Athletics enter unknown realm
Andy Scheidler
sports@thefranklinpress.com
The baseball, softball and soccer fields sat empty and eerily quiet.
No sounds of the crack of a bat hitting a ball.
No sounds of a ball swishing into the net.
No sounds of players communicating while playing a sport they love.
The sports world ground to a halt last week. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors on Thursday moved to suspend all interscholastic athletics beginning at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 13 until at least April 6.
That means no games, no practices, no workouts and no skill developments.
The move comes in the wake of suspensions and/or cancellations of professional and collegiate athletics reacting to coronavirus. The Center for Disease Control declared COVID-19 a pandemic on Wednesday, setting off a chain of events.
The caveat is players can continue working out and playing, yet only their official coaches can’t be around to provide instruction. Parents and volunteers could provide assistance in this unusual time.
“There are a lot of unknowns,” said Blair King, Franklin’s athletic director.
“Your heart breaks for the senior athletes. You never want to think it’s your last time. You’ve got some that their only way to college is this.”
King hopes by April 6 that it’s warmer and the spread of the virus has subsided.
“It breaks my heart for these players and coaches that have worked so hard,” he said.
Because the state mandate allowed for a brief window before suspending games, several teams took advantage and continued to play before the deadline.
Franklin’s baseball team hosted Cherokee on Thursday night.
“The field was in good shape and both teams wanted to play, so it gave us an opportunity there to make sure the kids understood what was going on and our thoughts going into the game and what could happen in the future,” coach Tim Hawkins said.
The Panthers won it 27-1 in four innings to improve to 3-0.
Franklin’s soccer team also moved to 3-0 on the season. The Panthers won 1-0 at North Buncombe during action Friday night.
Tennis found out about the mandate when getting off the bus Thursday in Brevard.
The other spring sports (golf, track and softball) didn’t have any competitions scheduled and thus were prevented from experiencing a last hurrah.
Track coach Jay Brooks met with his team less than an hour after learning about the mandate, which was released at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday. He informed the athletes to stay in communication with their position coaches about workouts going forward.
“The starting blocks are here, the hurdles are here, the sand is here, two mats are here,” Brooks told the athletes, “so if you want to work you can work. We can’t be around you and it’s not mandatory. We’ll reevaluate in three weeks.”
How this might affect each team financially is a big unknown.
Sports such as baseball, softball and soccer rely on gate receipts to help supplement their budgets.
Hawkins said fundraising also supports the baseball program, specifically from sign advertisements and a card fundraiser.
“I think we’ll be OK,” Hawkins said.
The Franklin Athletic Booster Club won’t make any money off concession stand sales for several weeks, which could affect the end-of-year banquet.
“Trophies are not cheap. The meal is not cheap,” King said.
The Unify March Madness game, where students with and without intellectual disabilities play basketball on the same team, is postponed. The second annual game was scheduled for March 26.
The halting of sports has trickled down to all levels, including youth soccer, baseball and softball.
While this situation might seem like bad news, King made a motivational post on social media urging athletes to become inspired.
“You do not know what tomorrow holds,” King said. “Don’t hold back. When you get to practice, practice like it’s the last time. Play like it’s the last. Leave it all on the field. You don’t know if tomorrow will bring a crushing injury or even a virus that puts things out of your control.”
Teams make contingency plans
Andy Scheidler
sports@thefranklinpress.com
This certainly wasn’t what high school seniors envisioned for their final sports season.
With a state sanction in place that prohibits games until at least April 6, the athletes are hoping they haven’t played their final time for Franklin.
“It’s been fun playing our heart out with these guys,” said Jadon Knepp, a senior on the baseball team. “Seeing it go would suck. But I’m hoping we get to play together again.”
What the future holds athletically is a big unknown at this point.
FHS originally had 11 contests slated for this week among its six spring sports.
Will games get rescheduled? Will spring sports seasons get extended into June or July?
Those answers will depend on the spread of the coronavirus and when leaders across the country determine it safe to resume our normal lives.
While coaches can’t provide instruction at practices or workouts, athletes can still play and workout out together. Volunteers and parents can help provide instruction, just not official coaches.
Unlike during NCHSAA dead periods, where coaches are prohibited from contacting athletes, they can communicate with them.
FHS track coach Jay Brooks has more than 60 athletes on the boys and girls teams. He encouraged them to stay in contact with their position coaches, while he’s also texting and emailing some of them workouts.
It’s all voluntary at this point. Brooks knows some will continue working hard, while others definitely won’t.
“Some are heavily motivated to progress and continue on where we were at,” Brooks said. “For others, we’re on summer vacation. They’re not gonna strike a lick at much. At this point and time there’s nothing you can do about it.”
FHS athletic director Blair King is concerned about students who won’t have the structure of going to school and practice every day.
“What are these kids doing in the meantime?” he said.
Macon County has one of the highest opiate uses per capita in the state ??.
Without school and athletic practices, King hopes they don’t fall into temptation.
“We knew every day those kids were involved in something and not going somewhere they shouldn’t be,” he said, “especially in a town where there’s not a lot to do.”
Ryan Raby coaches golf. The first round of the Mountain Six Conference tournament was set for March 31, but it’s been postponed until April 20 in an attempt to still play all three rounds.
Raby urged all five of his players to continue playing and practicing their golf games. Staying sharp is always vital in golf, particularly when you factor in the timing of upcoming matches.
“It’s extremely important,” Raby said. “We will come back from the state suspension, have one week in school, then go on spring break for a week – assuming the schedule stays the same. The day we get back from spring break we will play the first round of the conference tournament. Then we turn around three days later and play the second round. There will be no time to knock the rust off from the suspension and spring break. It will be come back and jump straight into the fire.”
Baseball coach Tim Hawkins said staying sharp will involve several factors.
“Baseball is pretty much self explanatory: you’ve got to swing the bat, you got to get out there and throw, you got to keep your body in shape, so running is a part of it, So it’s pretty common sense what the kids need to do.”
While the seniors would be disappointed if they don’t get to play any more games, they’ve enjoyed their time together. Zach Buchanan has enjoyed playing baseball for the Panthers.
“A lot of fun playing here,” he said. “It sucks that maybe we won’t get to play again, but it was fun.”
If the schools get the all clear for April 6, King said he’s concerned about player safety.
“My question is: April 6 comes around and they let you go, can you schedule a game for April 7 or is it like football where you’ve got to have so many days before you can play?” King said. “Honestly, I don’t want a shortstop out there taking a line drive to the mouth because he hasn’t practiced.”
Assistant athletic director Ryan Haley said he would propose eliminating nonconference games and play only games against MSC foes.
Haley is confident the NCHSAA will extend the spring sports season so teams can play some games before beginning the playoffs.
“We may have to go to end of June or maybe July,” he said, “but they’ll get it in.”