Appleman family exemplifies COVID sports struggles
Erin Appleman is aching to watch her daughter play in person this season.
“I’m like, ‘I can ref. I can do lots of stuff. I can do the lines. I can do the book,’ ” the Yale women’s volleyball coach said. “I’m trying every way, but it’s not working.”
Oh, those COVID-19 rules and regulations.
Although Emma Appleman must wear a mask to compete this fall, there is no hiding the fact that the Guilford senior and daughter of two college coaches is recognized by many as the best girls’ high school volleyball player in Connecticut.
“Emma knows the game better than anyone I’ve seen,” Guilford coach Laura Anastasio said. “What’s really interesting is she’s going to play in college as a setter. She was SCC Player of the Year and first-team All-State last year as a (outside) hitter for us. It’s not even her main position.”
With her academic interests leaning toward environmental science and biology, Emma will play volleyball and beach volleyball at the College of Charleston. For now, she must be content to play a 12-game schedule against five nearby opponents with a modest “tournament experience” to follow.
As a truncated CIAC fall season starts Thursday — ultimately with girls’ volleyball and without 11-on-11 football — all sorts of storylines accompany the opening of seven sports. Add in the continuing COVID issues and financial troubles facing college athletics and we submit no storyline is any more fascinating than the Appelmans’. They encapsulate 2020 sports in Connecticut.
Christian Appleman, hired a year ago as UConn men’s associate head tennis coach after 14 years as a Yale assistant, is seeing his job phased out after the school announced the elimination of four sports in June.
“I have no bitterness,” Christian said. “(Athletic Director) Mr. (David) Benedict and the school did what they had to do. I un