Pandemic casts doubt on Stockade’s 2020 season
Kingston Stockade FC unsure of status of 2020 campaign amid pandemic
KINGSTON, N.Y. » The fate of Kingston Stockade FC’s 2020 season is up in the air as the National Premier Soccer League ponders its next steps amidst the spread of the coronavirus.
Dennis Crowley, Stockade’s owner and a board member of the NPSL, said the team has canceled all its tryout dates but it’s still too early to say if the season, which typically starts May 1 and runs through July, is canceled. He said fans should monitor the team’s social media pages for the latest updates.
“We train in LaGrange; that field is shut down,” Crowley said. “We usually have two friendly matches as a warm-up. Even if we did have the season, we’d be really far behind in terms of training.”
Crowley said with both Stockade and the league heavily dependent on college players there’s little wiggle room to simply start the season later.
“They’re released from NCAA restrictions at the end of April or early May and they go back to training at the beginning or the middle of August,” Crowley said. “Even if we lose two weeks on the front of the season that would be hugely disruptive.”
Crowley said on a league level
he knows of one side whose field has canceled events through the summer.
“That is disruptive as it knocks out one team,” Crowley said. “Other stadiums will start taking proactive events canceling events and that will ripple through the league.
Stockade Coach Jamal Lis-Simmons said if the league played a condensed schedule it would be a challenge, but every team would be in the same situation.
Lis-Simmons said clubs in the league’s Western Region were already playing games when the league suspended operations through at least April 1.
“At this point, we’re in
a wait or see kind of position,” Lis-Simmons said. “It’s a difficult time for everybody.”
Lis-Simmons said he hasn’t yet spoken to everyone the team, but he just wants to be sure everyone is healthy where they are.
Crowley said shutting down large public events, closing schools and having people work from home is absolutely the right thing to do.
“Everyone wants to see it over sooner than later, but the right thing to do is to close everything down so we can have people healthy and safe,” Crowley said.
Still, Crowley he will be disappointed if Kingston’s 2020 season is scrubbed.
“Everyone gets fired up, the players do, the merchants do,” Crowley said. “We had a great time at
Dietz with the food vendors.” He added that Stockade’s home games are one of his favorite things of the year.
“Soccer is a big part of our lives, but there are a lot more important things going on right now,” Lis-Simmons said. “It’s tough, not having any sports. This is really a new situation for everybody.”
Lis-Simmons said there are times when he’ll turn on a match he’s recorded to kill time during the day.
“The health and well being of my family is still the most important thing,” LisSimmons said. “For now, just wishing everybody is safe and healthy.”
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