COVID-19 made first day of practice unlike any before it
The hum of the lights towering over Mustang's football field late Sunday night were only overcome by the soft voices of coaches spread across the turf.
Mustang' s football team held meetings before a midnight practice kicked off its 2020 season. Members of the defense were outside while the offense remained in the fieldhouse. Positions groups were spread out, defensive backs in the north end zone, linemen in the south and linebackers at midfield on the home sideline.
But in a sport that preaches teamwork, brotherhood and camaraderie, it seemed as if the players wanted nothing to do with one another.
The Broncos, though the number of players in each position group were plenty, had spread out across the turf and bleachers to stay distanced. Every coach and athlete wore a mask, and when head coach Lee Blankenship called the players inside to grab their equipment and
get ready for a midnight sharp start to practice, he called out words he has grown accustomed to saying.
“Guys, make sure you stay spread out heading into the locker room. Give each other space,” he hollered across the field as players scurried toward the locker room.
The coronavirus pandemic made the first day of football practice ahead of the 2020 season unlike any before it. Coaches spent as much time stressing on how to keep their kids spaced out and safe as they did installing new route concepts or defensive coverages.
Football teams are also weeks behind on preparation because there was no spring ball. Even with Zoom meetings and summer workouts, most programs are essentially starting from scratch.
“In my 23 years of coaching, this has been the weirdest first day ever,” Jones coach Dave Martin said. “We take just as much time doing prep work for before and after practice to keep kids safe as we do practicing.”
The odd start to practice started back in March when the OSSAA voted to postpone the state basketball tournament and eventually cancel spring sports and the tournaments. Monday was the first day of OSSAA activities allowed since then, including the first softball and volleyball games with cross country meets scheduled for later this week.
Football teams didn't have spring football practice or team camps. For some coaches, like Blankenship and Martin, the effect is still large but not as much as schools with new head coaches, like Putnam City and Carter Whitson.
Whitson didn't have spring football to implement his system and get coaches on the same page.
On top of that, Putnam City Schools is starting with virtual-only school for the first nine weeks, which is another piece of the puzzle Whitson has to figure out how to handle.
“It has been a crazy few weeks,” Whitson said.
Schools are doing their part to have a full season. Coaches are wearing masks, even outdoors. Players are social distancing when not in a drill and sport face coverings during meetings.
Numerous questions
r e main, i ncl udi ng t he uncertainty of whether teams will even be able to play games this year. But practice No. 1 of the 2020 season is in the books for Oklahoma high school football teams.
And it's arguably the strangest opening day ever.
“This is all stuff you just never think you'll have to deal with,” Blankenship said. “But we're learni ng how to do i t better every day and j ust are taking that day-by-day approach.”