Right here we’re within the second week of November, supposedly simply three weeks from the start of what would be the winter sports activities season for the native excessive colleges.
Will it occur? There has not been something launched saying it will not occur, however then once more there hasn’t been something confirming the beginning both. Appropriately for 2020, all of the athletes and the coaches have been left hanging.
“Dec. 7 was the date we got,” Amador Valley soccer coach Danny Jones mentioned. “We’re all simply engaged on tips on how to transition out of the bubble now we have been in.”
“My factor is, we’re persevering with to organize to play a season,” added Foothill soccer coach Greg Haubner. “If we simply sit round and never do a factor as a result of we do not know what’s going to occur after which a season begins, we might be approach behind.”
Each Haubner and Jones, in addition to coaches for many different sports activities scheduled to start in December, have been in a position to get in some work in “camps” on the colleges for the respective sports activities.
Correct COVID protocol is being adopted, which means there may be some observe time, however not likely in a full, team-beneficial system. Nonetheless, some work is best than sitting round at residence.
“I’ve been so pleased with our guys,” Haubner mentioned. “They’ve been placing within the effort. They’re asking the appropriate questions on us having a season. And it may well get irritating, however we’re working at preserving our minds proper.”
Jones echoed Haubner’s sentiments.
“Our youngsters are resilient and have been very affected person,” Jones mentioned. “We simply management what we will management — however it’s positively some bizarre instances.”
Foothill volleyball coach Dusty Collins has a singular scenario as he coaches each the Falcons girls and boys groups. Usually, the women are within the fall and the boys within the spring, however with the reconstruction of the 2020-21 highschool sports activities season, each sports activities shall be going down within the winter. Collins has been in a position to work with each groups of their camps.
“I’ve 4 totally different teams that I herald,” Collins defined. “I’ve been working with the varsity-type teams, whereas my assistants work with the JV groups. We’re allowed to have as much as 16 folks at a time, so we can have as much as 15 gamers and one coach.”
Collins and his workers hold the volleyballs separated by group, in addition to wiping down the nets and helps after each occasion session.
Whereas coaches are doing every little thing they’ll do to make issues good for the student-athletes, the actual fact stays: Nobody is aware of for certain what’s going to occur in only a few quick weeks.
The most important factor hanging in limbo is will the children — most notably the seniors — be capable of play this college 12 months?
“I am unable to think about, having performed myself, having my senior season taken away,” mentioned Jones, a former Amador quarterback. “Not understanding what is going on to occur is the worst half.”
Collins was upfront together with his athletes firstly.
“I informed the children instantly: (the camps) is perhaps one of the best we get so let’s be grateful for it and take advantage of it,” Collins recalled.
So, will sports activities return this college 12 months?
I imagine the California Interscholastic Federation set the seasons and return date for every sport, then principally put the ball within the arms of native jurisdictions. It’s a little bit of a cop out, however on the similar time, a sensible one.
They will now wash their arms of the accountability as as to if the children get to play or not.
The choice will relaxation on the assorted counties, and even with latest openings regionally, Alameda County has erred on the aspect of warning.
There was discuss of enjoying colleges solely from inside your county, which might finish any part or state playoffs, however it could nonetheless be enjoying.
“I’d accept a six-game season proper now,” Haubner mentioned. “It will completely be higher than nothing.”
So far as the Pleasanton Unified Faculty District is anxious, their arms are tied by Alameda County. Though with Ok-5 college students deliberate to return to highschool Jan. 4 in a hybrid scenario, it’d bode effectively for sports activities.
Even when the groups get to play with out spectators, it is going to be price it.
“I feel should you requested any of the children if they’d slightly play in entrance of nobody or not play, I feel to a participant, they’d need to play,” Collins mentioned.
Editor’s notice: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports activities author for the Pleasanton Weekly. To contact him about his “Pleasanton Preps” column, electronic mail [email protected]
