Rejoicing over the chance to play
Athletes across Berks County celebrate the PIAA’s decision to have a fall season
For student-athletes who have lost so much over the past five months, there was finally a win to celebrate.
The PIAA Board of Directors voted 25-5 Friday to allow a season to begin. Fall sports have been saved from the coronavirus pandemic. For now.
All across Berks, athletes gathered and waited for the news. Some hung out through their phones. Some were at practice. The reaction everywhere was the same. Joy.
Oley Valley’s boys soccer players, who are dreaming of a District 3 and PIAA championship run, were immersed in a group chat when the news broke.
“All of us were getting pretty anxious and hoping,” senior back Eddie Standhardt said. “Waiting for someone to see something on Twitter or just anywhere.”
Alex LaVerdure was the first one to hear the result of the vote. A four-year varsity player, the top scorer on the county championship team last season, told his teammates the games were on.
What followed was a virtual celebration. A combination of relief and excitement.
As the PIAA kept pushing its final decision down the road, athletes have been dangling on a string of optimism and worry.
“All summer our team has been getting together just to practice a little bit,” Standhardt said. “Just in case our season would happen. We were going to put in the work to hopefully achieve great things.”
Kaleb Brown showed up at Gurski Stadium during the summer to run through drills and workouts. He taped them, posted some on social media and used them as a tool to help drum up recruiting interest. If he didn’t have a season, he had these videos.
Wilson’s senior quarterback and defensive back was at practice Friday, just finishing up stretching, when coach Doug Dahms told everyone about the PIAA’s decision.
It felt like the Bulldogs just defeated a rival. “Let’s go!” They shouted.
Brown and his teammates were flying around a little faster for the rest of the afternoon.
“Everybody was extra motivated and hungry,” Brown said. “We’ve all been working. Working on routes. Linemen have been studying defensive fronts. We’re all in good spirits. We’re pretty confident right now.”
Brown has been around the football team for most of his life. He used to look up to the seniors and marvel. They were so big. So talented.
The goal was to be like them one day and he was always sure he’d have that senior year. Circumstances from the past few months have taught all of us not to take things for granted.
“If our season would have been canceled, that would have been really hard for me,” Brown said. “I’ve been playing since I was 5 or 6 years old. Ten years of work to lose my senior year? That would have really hurt.”
Alexis Baez was playing soccer and basketball in the park when the PIAA’s meeting took place. It didn’t take long for word to travel.
Shortly after the vote was revealed, Baez was snap-chatting with her Fleetwood girls soccer teammates.
“My friends were just saying how much we appreciated that they considered it for as long as they did,” Baez said. “How the outcome was exactly what we wanted. It was well worth the wait.”
Baez is one of just three seniors tasked with continuing the rich tradition of Fleetwood’s program. She has looked forward to this season forever. It was a chance to be a role model.
“I was waiting for my senior year to be the top dog in a way,” Baez said. “All the underclassmen looking up to me, wanting to win as much as me. Just lead the team. The fact that it could have been taken away was devastating.”
There are still hurdles to clear before athletes can step onto the field for games. Some school districts, including Reading High, have elected not to participate and more could follow. The virus could spread after students return to school soon.
Berks athletes, particularly the seniors, weren’t dwelling on those potential pitfalls Friday. They were thankful for this win.
Fall sports were saved. There was joy.