Coach gets organized to bring football back
Serra's Patrick Walsh starts Golden State HS Football Coaches Community
Serra football coach Patrick Walsh was tired of waiting. Tired of watching NFL, college and high school football teams across the country compete in organized games while California youth athletes were left watching from the sideline with no light at the end of the tunnel.
So, the longtime coach took action.
On Dec. 20, he launched the Golden State HS Football Coaches Community in hopes of uniting as many coaches throughout the state with a goal to convince health officials to relax some restrictions and, at long last, provide protocols for a football season.
“Just give us a chance, just give us a chance,” Walsh said in a phone conversation last week. “Other states have given their high schools a chance, and we haven’t had that. And that’s maddening for us.”
When the state announced youth sports guidelines in mid-December, ending months of waiting by the high school community, high-contact outdoor sports such as football were placed in the orange (moderate) tier in California’s tracking system.
Walsh is lobbying for football to be in the less restrictive red (substantial) tier.
Discussions with his high school football coach brethren in Texas prompted Walsh into a realization: If California wanted to make inroads to kick start a long-delayed football season, the coaching fraternity would need to organize as one.
The Texas High School Coaches Association, founded 90 years ago, began planning a “safe” return to the football field in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. Texas’ University Interscholastic League announced in late July modifications and COVID-19 guidelines to start the high school sports season in September. State championships are scheduled for mid-January.
Since mid-March, California high school sports have been on pause.
The California Interscholastic Federation had hoped to begin “fall sports” practices in December but delayed those plans on Dec. 1 when it seemed as if the state’s long-delayed youth sports guidelines would not arrive until at least Jan. 1.
But the state, amid soaring coronavirus numbers, released the guidelines on Dec. 14. Outdoor contact sports such as football, soccer, boys lacrosse and water polo were grouped in one of the most restrictive tiers. Only those in the yellow/minimal tier (indoor basketball and wrestling, for example) will have to wait longer than sports in the orange tier.
CIF executive director Ron Nocetti told the Bay Area News Group last month that his office initially advocated for all sports to be played in the red and purple (widespread) tiers.
“We look at the red tier. That’s fewer than seven cases per 100,000,” Nocetti said. “That’s information that we also vetted through our own sports medicine advisory committee, and they supported us to bring that forward. The California Department of Public Health has to look at all factors — not just high school sports, but all sports. We understand that. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to advocate our position.”
In its release of the guidelines last month, the California Department of Public Health said no interteam competition would start until at least Jan. 25 and it would reassess the situation by this past Monday.
With high school athletes experiencing noticeable mental and physical struggles without sports, coaches and parents began pleading for help and recognition of their concerns. They understand that the perils of the deadly coronavirus pandemic are a priority but hope that health officials recognize the shutdown’s impact on kids.
“The brunt of the cost is being held on the backs of the kids of California,” said Walsh, who has coached at the San Mateo private school since 2001 and has two sons of his own. “A major weight is being carried by our kids. Why is that? That’s not happening in other states. Why can’t a 10-year-old girl go out and play soccer right now?”
To get kids back outside and on the field, the
Golden State HS Football Coaches Community hopes to present to local and state health officials transmission rate statistics collected from other states that have or nearly have completed their football seasons and high school workout “pods” as proof that organized sports are safe enough.
For Walsh, that means organizing a growing network of coaches dedicated to the cause. He has representatives already aligned from each of the 10 California sections, including James Logan head coach Ricky Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, who founded the West Coast Coaches Alliance this fall, is in charge of collecting data and organizing the North Coast Section — he’s recruited 58 coaches from the section already.
“The idea was based on how the State of Texas has a powerful coaches association, that plays a huge role in decisions, and ways to make the sport better at the high school level,” Rodriguez said in a text message. “I am very excited to be a part of a community of coaches that has the best interest of our student-athletes and football coaches in our state.”
Though the alliance is young, early data returns from the network of coaches are promising, the coaches say.
“Nothing is 100% in this world, but it’s as safe as it gets,” Walsh said, adding that he hopes the California Department of Health would consider kids’ mental health as a major concern about the pandemic, too.
News that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s would unveil a $2 billion package of incentives for California school districts to reopen classrooms for in-person instruction as early as mid-February electrified the movement and instilled hope that high school sports restrictions may be altered.
“I am very optimistic that with the Governor’s guidance on opening schools released today, that our voices as coaches, student-athletes and parents are being heard,” Rodriguez said Dec. 30. “Hoping conversations are continuing to happen about a restructure of our colored tier system.”
But Walsh and the community’s intention is not to bulldoze through health and safety precautions. December was California’s deadliest month of the pandemic, with the cumulative death toll since the pandemic’s erupted last spring exceeding 25,000.
If the transmission data they collect demonstrates unsafe trends, they would stand down.
“We definitely don’t want anyone to suffer from COVID-19,” Walsh said.
“Wewanttodothisthe right way. We want to be respectful of everything going on. But we want to be successful for our kids. We’re tired of sitting on the sidelines watching. We’re going to enter the conversation.”