Practices open with new COVID-19 rules
In normal times, University of Miami women’s basketball coach Katie Meier, known for fostering a family atmosphere on her team, would already have hosted at least one preseason pool party for her players at her house.
In normal times, UM men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga would already have held countless team and individual meetings in his office and gathered his players in a circle for his trademark stories and lessons.
But these are not normal times.
COVID-19 has changed all the routines for college basketball programs, as it has for all sports. As they head into Wednesday’s opening practices, Larrañaga and Meier know the start of the NCAA basketball season was pushed back two weeks to Nov. 25, but the rest of the schedule remains in limbo.
The Atlantic Coast Conference schedule has not been released, and plans for non-conference games and tournaments are still being worked out.
Coaches have changed how they conduct practice. Larrañaga is 71 years old, so he is being extra cautious.
“It’s so different, so strange,” Larrañaga said. “I do think I am in a highrisk group, so I have to be extra careful not to do things that could endanger my own health. I am very conscious of my circumstances. Because of that, I’ve tried not to take any risks. I stay a good bit away from my players. I wear my mask and so do my coaches, all the time. I am very aware of safety for my players and myself and my staff.
“It’s been a challenge to figure out how to keep coaching well. Am I doing a good job? Am I able to get the guys to do what we need to do when we’re not as close together, not meeting as much? So far, it’s working. But it’s difficult.”
Meier agrees. She had to work extra hard to motivate players during the summer.
“It was tough to really give it your all and commit when there was so much unknown,” Meier said.
“It’s like The Columbus Effect. Driving over a bridge, a really steep bridge and you don’t know what’s on the other side. Not knowing if the world is round or flat ‘til you get to the edge.
“When they came back in July, they were giving, but running over a bridge they didn’t know what was on the other side. The minute the ACC said we’re going to play, my team played harder. There was something beyond the horizon and it was worth investing in.”
Both coaches are avoiding full-team meetings, opting for small groups instead. Meier is conducting leadership sessions via Zoom.
Larrañaga has cut down the number of staff meetings and shortened team meetings.
“We don’t meet every day anymore,” he said. “We don’t meet in my office. We meet in a conference room, everyone wears masks and is social distant. We used to have a team meeting before every practice for 20 to 30 minutes. We’re not doing that. When we do meet, it’s on the court, we’re all separated and I’m having to, not yell, but try to communicate in a much different way.”
One positive, Meier said, is that she and her staff were around in September overseeing offseason workouts. Normally, they are on the road during that time.
“To have all of September where I’m actually seeing all the skill work, the individual work has been real beneficial,” she said. “I’m watching all the conditioning and our conditioning is nowhere where it needs to be, which is a negative, but the positive is, I know it. I said, `Yep, we’ve got to address this’. Normally, we wouldn’t have enough eyes on it. Now, four coaches’ eyes are on all the workouts because we’re all in town.”