How Linden football handled a positive COVID-19 case
Across San Joaquin County high school football began offseason workouts in preparation for the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic a few weeks ago. But minutes before Linden’s first practice, Head Coach Chris Herrera received the text that every coach feared.
A parent of an upperclassmen player reported that the player was sick and had a fever. Two days later, he tested postive for COVID-19.
Herrera said the unnamed played did not attend practice that day, and nobody else on the team came in contact with him. In Linden’s tightknit community word gets around fast. After the positive test reached school officials, Herrera was told to shut it all down.
Just as fast the Lions began practices, they were back to square one of the pandemic.
“Its a dagger in your heart,” Herrera said. “You spend the whole offseason anticipating football starting in June. I think that not knowing is the worst part.
“I’m sure there is a lot of guilt on his part that we got shutdown, but its not his fault. He didn’t do anything wrong. He just happened to be in the wrong place and got infected.”
Since then, the player has fully recovered from the disease, but the Lions
haven’t returned to the football field. And now the school waits for the California Interscholastic Federation decision regarding the fall sports seasons, scheduled to be announced tomorrow.
“We are just going to have to work in the confines of whatever the restrictions are,” Herrera said. “We are living in a different world right now... We are living in a world where we have to be understanding and patient.”
For Herrera, there was a lot of anticipation and excitement surrounding the 2020 season.
The Lions are coming off a season where they finished 7-4 and made their first playoff appearance since 2011, while starting 15 sophomores and one freshman.
It had been awhile since Linden’s program had that kind of success. Herrera, a Linden alumnus, said other than a 2004 section title final appearance the program has struggled to win, losing interest from students on top of it.
But Herrera said pride within the Lions football program is getting restored as team numbers continue to rise. He anticipated over 80 kids throughout the program this season.
The Lions currently are scheduled to begin the season on Aug. 21 at Escalon, which won a Divison 4-A state title last season. Herrera also is planning for every situation for fall sports.
Herrera said his coaching staff will meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss Linden’s plan going forward to correlate with the CIF’s decision. If the schedule shifts to January, conditioning five times a week for five months isn’t even considered an option, as Herrera fears kids will quickly lose interest.
He plans to use a hybrid system of Zoom meetings, online work and inperson meetings to keep practices fresh and progress through an extended offseason.
If the season plays out in its traditional schedule, the Lions will be happy to get back on the field.
And after the coronavirus scare, Herrera said he’ll be content to get a season whenever that will be made possible.
“Moving forward, the biggest thing I hope is that we have a season whenever that may be,” Herrera said. “Not just football, all the sports. I think most people who don’t play sports, they don’t know the importance it has in a young child’s life.
“I always tell my kids that sports is a microcosm of life. You learn to lose. You learn to win. You learn to be a good teammate. You learn to be supportive. You learn to have a good work ethic. There are so many factors that translate to life.”