School teams playing wait-and-see for spring seasons

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photo by Faith Marino

Junior pitcher Trent Caples pitches in a 3-0 win against Oviedo on March 13. The win was the last game any sports team played since COVID-19 shut down schools and sports.

The postponed season for spring sports teams is another example of the second and third order effects of COVID-19.

On Friday, March 13, after Hagerty defeated Oviedo 3-0 the final baseball game was played in march, all Hagerty sports  were postponed. It is undetermined when sports games will resume, but coaches and players are hopeful to play the rest of their season.

“Just like a game, we’ll go in with a game plan, but we make adjustments and educated decisions as we get more information,” Softball head coach David Stone said. “Right now we are working as April 15th as a benchmark, but as the time gets closer we’ll secure a game plan that we think will put our players and team in the best position to succeed moving forward.

When the corona virus outbreak occurred, it affected every spring sports like lacrosse, volleyball, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, water polo, and boys weightlifting. Sports like boys weightlifting were just finishing up their regular season heading into the district playoffs before being postponed while other sports such as volleyball only played three games of the regular season.

“I hate that the season is postponed because we worked so hard for us to only play seven games and there is nothing else to do except sports so it’s disappointing,” batter Bryce Fitzgerald.

Throughout the delay, teams have their own ways to condition and stay in shape.

“I’ve asked my players to run sprints, daily sets of 16 and to time their 105’s independently3 times per day  and if possible to continue working on their work skills,” boys lacrosse head coach Ken Hofer said. “It would be disappointing if their HS season and careers end this way, senior night, senior festivities and our end of the year awards banquet are all in limbo right now.”

After the season was postponed, seniors are concerned this might be the end of their high school sports career and want to finish out the season. They are are hoping for one last chance to play another game.

‘Having your final season of a sport getting postponed right when things were heating up is really disappointing. It kills me knowing we won’t be able to fight for the district title one last time, lacrosse midfielder Cameron Garrison said. “ A summer season would be something I’d be interested in, anything to just play lacrosse again.

The FHSAA is still considering options if the CDC lifts the current restrictions.

“We plan to move forward and prepare just like the rest of the world, day by day,” coach Stone said.

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