Uncertainties mount on mat
Hampton Roads wrestling coaches face many challenges ahead of December start
Chris Barnhart unveiled the scale and weary eyes widened in panic.
A cold shower of realization washed over Ocean Lakes wrestlers who quickly understood the grind had returned.
Under COVID-19 restrictions, Ocean Lakes has conditioned two to three times per week since July while maintaining social-distancing rules. That first session, after months of quarantine, was sobering.
“I bring out the scale to the conditioning things and the first time I brought it out, the kids’ eyes were gigantic,” Barnhart said.
Nutrition and staying in shape are immovable cornerstones of the sport as participants must constantly maintain their weight classes in order to compete. During a normal season, Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks are difficult enough as even the most committed wrestlers can return a few pounds heavier.
Several months away from a coach’s rigid structure — no matter the workouts sent through email, text or Zoom meetings — have been brutal.
“It’s tough and it’s not easy,” said Oscar Smith coach Donald Motley, whose team won the Class 6 state championship in February. “All my guys have gotten huge and that’s an understatement. Guys have gained 20 to 30 pounds.”
Without offseason tournaments either, the rust is real with the season’s start date in December edging closer.
The first official wrestling practices can begin on Dec. 14 with the first competition date on Dec. 28, according to the Virginia High School League. The shortened season will have eight event dates with only one team advancing from the region tournament to the one-day state championships which feature eight-person brackets.
Scheduling isn’t simple for wrestling, however. Competition dates vary between individual tournaments and team duals and many duals are under the guise of tri- and quad-team meets where multiple teams gather at one site to minimize travel and increase the number of matches wrestlers can compete in.
That type of scheduling also helps mitigate some single duals that can last just 20 minutes if a school’s wrestling roster is too thin to fill the 14-spot starting lineup.
But it may not be an option. Coaches are still unsure if COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings will prevent tri- and quad-team matches or individual tournaments (where as many as 30 teams participate) from even happening.
“I can see them limiting spectators, but I haven’t seen any directive from the VHSL (on scheduling limitations),” Gloucester coach John Glockner said. “I think the athletic directors have been challenged to put the plans together.”
More uncertainties loom on the mat. Will there be new uniform alterations to limit the obvious skin contact inherent in the sport? Will masks be required for the two competitors? Is that even viable?
“Wrestling with a mask isn’t gonna work because they sweat too much,” Motley said.
Referees are likely to use electronic whistles and the all-important hand raise for the victor surely will be mimed.
Because so many offseason tourna
(Waynesboro, Virginia), St. Michael The Archangel (Fredericksburg) and Advancing Christ through Sports (Staunton).
Atlantic Shores athletic director Michael Hudgins said the Seahawks are planning to play this season.
“We’re practicing and are hopeful to play in the near future,” he said. “We’re working hard to try to do it safely.”
The Metro Conference — which also includes Broadwater Academy, Denbigh Baptist, Hampton Christian, StoneBridge and Gateway Christian — are scheduled to compete in cross country, volleyball and soccer this fall, but only at the varsity level.
The Tidewater Conference decided to avoid fall sports altogether. The conference instead has adopted a schedule that is similar to what the Virginia High School League agreed on.
Winter sports will go from Nov. 9-Jan. 30, fall sports from Feb. 1-March 27 and spring sports from Beach Nationals would be rescheduled or if the March 29-May 22. popular Virginia Duals at Hampton Coliseum will The biggest difference between take place in January following the high-profile the two schedules is there is no cancellations of other national-level tournaments overlapping. like the Beast of the East (Delaware) and Ironman “We’re not overlapping because ments have been outright canceled and not just (Ohio) that normally happen in December. we have so many multi-sport athpostponed, there’s few precedents to study. “It’s very frustrating,” Grassfield coach Patrick letes and we don’t want them to
The first large event scheduled to resume is the Shuler said. “Basically, you feel like you don’t have a have to choose between sports,” Super 32, which announced last week its new dates lot of control over what’s going on.” said Norfolk Academy athletic diof October 24-25 while shifting its site from GreensSo for now, coaches and wrestlers must circle the rector Chad Byler. boro, North Carolina, to Myrtle Beach, South Carmat and wait to take their shot. He said Norfolk Academy has olina. Many of the top wrestlers in Hampton Roads “I think this spring was really frustrating for them started back slowly regarding athcompete in that prestigious event annually, but this being that my hands were tied and I couldn’t see letics as students are back on camyear most coaches are opting to keep their wrestlers them,” Barnhart said. “I run a year-round program. I pus. He said the athletes are workin Virginia for safety precautions. (normally) see my boys five days a week even in the ing on conditioning and skill work,
“Some guys want to travel out of state, but we’re summer time. We’re a pretty tight group. I think as but are practicing social distancing.notdoinganythingwithourclub,”Motleysaid,frustratingasthespringtimeandearlysummerwas,
“because I want to make sure I’m doing everything to get back in July, I think they were excited just He added that they are also correctly.” doing exercises and shadow drills. testing for the virus.
Locally, the preseason Interstate 64 wrestling “We all want the chance to get the boys back on “We’re not creating a bubble per championships will take place Nov. 21-22 in a the mat.” se, but we’re testing everybody,” he preseason club tournament at the Virginia Beach said. “This is something you don’t Field House. mess around with.”
Coaches were unsure if the preseason Virginia Catholic athletic director Lynd