Covid-19 has affected so many events related to sports. The NBA has suspended it’s season indefinitely. The MLB has canceled spring training and the season is postponed indefinitely. The NFL draft was held online and the 2020 Olympics are postponed until 2021. However, major league sports are not the only ones feeling the pressure from the worldwide pandemic.
College, high school and other organizations such as club teams for soccer and baseball are being hit hard too. All spring sports for McIntosh were canceled and the impact doesn’t stop there. Teams could be affected next year as well.
Head coach Lee Belknap has had to make some changes in the schedule for our school’s football team’s summer workouts. Coach Belknap is staying connected with his players through zoom and conducting, “online daily workouts that address: upper body, lower body, plyometrics, speed, quickness, and change of direction,” said Belknap.
He expects to miss out on some summer trainings so he has plans to, “add an extra day each week when we return or conduct two- a – days when permissible,” to catch up said, Belknap.
Organizations such as Homeplate Baseball are also having to make some changes. Team meetings and practices for summer travel seasons would be starting soon so preparations for the season have begun.
Meetings that are usually held at Homplate in person are in violation of social distancing guidelines, therefore, the meetings will be held through Zoom.
In an email to parents of athletes that play for Homeplate, it said, “Homplate will also be discussing how to incorporate social distancing and sanitizing as much as possible during practice.”
Coach Belknap is focused on four goals in this time of uncertainty to help his team, “goals during this time away from our athletes are: 1) stay connected 2) strong culture/team chemistry 3) stay in shape 4) start the process,” said Belknap.