As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, sports are slowly returning with new safety rules and guidelines. While stadiums seats are bare and games are quieter without cheering fans, a little sense of normalcy has provided hope and positivity.
When stay-at-home orders were issued, the world of sports seemingly stopped at a pivotal point in the yearly calendar. The pushes for the playoffs were well underway in the NHL and NBA, and the NCAA March Madness tournaments were about to start, as were MLB spring training and WNBA camp.
When COVID-19 put an indefinite halt on sporting events, athletes – like so many others – found themselves stuck at home with unanticipated gaps in their schedules.
This has also opened the door to new opportunities for some.
We briefly caught up with two hometown favorites: Nick Foligno, captain for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Katie Smith, assistant coach of the Minnesota Lynx and a one-time basketball standout at The Ohio State University. Both are using their fame to give back to the Columbus community.
A Lot of Heart
Foligno’s daughter, Milana, was born with a congenital heart defect and has undergone several surgeries to correct the issue. And while Foligno and his wife, Janelle, have participated in events and walks for the American Heart Association in the past, this year, the family was selected to chair the Heart Walk.
While the August event ended up going virtual, the Folignos worked closely with the AHA and helped the organization make the event something special.
“Everyone is walking together for the same cause. When you are able to do this in person, you might bump into someone you didn’t know had dealt with something like this,” Foligno says. “It’s such a powerful message with all the people there for support, and one that makes you feel a sense of belonging.”
Foligno and the AHA are adamant about continuing to work together through COVID-19. The Virtual Heart Walk acknowledged that the virus isn’t going anywhere for now, but at the same time, heart disease doesn’t go away either.
“Once you stop and take care of your own, you realize that life still goes on; there is still cancer and other diseases that affect people and heart health is among the highest,” Foligno says. “(The walk) was something to look forward to in such a dark time. My family and I were able to use this time productively and work towards something.”
The walk raised over $985,189, with some fundraising teams reaching amazing goals. Cardinal Health Inc. contributed over $110,925. The virtual format offered a significant number of people something fun to do at home while supporting a good cause.
“What I loved about the walk is that it was a family thing,” Foligno says. “This is something Milana is going to have to deal with for the rest of her life, which, in turn, makes us deal with it. We want to support her and all those other people who are affected.”
The unexpected time spent together because of the stay-at-home order was something the Folignos cherished as he and Janelle tried to make the pandemic as stress-free as possible for their daughter. Whether it was a family dinner at home or teaching his children to ride bikes, Foligno was busy during the time away from the Blue Jackets.
“I told my wife that we can either hibernate or make this the worst of times, or we can take the good and make it a memory for our kids to look back and realize we found a way through,” Foligno says. “Your heart goes out to those frontline people and those who don’t have a choice. They have to go out there and try and make a difference in a scary time. You respect that and do your part.”
Katie Smith
While the member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s career takes her to Minneapolis, Katie Smith’s permanent home is still in Columbus.
When her yearly scouting trips to the NCAA tournaments were canceled, Smith found herself back in Columbus and with an opportunity to give back to her hometown of Logan.
“My permanent home is in Ohio. No matter what, it’s home,” Smith says. “I am still connected with Ohio State and it’s always there.”
Over the past year, Smith made connections with both the Lindy Infante Foundation and OSU’s LiFE sports initiative, both of which aim to provide sporting opportunities for youth. Once the pandemic hit, Smith reached out to both and began brainstorming ideas to help out.
The finished product: “sport in a bag,” a program through which Smith and others passed out sporting equipment and workout plans to more than 200 Logan families at a food pickup site to keep children active during the quarantine.
“People are staying at home and trying to find things to do,” Smith says. “By getting a new ball, hopefully, it gets them outside for some exercise and staying involved.”
Rocco Falleti is an editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com.
