While high school golf and cross country teams are feeling minimal effects from the coronavirus, other fall sport athletes and coaches are left scratching their heads about when they can get back to a meaningful practice — let alone a season full of competition.
When football, soccer and volleyball teams aren’t even supposed to share the same ball under the current guidelines, there’s not much left that can be done.
Per the guidelines issued by the state and adopted by KHSAA, coaches in all sports can starting meeting players on campus Monday as long as the groups have 10 people or less and safety guidelines are followed.
On June 15, “high-touch” sports like soccer, football and volleyball may resume physical fitness workouts, exercises and skills training in small groups, but practices are not allowed until June 29. There is no timeline for when scrimmages and games may resume.
“I think they’re trying to do the right thing by getting the kids back with the coaches, but it’s still very limited on what can be done,” said Daviess County boys’ soccer coach Doug Sandifer. “You can’t share a ball. You can’t pass back and forth. It’s running and juggling is the way I’m kind of seeing it.”
Though frustrated by the guidelines, Sandifer said his team doesn’t typically practice in June anyway. Since many of his players are usually wrapping up club play around this time, it’s a chance for them to take a break.
Still, with no club play this summer, that’s left a big void over the last two months.
“I know the kids are probably chomping at the bit to play, and as coaches we are wanting to get back around the kids, but there’s still so many limitations and guidelines you have to follow,” Sandifer said. “It’s better than nothing, but I don’t think it’s going to benefit anybody from a soccer standpoint.”
It’s a similar situation in volleyball and football.
Owensboro Catholic athletic director and football coach Jason Morris said they’ll be able to start with some film sessions next week, and some limited skills work later in June.
He said football teams can’t incorporate the ball into practices until June 29 — something that presents a challenge for a pass-heavy offense.
“It’s definitely different, especially for a team like us who throws the ball a lot,” he said. “We put a lot of emphasis in the passing game and you obviously have to have a football for that.”
Catholic volleyball coach Brian Hardison said the two-month dead period due to the coronavirus has hit his program especially hard. For the first time in years, the Lady Aces were going to host a tournament — with 12 teams already on board — but those plans went out the window.
Even worse, he hasn’t been able to work a youthful team that will require a bit of rebuilding.
“This is one year that I actually really needed to be with my team early because I lost so much last year with seniors,” he said. “I’ve got talent, but having to replace them is going to be something else.”
While there’s plenty of frustrations and uncertainty for the “high-contact” sports, there’s a pretty big light at the end of the tunnel for “low-contact” sports.
Golf was probably the least affected of all, while cross country isn’t far behind. Officially, they can both resume practices in small groups on June 15, with competition allowed on June 29.
But golf never really shut down to begin with, and instead only had to make minor modifications like not touching the flagstick and maintaining distance between players.
“For golf, it’s pretty much business as usual,” said Daviess County boys’ golf coach Lars King.
In fact, with so much shut down since mid-March — from school classrooms to dining to entertainment — it allowed golfers to actually spend more time on the course.
“They might be ahead of schedule,” he said. “That’s tough to say because I haven’t seen them play, but the scores they’ve told me indicate that.”
Athletes in other sports have been working out on their own — many posting their workouts on social media to show how they are finding unique ways to stay in shape — but that will only go so far in preparing for a season.
Though coaches for the “high-contact” sports remain hopeful that things return sooner than later, a competition start date is nowhere near on the table.
“I have no idea, and I’m not sure anybody has an idea,” Sandifer said. “In my mind I’m preparing to start in July like we normally do. If it gets pushed back, it gets pushed back. I certainly hope it doesn’t, but you just don’t know.”
Morris said that can be tough to accept, but that it’s the right call.
“We’ve got to what’s best for the safety of everyone that’s going to be involved,” he said. “If that means we have to delay, then we have to delay. If it’s not safe, we don’t need to go. That’s the bottom line. It’s the hard reality, but it’s the truth. We’re just going to have to be patient.”
