March 12, 2020—the day the world experienced a shockwave. Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced that due to a rising infectious disease known as Covid-19, schools would close for three weeks. Obviously, sports teams would be shut down as well. But with so few cases across the state and country at this time, many believed this was nothing more than a cautious order. Coaches instructed their athletes at their final practice that day to continue practicing on their own, as they believed they would likely be back and running as soon as the shutdown would end. But then the situation got bigger.
In a connected age, it doesn’t take long for news to spread. The sports’ sessions were dismissed, and as is regular practice following, athletes and coaches checked their smartphones. They were met with news that would rock the sports world—the NCAA had cancelled its remaining winter and spring championships, including that of college basketball. A billion dollar business decided to go without their biggest moneymaker for an entire year. Those who weren’t aware had now been enlightened: the situation was dire. With all major professional sports leagues and collegiate teams now on hold, it was clear that sacrifices had to be made for the greater good of society. So we went without sports, many finding themselves turning to unconventional entertainment in a dull period they had never experienced before.
Fast forward a few months. It's now late July, and the NBA and NHL are set to begin an unparalleled feat: operating a sports “bubble.” No fans, constant testing, masks, quarantining, health protocols, and limits on team gatherings. Major League Baseball resumed, continuing an American tradition as classic as any. Like the NHL and NBA, the MLB had some of the world’s best health experts designing protocols and systems to ensure the safety of athletes, coaches, and staff. These systems worked incredibly well, allowing all three leagues to crown a champion, and perhaps most importantly, giving some entertainment and a sense of normalcy to a deprived sports world in an incredibly pressing time.
The unfortunate reality, though, was that these majors professional sports leagues were billion dollar corporations. They had millions of dollars to throw at health and safety measures, unlike local high schools, who at times would have a tough time outfitting a team in new uniforms, much less spending thousands on testing and safety equipment. But regardless, you will almost never find a high level athlete who is not disappointed when they are told they cannot play. While the odds were certainly stacked against having a fall season, people clamoured for it. Longtime OHSAA director Jerry Snodgrass was forced out of his post due to frustration around the state about lack of action on a return-to-play procedure. As the season and school year rapidly approached, there was an unspoken agreement between administrators and athletic directors across Ohio: they would put forth their best effort to ensure athletes could compete.
Fall sports began practicing. Masks were a common sight, and social distancing enforced. Events were scheduled, and the season was on. But while professional sports and their strict protocols and backup plans built a strong armor protecting precious games that were scheduled to be played, high school sports’ lack of resources meant their season was more of a careful balancing act—teams would follow disease prevention rules, and simply hope their season was not sent crashing down by a mass quarantine. While it certainly was not ideal, the optimist in many was just ecstatic to be playing high school sports again.
Many sports teams at Talawanda were not slowed down in the slightest by a Covid-season. The football team jumped out to a hot 2-0 start, the soccer teams did not skip a beat in their perennial competitiveness, we saw conference championships from both cross country teams, and the boys golf team, and the girls golf and tennis teams both finished in the upper portion of the SWOC standings. Athletes began to get more accustomed to the protocols, and by the end of the fall season, it seemed like the rules had been in place for a long time. As sports moved indoors, a new challenge faced the athletic department, that being spectators. For the first time, we began to see strict limits on the number of spectators per athlete, more tightly enforced than when sports were played in the open air. As the winter season came to a close, things started to look up. Vaccines were the talk of the town, and as sports moved back outdoors, disease transmission risk was drastically reduced.
As spring sports wind down, a long break from competition will be something much welcomed, as we hope our situation will look much better next fall. Until then, administrators and athletic directors working overtime to ensure athletes could properly compete can take a deep breath. More athletes, coaches, and staff will receive vaccines, and we will continue to dream of the day fans can white out the student section, a pair of friends can exchange a celebratory high five, those not living in the same household can sit next to each other and enjoy a contest, and the emotion on faces can be seen unobstructed by a mask. Looking back, we see that high school athletics has achieved an unprecedented feat during this time, and we have so many to thank because of that.