By Yousra Fakhro & Melissa Olivares
Sports Editor & Staff Writer
Athletic fields barren and locker rooms quiet, through unavoidable obstacles TCHS winter coaches hope to compete this school year. This year’s sports season isn’t one unexpected, with various guidelines suspending all forms of in-person team practice and play.
“My first thought was for the safety of the students and a distant second was worrying about the season,” co-ed track and field coach Grant Rowe said. “I know it must have been disappointing for the students to lose the season, especially for the seniors, but the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people at an alarming rate and we must keep our kids safe.”
California’s first stay-at-home order left little to no room for athletes to continue their usual training regimens. Coaches combated this with new methods to maintain their athletes’ health, physical fitness and mental state for the coming season.
Some such as girls water polo coach Brandon Rivas and co-ed cross country coach Mike Tomasulo keep in touch with students through regular check-ins via Zoom, where they encourage athletes to uphold their physical condition by participating in short workout sessions.
“When we were allowed to come back into the pool, we took full advantage of it and had them practicing two to two and a half hours to help build their cardio back up,” Rivas said. “But, as the new orders to stay at home came out, having the ladies focus on their academics is the main priority right now.”
Due to the close contact nature of their sport, girls varsity soccer coach Joe Franco and boys varsity soccer coach Shane Watkins anticipate when their teams can start their regular practices. The soccer teams are not getting a proper workout, with classes online they are unable to practice together in preparation for their prospective season.
“I see these kids sitting at home, putting on a pound or two and not working on mental and physical fitness, which is taking its toll on my athletes,” Franco said. “Sports are a good escape for them, but now they’re at home 24/7, and I don’t think that’s in their best interest at all.”
On top of the uncertainty with athletes hoping to compete at a professional level and the athlete’s fitness declining, the coaches also deal with stress and worry during this difficult time.
“The biggest challenges that we coaches are facing is not knowing,” girls basketball and volleyball and boys golf coach Lyle Takeshita said. “We worry about our players’ mental and physical states and as coaches, we are usually in control of our situations; but in this case, we are not and that is hard to deal with.”
Fluctuating sports guidelines leave plans for future seasons uncertain. When athletic activities resume, many coaches plan to update their previous practices to strongly incorporate COVID-19 restrictions, such as social distancing and wearing face coverings to help prevent the spread of the virus.
“I miss the daily interaction with the kids. I think I’ve learned that my boys aren’t just athletes—they’re all kinds of people, and it’s easy as a coach to focus on the game rather than what’s really going on,” Watkins said. “I miss seeing them act foolish and silly on the field. That’s what is fun about coaching, seeing the group bond and enjoy each others’ friendships. I miss seeing the boys develop those relationships because it’s hard to have that in this situation.”
