The Colorado Rapids returned to training this week and are expected to play their first match in over a month on Saturday, a shutdown caused by COVID-19. While the rest of the league kept playing the Rapids organization faced a localized outbreak with nearly 20 cases.
Nobody was hospitalized and most of those who tested positive reported mild symptoms, at worst, including head coach Robin Fraser.
“We’re not playing games and training has being canceled here and there,” captain Jack Price said. “It’s been a bit of a nightmare. We’ve already done this once before and we had to do it all again.”
The sudden stop to the season and training forced Rapids players into self-isolation where many struggled to stay in shape or get in soccer workouts.
“The first couple of weeks were tough,” Price said. “We were doing some runs but I didn’t really get a feel for the ball for a couple of weeks. So it was strange, especially when obviously we were near the end of the season.”
The biggest concern among the players was staying healthy.
“It was a concern in the back of my mind,” Price said about possibly getting COVID-19. “But for myself, really, I wasn’t too bothered. I was more concerned for my family. I have a baby that’s almost 11 months now. I was more worried about maybe passing it down to him and my wife. I feel like because I’m young and fit I’d be able to deal with myself if I was to catch it.”
Jonathan Lewis, who was the first Rapids player to get COVID-19 earlier this summer, said he experienced a cough for a few days and sometimes feels like he’s still short of breath months later.
“Just seeing that it was spreading through our team like that you know I was obviously getting worried,” Lewis said. “Can I potentially get it again? There was one day I think I started to feel weird and thought I had the virus again. And I consistently kept testing negative, sometimes it could just be all in your head.”
Both Price and Lewis and said they felt the team followed league protocols and that the Rapids were just simply unlucky.
“I honestly think this is something that you just don’t know,” Lewis said. “I don’t even know how I got it the first time. No one knows, you literally could have just got it in the supermarket. It’s that type of virus. To have any hard feelings towards someone is not right.”
Still, Lewis is unsure if the safety measures being taken are effective.
“It can be dangerous to people who catch it but at the same time how do you protect against something that no one knows even what protection measures are legit,” Lewis said. “I can’t be upset at someone if I were to catch it again, let’s just say. I don’t even know if wearing a mask even is really effective, no one even knows that. They could have been doing everything I’ve been doing and they just got unfortunate and got the virus.”
Price said that the Rapids were “very unlucky. it just killed us the way we were with the momentum we had going into the last few games. Hopefully, we can build that back up.”
The Rapids won three of their last four matches before the outbreak halted their season. After several positive tests, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shut down the club on Oct. 12 and postponed all activities for 10 days.
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