to avoid that. I'm still keeping my eye on the news. I've got a good situation here."
Field said schools in Finland are closed. Restaurants are open. Ski slopes are closed or closing. Outdoor activities of a more solitary nature – such as cross country skiing – are allowed.
She is working on a puzzle of artist Edvard Munch's "The Scream."
"It's actually pretty hard," she said. "I'll go out on walks. I'm also trying to organize some stuff for summer and next year and see what my options are."
All of the former Shockers are adjusting to their time off and trying to see what's next. Kelly, for example, said there is a possibility his league may resume in mid-May. Larson is working out at home, doing yoga and painting.
"You can't really practice," she said. "I'm trying to stay active, keep moving. It's definitely difficult."
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
