At Solano, sports on hold
School ‘opts out’ of basketball, volleyball and soccer for 2021
The year 2021 promises some hope for college athletes but the early portion of the year may look a lot like 2020.
Solano Community College recently chose to “opt out” of playing sports like men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and women’s soccer. Those sports were originally scheduled to start in 2020 but were pushed to the new year for hope that the coronavirus pandemic outlook would improve.
It has not. Solano County continues to be in a purple tier and even though a stricter lockdown is not currently in place it could take effect in the coming weeks.
Solano Athletic Director Erik Visser said Superintendent/President Dr. Celia Esposito-Noy made the final decision. Official practice for those sports was scheduled to begin on Jan. 18.
“Looking at what’s going on
with the pandemic, it’s not a surprise,” Visser said. “December, January and February are going to be extremely challenging for everyone. Hopefully, we’ll see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
In November, the California Community College Athletic Association Board of Directors voted to continue with the Contingency Plan, which provided the state’s community colleges a framework for a return to competition, while also providing decision-making guidance for institutions. However, member institutions were allowed to “opt out” if they did not want to move forward.
The Falcons are still on track for later spring sports like baseball, softball, tennis and swimming. Baseball, softball and tennis are considered “minimal contact” sports while swimming is considered to be “non- contact,” a potential positive for those activities having less restrictions.
Visser said there is not a deadline to make a decision on those sports but he figures the school will talk again in early to midJanuary.
A numb er of t he coaches who had their seasons lost were disappointed.
“Speaking as a coach, I disagree with the decision,” said Solano women’s soccer coach Jeff Cardinal. “I’ve been one of the ones who has pushed for in-person training on campus using proper protocols.”
Un l i ke some ot her community colleges and high schools, Solano has not been able to condition this fall in smaller groups.
“The athletic department came up with a safety plan (for conditioning) and a lot of time went into that plan,” Cardinal said. “I think that could have been put in place and used.”
Matt Borchert, the Falcons women’s basketball coach, wasn’t caught off guard by the decision.
“My reaction is — it was expected,” he said. “The inevitable is happening was my initial and overall reaction. I had been discussing this with my team for a while and we were hold
ing out some hope.”
Solano women’s volleyba ll coach Da rla Williams ha d simila r thoughts.
“I saw it coming although I didn’t know the decision was going to come so quick. I thought they could have waited a little longer,” she said. “I just feel bad for the kids. They’ve been so committed since the summer. It’s just a bummer.”
All players from those sports can receive a waiver or redshirt year so it does not affect their eligibility. Most of the coaches said they were unsure how that would all play out but Williams said she expects a number of her sophomores to return.
“We have a lot of biology and chemistry majors,” she said. “You can’t really get out in two years so they are looking to get their degree in the fall.”
Borchert said he has a sophomore like Ashmeen Sran, who likely wants to move on and play at a fouryear school. He will assist her in getting video to colleges and hopefully find a spot for her.
All of the coaches will be able to teach an offseason conditioning class in the spring. Whether or not that is in-person or remains in distance learning remains to be seen.
Borchert said there are some positives that came with the announcement.
“Knowing is better,” he said. “They talk a lot about COVID fatigue, which is day to day not knowing what is going to happen. At this point, knowing is helpful.”
Borchert is calling this break “extended offseason” with some hope that the team can be back on campus around March to start conditioning for the 2021-22 season.
Borchert said there are other positives for his players. In a normal year, December is a full month of on- the- road tournaments and constant practice, getting ready for the Bay Valley Conference slate.
“T hey ’ ve never had this much time for finals, their families and things like Christmas shopping,” he said. “It’s pretty extraordinary. They probably haven’t had time like this since fourth or fifth grade.”