’TOPPERS RETURN TO THE GRIDIRON

Chardon, other area teams starting offseason workouts with safety measures

Chardon football coach Mitch Hewitt wasted no time when Ohio’s state government and athletic association signaled high schools could begin training at school facilities again. May 26, the Hilltoppers were back on the football field for offseason drills and conditioning.

After the novel coronavirus pandemic shut down sports across all levels in March, the opening stages of a return to normalcy were much-anticipated.

“I think it was a chance to recharge, but kids are excited to be back,” Hewitt said. “It’s good to see kids laughing and smiling, sweating and doing all the things kids should be doing.”

Schools around the area are beginning to resume workouts this week and next. Perry began drills June 1, spread out over five groups of nine players apiece that came in during the morning. Kirtland plans to begin workouts June 2, Lake Catholic and Mayfield will start June 8 and Mentor is making plans to accommodate its workouts to the state’s guidelines.

At Chardon, Hewitt gathered his players starting at 6 a.m. The Hilltoppers won’t have access to their weight room until June 8 as Hewitt said equipment is being removed to create the necessary space.

On the field, the coaching staff is taking temperatures of players when they arrive for drills, maintaining thorough attendance and wiping down shared equipment. Warm-ups are spread across the field, with skill groups at one end and linemen at the other.

“The drills we’re doing are designed where there’s the ability to be spaced,” Hewitt said. “I would say there’s almost no drill that anyone comes in contact with anyone, it’s one of those deals. We’ve had to cater our drills to suit the rules.”

Distancing guidelines provide a minor challenge as it pertains to team breakdowns and the close-quarter communication Hewitt is used to on a football field. Overall, though, Hewitt’s been encouraged by the numbers of players who’ve shown up for workouts.

A return to the practice field following months of self-isolation reinforced a message Chardon’s coaching staff tries to impress upon its student-athletes.

“I think a term a lot of people would use is grateful,” Hewitt said. “You always tell a kid how fragile things are and how quickly things can be taken. I think this proves it, not only for the players but for the coaches, as well.”

Data regarding COVID-19 is becoming more available and the number of new cases continue to trend downward in the United States.

As the Hilltoppers and other programs across the state begin to take steps toward returning to play, a safe and healthy transition during the summer has Hewitt hopeful for a fall

season.

“To me, I think it’s something that we need to continue to safely start to bring back,” Hewitt said. “I told my players’ families, I think football’s going to be one of these vessels to do that — both at the professional level and the collegiate and high school level.”

COURTESY MITCH HEWITT Chardon players prepare for a drill during workouts on June 1.