Youth athletics returning in full bloom after 2020 cancellation
With warmer weather, improved conditions, activities will be on the rise again
When the world came to a crashing halt in the last week of March 2020, Amy Donovan and her four multi-sport children encountered something they’d never had before: a Saturday with nothing to do.
Planning walks in the parks and bike rides stretched from a few weeks to months. Donovan, a lacrosse coach whose family lives in Annapolis, saw her athletes burning out on the virtual stick sessions and all the other things adults tried to do to make up for the things their kids lost. It was hard to watch as their typically active bodies moved less, their eyes focused on computer screens.
But now, a year later, recreation sports are returning in full bloom, and the long sleep for many young athletes in Anne Arundel is nearing an end.
“It’s the greatest thing in the world,” Donovan said.
Lacrosse programs in Anne Arundel County shut down last March and did not return for months.
HoganLax, one of the largest boys lacrosse club programs in Maryland, held tournaments in June, but participation was down.
Mike Jacobs, director for the Lake Shore Athletic Association’s popular softball club in Pasadena, fully refunded his spring registrations. His subsequent summer and fall tournaments, while successful, didn’t quite compensate for lost fundraising.
“There is no making up the losses,” Chesapeake Club Lacrosse owner and Quickstix Chief Operating Officer Cathy Samaras said.
Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks recreation administrator Dave Smalley said the county’s athletic organizations faced financial losses just like “many other businesses and organizations during COVID-19.”
“Fortunately, the dedicated volunteers, coaches and our athletic staff are committed to get our young athletes back on the fields and playing games this spring,” Smalley said.
What’s lost in funds forever was certainly not lost in interest.
Jacobs has more than 200 girls registered for this spring and the number is climbing. He said he has other organizations reaching out to ask if Lake Shore can take girls they can’t themselves fill teams for.
“I cannot — cannot — overemphasize the
number of young ladies reaching out,” Jacobs said.
Hogan said his non-skill sessions, which typically attract 35 kids, have 88 this time.
He got an email from a parent asking if they were planning to have a team for 2031s, or second-graders.
“She said ‘I think you’re going to have a ton of them trying out.’ Maybe that was a pat on the back, or was that because of COVID? People want to get out of the house,” Hogan said.
Samaras understands that some families won’t return because of coronavirus fears. But she’s also having no problems with numbers.
When Samaras went to bed before a one-day session for an introductory program called “Starter Sticks,” she had nine kids registered. When she woke, she had 62.
“These little girls were so freaking excited, almost as excited as their parents,” Samaras said. “Their parents said, ‘Oh my gosh, we would have driven 100 miles for this.’ “
Stefanie Lilly of Riva thinks there’s “more excitement than normal” heading into this spring. Her daughter Maci made the South River Youth Association sixth-grader lacrosse team this week, and her sons are also competing in their sports this spring.
“It’s a really good feeling of them starting to get a feeling of normalcy back. They’ve missed out on so much this last year,” Lilly said. “We’re excited to see them back out there (to) play the sports they love.”
It’s not a full return to normal by any means. Programs run into logistical issues. Lake Shore couldn’t use indoor gyms for player evaluations as it normally would. Samaras’ program used to have access to the fields at Annapolis High School, but with the shortened fall and spring high school seasons running from late March through June, Samaras was given a time slot of 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It’s not an ideal time for little kids and preteens, who have bedtimes.
“We got three different [high school] seasons playing at the same time, and there’s only so many fields to go around,” said Samaras. “I feel bad for [Rec and Parks administrative sports assistant] Sue Hamilton and the other people in Rec and Parks who are trying desperately to make sure everybody gets what they would like to have. I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
Smalley said that Recreation and Parks will continue to work with the Board of Education to find “the balance of use of their high school fields that allows the needed time for their high school athletes and our rec sports.”
There’s another issue one wouldn’t think about until they desperately need it — bathrooms.
Samaras said they have one portable toilet for sessions with 1,000 people. She’s imploring the county executive’s office as well as Rec and Parks to provide 40. Smalley said portable toilets will be made available when bathrooms at parks are closed or when there are no on-site facilities.
Coronavirus safety protocols are still the new normal for the rec programs. When HoganLax began hosting tournaments last summer, not everyone in attendance adhered well to Hogan’s safety protocols at his summer events, which he acknowledges. That improved for fall-ball and “bodes well” for them going forward.
“Parents are now like: ‘OK, I need to do this, whether I agree or disagree. I need to do this, so my son gets to play,’ “Hogan said.
Though protocols aren’t uniform for Hogan’s program, which practices in multiple counties throughout the region, he said his coaches do a good job of upholding them. Things like wearing masks and using hand sanitizer are things that have been in effect for almost a year. It costs more money and more work, but a year of having to follow protocols to try to keep the programs going through a year with coronavirus will make this spring and beyond almost normal — so long as circumstances don’t change drastically.
Jacobs said he goes “above and beyond” the normal guidelines with masks and hand sanitizer.
“We didn’t want to be he said.
Even though spring was lost and summer was filled with shadows of what normally is, Hogan doesn’t fear losing another season.
“Sports are here to stay. I find it very hard to believe there’ll be a time where we don’t have sports. We just got to work around things differently,” he said.
For parents interested in signing their children up for recreational sports, available programs can be found here.
that
organization,”
Caris LeVert will make his Pacers debut on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
A small cancerous mass was found on his left kidney during an examination after he was traded from the Nets as part of the four-team deal involving James Harden. The guard underwent surgery to remove the mass in late January. The 26-yearold LeVert averaged 18.5 points and six assists in 12 games for Brooklyn prior to the trade.
The Pacers will take on the Suns on Saturday.
Rockets guard Eric Gordon will be out for four to six weeks with a strained groin, sources told ESPN. Gordon suffered the injury in a loss to the Kings on Thursday, the team’s 14th consecutive this season. He’s averaging 17.8 points for the Rockets.
College football: The Nebraska athletic department acknowledged Friday that it explored the possibility of backing out of this fall’s game at Okla- homa before ultimately deciding to go ahead with it. The game is Sept. 18 in Norman, Oklahoma, and will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Game of the Century, Nebraska’s 35-31 win over the Sooners in a clash of the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the nation. According to unidentified sources who spoke to Stadium, the Huskers contacted teams in the Mid-American Conference and Old Dominion about playing in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Sept. 18. The Lincoln Journal Star also reported Nebraska officials explored the feasibility of not playing the Sooners.
MLB: Outfielder Nick Markakis has retired after 15-year career with the Braves and Orioles. The 37-year-old Markakis, who was a free agent, told The Athletic that he was done playing after accumulating 2,388 hits, earning his lone All-Star selection in 2018 and coming within one win of reaching the World Series in his final season.
NFL: The 49ers agreed to a two-year contract with cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Moseley will earn up to $10.1 million under the contract.
Tarot.com
Aries (March 21-April 19): The problems of yesterday are melting away, and you’re wondering what you were so concerned about. If you can let go of the direction of your day, you’ll be taken on a more leisurely path and have the opportunity to take in an artful experience.
Taurus (April 20-May 20):
Your friends are bringing you optimism in the form of reassurance, funny stories, gifts or acts of service. Let them take you on a little journey or spend time talking to them on the phone without a time limit. Your energy will be replenished once you’ve spent time with loved ones.
Gemini (May 21-June 20):
By taking the path of least resistance in your career, everything may begin to bloom. It seems you’re beating your head against the wall trying to complete a project. Take a breather, and view this issue from a new perspective. Odds are, it will be no match for your refreshed brain.
Cancer (June 21-July 22):
This will be a highly spiritual day for you, where the material world has less to offer than your inner world. Look into sacred practices that have been calling your name. Try something new. Learn from your inner voice as it pushes you toward this higher purpose.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):
Wherever the need arises for you today, someone will be there to help. This is all thanks to your kind actions toward others in the past, and even if you forgot about these times, they didn’t. You’re also likely to see returns on good investments that you made.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Your relationships appear smooth now, so there’s no need to disrupt this calming energy with suspicion. Sometimes when people are being nicer to us than usual, we start to look for the negative side rather than accept the gift of kindness. Let doubts exist without letting them take over your mind.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
If there were ever a day for indulging in self-care, this is it. Your routine appears less hectic than normal. Pamper yourself, and go the extra mile when it comes to your exercise and beauty habits. You’ll feel better knowing you invested time in yourself and are set for tomorrow.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Imaginative excitement is on the table for you, and you will feel like a kid again, even as you go about your work. Now is also a great time to spend with your children or the younger people in your life — they can help you open yourself up to this freedom of expression if you have been emotionally stuck.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
It’s time to take a walk down memory lane, and it’s never looked so beautiful. A family member may also contact you and want to spend time talking about the past. Hearing each other’s voices will cheer you up. Find something positive about your past self, and try incorporating it into your current life.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
While communication may not be very clear or fast, you’re receiving good news, and it’s okay if the details trickle in as the day goes on. Impatience will only cause you problems. Paying attention to the world around you will give you a sense of peace.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Expect a little self-esteem boost today, either in your sense of self or in your wallet. You may be afraid of believing in a new, positive situation in your life, but those fears will begin to melt away as soon as you realize that you’ve put in the hard work to get the results you wanted.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20):
This shine is appearing in your social life, your romantic life and in your career — what to do with the spotlight? There’s not much you should do other than what comes naturally. Don’t be scared to speak up with your ideas. Know that success can come easily; you just can’t fight it when it arrives.