WITH HIGH SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN, SPORTS GOES ON HIATUS
With five new cases of coronavirus confirmed in San Joaquin County on Friday, school districts across the county have taken the drastic measure of closing down until April 6 at the earliest.
That shutdown includes all school activities in the Lodi Unified School District. That includes Lodi and Tokay high school sports for the spring season are done for the time being.
Sacramento County has taken similar measures, which has put Galt and Liberty Ranch athletics on hiatus as well.
“I wasn’t trying to guess one way or another, I was just waiting for something to happen,” Tokay High athletic director Michael Holst said. “That’s kind of all we know, so we’re going to cancel games and practice until then.”
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the California Interscholastic Federation, which is the governing body for high school athletics in the state, will hold its annual spring meeting. Sac-Joaquin Section Commissioner Michael Garrison is one of the state’s 10 commissioners who will be at those meetings. The spring sports season is scheduled to be the first matter set for discussion.
Holst, along with area athletic directors, will wait for the outcome of that meeting to move forward in their respective leagues. Lodi and Tokay are in the Tri-City Athletic League, Galt and Liberty Ranch in the Sierra Valley Conference, Elliot Christian in the Central California Athletic Association and Lodi Academy in the Mountain Valley League.
“I assume we’ll meet as a league, and the section’s supposed to meet,” Holst said. “April 6 doesn’t mean that we will resume athletics.”
Lodi High Athletic Director Robert Winterhalter received a call Friday to notify him about high school athletics on hiatus.
“We’re still in the we-need-to-cancel-things phase,” Winterhalter said. “We still need time for the league to meet, and for the section to meet. There’s a lot of coordination that will go into getting sports back up when we come back.”
Winterhalter, in his second year as the school’s AD, pointed out there are a lot of people who are working behind the scenes for the spring sports teams.
“Opponents, officials, all the personnel that work the games,” Winterhalter said. “We’re in the
cancellation phase, not the planning stage. Luckily, a lot of it can be done through emails, and just confirmation calls,” Winterhalter said. “I think people are expecting it at this point, so they’re not surprised.”
Winterhalter said he hasn’t talked to any student-athletes, but has talked with coaches and other TCAL athletic directors.
“We’ve been in constant contact over the past three days, making sure everybody’s on the same page,” Winterhalter said.
The toughest part of this spring sports season, Winterhalter pointed out, are the seniors competing on a spring sports team.
“I’m sad for those seniors who
are looking forward to this season, and I hope we have a chance to resume some sort of normalcy when April 6 comes around,” Winterhalter said. “We’re talking about scholarship opportunities, and playing opportunities.”
Liberty Ranch High Athletic Director Anthony Linebaugh, who is also the school’s football head coach, feels that safety is first and foremost for Hawk student-athletes as well as the ones at Galt High in the Galt Joint Union High School District.
“I think the one expectation is we don’t know what to expect,” Linebaugh said. “There are ideas on how to proceed. But safety to students has to be first and it is first. It’s good to see the district working with Sacramento County Public Health. Even though it’s difficult for the students, but it’s the well-being of them and their families that’s important.”
Linebaugh feels that sections and leagues will have a better view after California’s section commissioners meet early next week.
“I think that the key is the state meeting taking place,” Linebaugh said.
Elliot Christian Athletic Director Ron Wilborn said in an email that he has heard of many schools canceling or suspending their sports and extra-curricular activities.
“We are out of session for spring break until March 23,” Wilborn said. “I have been in contact with our school principal (Tim Clements), and I am waiting on official word from my school administration. I hope to have that information in the next 24 hours.”
According to Lodi Academy
High Athletic Director Kory Gabrys in an email, the MVL has suspended all athletic contests until further notice.
Mia Misasi, a four-year starter on the Tokay High softball team, shared her thoughts of the suspension of athletics in the school district.
“For us being a senior (and) with my dad coaching me since I’m leaving for college, it’s kind of hitting hard right now,” said Misasi, who is going to the University of Nevada, Reno on a scholarship. “I’m in shock, but I think athletes know it’s best to shut down as much as it can. I think it’s a good thing to do, but hitting home for students going to college.”
Misasi said that her and her dad, Tokay High softball coach Aaron Misasi, will work on her softball skills in the family’s backyard.