Coaches left in limbo on schedules by TSSAA but see hope ahead
Many were surprised by the TSSAA'S decision not to choose contingency schedules for high school football and girls soccer during Wednesday's Board of Control meeting.
The rationale on delaying the decision was based on the TSSAA'S continued work with Gov. Bill Lee's office in hopes of getting high school sports grouped with college and pro sports under Lee's extended state of emergency order. Under that order, which runs through Aug. 29, high school athletes are not allowed to have contact. That meant those sports could not start their seasons as scheduled.
But anyone reading between the lines might infer it means good news for those two sports to be able to begin practice and the regular season as originally scheduled.
"At first I was fearful that (the decision might imply) that (teams wouldn't be able to start practicing by Aug. 29)," Nashville Christian coach Jeff Brothers said. "It's a definite positive that TSSAA is pumping brakes on a final decision. That's encouraging for all of us. But we have to make decisions quickly. There's a lot of arrangements to make."
Milan's Greg Scott, who is on the TSSAA Board of Control, posted a statement on Twitter after the meeting: "... While this was not the expected result of the meeting, it was communicated that this is a better route to having a better chance for football season to play under a normal schedule. I am hopeful that prudence will prove to be impactful as discussions continue between the legal teams from both the TSSAA and the Governor's office."
The decision still leaves coaches, players and fans in limbo. Football teams originally were scheduled to begin practice in full pads on July 27.
"It's kind of frustrating since there's no set plan yet, so we're trying to plan that we are going to start at the normal time," Riverdale football coach Will Kriesky said.
"The biggest issue I have is not knowing when we're going to start. As coaches you have to order things, and now I'm trying to figure out if I need to order paint for five home games, three home games, getting our camera equipment ready and different things like that.
"This just puts us in a big limbo and I don't have answers for my parents or my kids, and that is really frustrating."
The TSSAA Board of Control was to vote on three football options Wednesday. All involved later start dates, shorter regular seasons and playoffs of varying lengths. Girls soccer had two options, both involving starting the seasons in September.
“It just disappointing for all sports," Hardin Valley soccer coach Jessica Stephens said. "Parents, players, we all want something to look forward to. It's getting to the point to where it's getting hard to keep the kids positive."
TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said there was no timetable on when a decision on contingency plans – or one involving an exemption from the governor's office – would be made.
Cane Ridge football coach Eddie Woods, whose Davidson County squad was able to convene for workouts Monday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started, was relieved the announcement by TSSAA wasn't worse.
"I have optimism because they haven't said we aren't having a season," Woods said. "They're working with the governor, so that's good news. They haven't made a definite decision on schools yet, so I'm sure they'll try to figure that out before they discuss sports."
Added Fayette-ware coach Woodrow Lowe, "It can be a positive. From listening to the discussion last week and this week, I believe the TSSAA wants football, and they want to play. It could be a positive in that we might get to play on time.”
With no contact currently allowed, athletes are limited to working out, conditioning and individual drills.
"As of right now, today, we're still seven weeks away from contact, so our approach with our players hasn't changed," Montgomery Central football coach Jeff Tomlinson said. "(In Clarksville) we're working on Day 3 of workouts, and that was going to be the same if the TSSAA had made a decision (Wednesday). But if we get into the first of August and the TSSAA still hasn't made a decision, then we'll have to change our approach to how we prepare our players.”
While it would appear a best-case scenario would be starting the season on time and a worst-case scenario would be resorting to contingency plans, there's still no guarantees, particularly with COVID-19 numbers having steadily increased in the state over recent weeks.
The state reported 55,986 total positive cases and 685 deaths as of Wednesday. Of the positive cases, 32,736 have recovered.
“I understand the process, and that they are going to look at the numbers before they make a decision and have to change," Jackson South Side football coach Tyler Reeder said.
"My thing is that I want to play football. I don't care how we do it. I just want to do it. I don't care when it is or where. These kids deserve a chance to play. That is however we can, the safest way that we can.”
Aaron Torres, Michael Odom, Joe Spears and George Robinson contributed to this report.