Hayley Skrezec 22'
February 2021
With the ongoing uncertainty of the coronavirus, winter sports were a questionable subject for a long period of time. After much consideration from Suffolk County, it has been decided that the participation of these sports was not safe just yet due to the number of rising cases in our area. This is a difficult adjustment for our school because of the successful past years we have had in many winter sports such as basketball, track, and wrestling. One sport that has had the okay to go ahead and start with its season is track. This winter sport will be conducted fully outdoors with masks and social distancing. The Greenport track team will be practicing separately from the Southold track team unlike past years, and due to the virus many procedures were put into place for the protection of the athletes. Unlike other years, there will only be one coach for this year's winter track team which will be Mr. Fioretti. The team will not be separated into two halves depending on the hybrid schedule, but will instead practice each day together for the opportunity of a bonded team.
Unfortunately, Suffolk County believed it is in the schools best interest to eliminate basketball and wrestling from this year's activities. Having basketball and wrestling was Greenport’s intention, and schedules were even put into place for the teams which caused confusion for many. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to speak with our very own athletic director Mr. Golden, where he spoke to me about the upcoming future plans and regulations for sports. Mr. Golden explained to me the separation of sports from high risk sports, which included football and girls volleyball, and low risk sports, which included track. Mr. Golden referred to winter track as “winter outdoor track, which makes this season significantly unique compared to others.” He enlightened me about his high hopes for the spring season, and that he is almost certain these sports will go on as normal with moderate regulations. Every aspect of this school year and sports season has been new to everyone including Mr. Golden, but our school has done a phenomenal job in attempting to get us active and back to doing what we love.