Communication is key among coaches, athletes during this time

When I arrived at work one Monday morning over summer and began cleaning my desk area I came across the spring sports schedules I had printed off in early March.

I was looking forward to watching some baseball and softball, attending track meets and gathering information on powerlifting championships, tennis and golf.

My job coincides with the school year so the pandemic of 2020 brought on summer break sooner than expected and wanted.

No doubt this outbreak is bigger than sports. People are getting sick and lives are being lost.

This virus has robbed people of so much.

People have been robbed of family members, jobs, graduations, proms, family time and much more.

It has changed the way we do things.

Fast forward to the present and discussion points to sending kids back to school or keeping them home for online learning.

Fall sports are scheduled to begin on time as they always have, but with limitations in certain areas.

No doubt coaches and players will have to follow strict guidelines set forth by the UIL and state legislature.

Fans will have limited access to games this year and if this pandemic continues to surge into October then gyms will be less full during basketball season as well.

There has been optimism in light of it all.

Teachers are joyfully preparing their rooms for the influx of children and are eager to see students for the first time in nearly six months.

Coaches were able to connect with athletes over the summer as the UIL allowed workouts.

According to Atlanta AD Matt McClure and Queen City AD Eric Droddy the pandemic has changed the way we operate some but hasn’t been a hindrance on communication lines.

“We as coaches have been in constant contact through emails, texts and such through this pandemic and when summer workouts began we were together,” McClure said. “We started work July 27, and we’re excited to be back.”

Coach Droddy echoed those sentiments by saying, “We’ve had great contact among the coaches while following guidelines and were able to come together for summer workouts. It felt good to get back to work.”

Not only have the coaches maintained open contact with one another but have been communicating with the student-athletes since the last school year was cutoff in March.

“I have been in contact with the kids since school was canceled through Google Classrooms and things like that giving them updates and things to work on,” McClure stated. “June 8, we started summer workouts and we have been talking to them about the guidelines and how uncomfortable things may be with face covering in the locker room. We must do a good job of monitoring and adjusting. We are very excited as a group to get back to work.”

“What we have stressed to the kids from the beginning of this pandemic is to stay safe and follow the guidelines set,” Droddy added. “We have been extremely blessed to make it through workouts safely. We haven’t missed a beat.”

No doubt both teachers and coaches are ready to see students in classrooms and have taken steps to ensure a safe school year.