The most obvious concern about a proposal to swap spring and fall high school sports seasons would be the possibility of losing two seasons of spring sports.
The ongoing uncertainty with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on student-athletes in the classroom and on the field continues to present major hurdles for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
One proposal submitted to the OHSAA from a group of football coaches from central Ohio this weekend suggested the possibility of moving some fall sports, including football, to the spring and spring sports to the fall.
While the proposed plan was speculative and did not come from the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association, it appears all options are being put on the table.
The OHSAA reiterated its position Sunday that all 10 traditional fall sports will begin as scheduled on Aug. 1.
Yet the proposal to swap seasons has generated discussion.
The plan included a fall season of baseball, softball, field hockey, golf, tennis, track and field, and volleyball and a spring season of cross country, football, lacrosse, and soccer. The winter seasons of basketball, bowling, gymnastics, hockey, and wrestling would remain the same.
Some local spring sports coaches expressed serious concerns with the proposal, while others suggested they must be flexible.
“I am not in favor of this proposal,” Eastwood track and field coach Nikki Sabo said. “I believe the female sports would be impacted the most. You would force [some] athletes to make a decision between two sports, and ultimately that decision would hurt both athletic programs.”
Among the other hurdles Sabo and others cited were getting a schedule ready in a very short time, an adequate number of officials, getting physicals done, and the potential for the season to start and then be canceled or to not start at all.
“If this new 'fall season' would get postponed or canceled, now this group of athletes would have missed two seasons of this sport, and that would be very unfortunate,” Sabo said.
Perrysburg baseball coach Dave Hall said his preference would be to stick to playing baseball in the spring.
“The fear is that we start in the fall, get shut down, and then lose two years of baseball,” said Hall, the dean of area coaches. “We're terrified of that.”
Hall said other impediments to having baseball begin next month would be the conducting of tryouts and getting fundamentals taught. Some schools also may have facility restrictions and travel limitations.
“A decision would be needed to be made by this week,” he said. “The kids just want to play sports.”
Springfield softball coach Rob Gwozdz said he is not in favor of switching seasons.
“One major concern would be the huge risk of losing another season if sports don't happen in the fall,” Gwozdz said. “It's not fair for spring sports to take a chance and then lose out again. Another major major hurdle and the biggest would be making the athletes having to choose a sport to play.”
Gwozdz said seven out of his 10 returning players also play volleyball. The longtime coach said his players also have been playing summer softball.
“All of my players will be coming off a season of playing close to 100 games and need time to rest their bodies,” he said. “Going right into a high school season and possibly playing five to six days a week wouldn't be a good idea.”
However, Central Catholic baseball Jeff Mielcarek coach called the plan doable.
“With what is going on in our world there is nothing off the table,” Mielcarek said. “I am a fan of whatever makes the most sense to allow kids to safely play high school sports.”
Mielcarek said the challenges with the proposal, including scheduling, would not be easy, but would be possible to put in place.
“There are a number of hurdles to make the season switch. However, to me, they are all doable other than a spike in the virus,” Mielcarek said. “I believe that after the initial oddness, the athletes would be absolutely fine. They went through a spring of no sports, and they never want to experience that again.”
Ottawa Hills boys tennis coach Matt Gargas said the plan is definitely something that can be considered, but it would be tough to do logistically.
He said he believes most athletes at Ottawa Hills would prefer to keep the sports seasons the same.
“The proposal has boys and girls tennis in the same season, which wouldn't work,” Gargas said. “Most of my tennis players play multiple sports, football included. Athletes would have to choose between sports. We could see rosters shrink as teams poach from each other. Spring is the busiest high school sports season, adding football into the mix could create logistic problems for athletic directors.”
Gargas said finding practice time and scheduling matches at the last minute would be difficult and that the turf field at Ottawa Hills would be overused.
“Maintaining all of our athletic facilities and keeping them playable would be difficult,” Gargas said. “Referee shortage has been a growing problem in recent years but having so many sports competing at the same time could exacerbate the problem.”
Sabo said volleyball and track and field taking place in the same season would present a direct conflict.
“Some schools might not see that as a problem, but smaller schools like ours, it would be,” Sabo said. “You are also making the coaches choose.”
The proposal was made anonymously by a group of football coaches that expressed concern that the coronavirus pandemic could curtail contact sports this fall. The state's football coaches association, the OHSFCA, said in a statement that it makes its own proposals to the OHSAA, and that it has been assured it will have input on decisions in regard to adjusting the football season.
In a memo to members sent out last Tuesday, the OHSAA said it will provide updated guidance, recommendations, and clarifications on the safe resumption of sports.
“We want to continue to provide updates directly to you when necessary to help eliminate confusion and rumors,” the OHSAA stated. “The OHSAA Office is proceeding as if fall sports will occur, meaning practices will begin on Aug. 1.”
However, the organization also said those plans can be “modified or canceled quickly” during the uncertainty of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The OHSAA said it is currently in the process of preparing a guidance document on the restart of the fall season.
Gwozdz said one major obstacle with the season swap plan would be scheduling.
“I'm sure we could pull off a [Northern Lakes League] schedule, but finding non-league games in a short period of time would be difficult,” he said. “I'm not sure what the student-athlete would think about playing in the fall, but we would make it work if given no choice.”
Sabo said she has full confidence that area athletic directors would work tirelessly to get a schedule in place and that her athletes would be ready for the start of the season.
“At this point, they just want to compete with their friends and for their school,” Sabo said. “They have missed the competition, they've missed the relationships with their teammates and coaches. They miss the school spirit and the connection with the school. I think they will think it's a little weird to be doing track in the fall and soccer in the spring, but they will adjust.”
First Published July 13, 2020, 7:38 p.m.
