TAYLOR MADE: KICKBALL ANYONE? (2020-04-24)

Under Governor Cuomo's latest revision to the "pause," schools must remain closed through May 15. This tells me athletic teams can begin practicing again on May 16. 

The athletes will need every available day possible in order to prepare for and put together whatever spring sports season they possibly can. The head of NYSPHSAA says regular season activities will take priority over state playoffs. The deadline to complete state playoffs remains June 14 

If sports resume in mid-May, the high school athletes will need about a week to return to competition-ready status — and that still may not be enough. I can guarantee you there are several kids out there who have not done enough to even be close to being in game shape. 

I think the Covid-19 shutdown will affect the lacrosse players the most. They're the athletes who are constantly on the move throughout the game. 

Meanwhile, the baseball and softball players will need to focus on getting their timing back in hitting, fielding and throwing. The pitchers, if they haven't been throwing consistently during the shutdown, will have a their work cut out trying to get their timing down. 

Hopefully, the track & field athletes involved in running events kept running during the shutdown, in which case they should have the easiest time getting back to form. However, it may take a little longer for the hurdlers and relay teams to get clicking, as well as the jumpers, pole vaulters and throwers. 

If mom and dad allow the tennis players to hit balls off the side of the house, well that helps a little. However, there is still the question of timing to address. They probably didn't have an opportunity to really work on their serves and service receives. 

Then there's golf. You might think this would be easy, but I've learned over the years if you don't hit the links regularly it makes it hard to improve much. Golf courses were the last "non-essential" business to close and first to re-open, but the kids still went several weeks without practice. Hopefully, some of them did a little living room carpet putting, back lawn chipping and, if you grew up out in the boonies like I did, you could practice your drives. And that would give them some additional exercise rounding up the balls they just smacked a couple hundred yards into the pasture. 

I don't believe we will see a spring sports season this year, and even if we do, will it really be worth it? I figure they will have three weeks at best to play a competition schedule. 

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the Tioga County teams scrap IAC and STAC play in baseball, softball, boys golf and track & field, and just compete against the other schools in the county. Of course, that wouldn't work for the Owego boys and girls lacrosse teams, who have no Tioga County opponents to play. And there are only three tennis teams and two girls golf teams (although Newark Valley might have a couple players). 

Then again, there are alternatives. The next suggestion would be a perfect way to wrap things up should schools re-open without a spring sports season — kickball. Yes kickball. 

Think about it. It might have been the first sport you ever learned to play in elementary school. The Tioga County schools could get together and form a bracket tournament. Create a boys division and a girls division. Throw the teams into a hat and draw seeds. You could also juggle it so teams from the same school don't meet in the first round. If there's enough time you could even make it a double-elimination event. 

I'm not trying to make light of Covid-19's effect on spring sports. As a former multi-sport athlete, coach and official, and currently a sports writers, I know how important it is to get that competition in, but if the pandemic is going to throw a monkey wrench into the works, at least we can attempt to find something fun and enjoyable for the athletes to close out with. 

Just a thought.