As of early May 2021, for outdoor sports the rule requiring masks to be worn during events has been lifted, and around the time of the new school year all indoor mask requirements during games have also been lifted. 

These changes, are they a big thing? Or do masks have hardly any performance effect whatsoever? 

This is a topic that is very subjective to the sport and even to the athlete as different sports have different durations at certain intensities and movements that could be disorientating with a mask.

For example, Maggie Williams, a track athlete from Summit High School, passed out after her race, which she and her coach suspect that this happened due to her mask not allowing her to get enough air to breathe quick enough. 

“Wearing masks during physical activity definitely was not fun, it made it hard to breathe and more difficult to hear coaches. In basketball, games are so back and forth it makes it really difficult to breathe after long periods of time.” – Sophomore Sydney Kosderka, Wilsonville girls basketball player

In the end, at least as of now the past is in the past regarding masks needing to be worn during physical activities. But the curiosity remains on how players may have been restricted and if certain things could’ve had more potential if masks were lifted at the time.