With Plainfield 202 starting with e-learning until mid October, it got me worried that fall sports may end up cancelled. I think it is doable to save them by moving them all to spring. AD's would have to talk to coaches about practice and how on field and on court practice would be a luxary and not the norm. Hear me out before you bash it and say the facilities aren't there to do it. Baseball/Softball, Golf, Tennis, Cross Country would likely have no new issues with facilities. Just understand that if its raining your not going to be able to get inside for a GYM or FIELD HOUSE practice. Next you have soccer. High school soccer has insanely demanding schedules sometimes with 3 matches a week. I'd trim that down to once or twice a week. They never play on a Friday night now which would leave that slot open for football. Football then primarily gets Friday night. Here's what football would need to understand practice may be very limited. If soccer using stadium field and jv soccer using practice field for matches during the week space may not be available after school. So a lot of mental reps or super shortened before school or late night after weekday home soccer match practices. Now for volleyball. Boys and girls basketball find ways to share the gym during winter, volleyball could do the same during spring. Volleyball matches go fast too. In fact you could have the boys and girls programs be home on the same day. Example boys sophomore 4:30, boys varsity 5:30, girls sophomore 6:30, girls varsity 7:30. Basketball regularly has start times that late in the winter, volleyball could in the spring. Track use the track when games arent going on and field event people find green spaces on campus somewhere. Its not ideal, but it could work. The last thing I'll say is some athletes will have to make choices on which sport to play because sports are now conflicting with each other that normally wouldn't.
Saving Fall Sports
- Thread starter MunyonMustGo
- Start date
I just don’t see it being able to happen. A sport you didn’t mention is LAX, which has boys and girls both playing in the spring, and is the largest user of field space. Additionally, many school campuses use field space for different sports during different season. For example, the outfield of the softball field has the fence removed and is the freshman soccer field during the fall.
Everyone likes to say a kid will have to choose, but what about the coaches? Many of them also coach sports in the spring - Baseball, track, LAX. It just wouldn’t work for every school.
Everyone likes to say a kid will have to choose, but what about the coaches? Many of them also coach sports in the spring - Baseball, track, LAX. It just wouldn’t work for every school.
How many Lacrosse programs are out there in the IHSA? As for coaches, they will have to make a choice too. Everyone needs to realize we aren't going to get what we want and compromise to an extent.
I don't like the idea of combining fall and spring sports either and I don't think it should be done. Way too much confusion and problems. Tell people right now that this isn't going to happen and let's see if there is a greater push to open schools in the fall. I suspect there might be.
I’ve just come to the conclusion that Football will be played....in March. To many if’s right now...hell the President of the SEC said yesterday it’s too big a risk. I don’t want Spring but I’ll take Spring.
I just want a definitive plan and then let the chips fall where they may.
Girls soccer is regularly in the spring what do they do with the softball fence during a normal year?
I knew I forgot something for LAX if not enough space on campus the rental of community parks. Rental of community parks would be an option for other sports depending on the high school and community situation. Again I know its not ideal but it gives all the sports a chance.
Another idea I had was to open up Sundays for games and matches.
Spring is prime time for club volleyball for girls- if high school volleyball is not played in fall probably will not be played
I assume other sports where club is as important or more important than the high school season may be in same situation.
I assume other sports where club is as important or more important than the high school season may be in same situation.
If I know anything about Club sports it's that they will adapt and find a way to create new seasons and revenue streams.
Agree. Let's just eliminate the uncertainty and make a firm decision, for the sake of everyone involved.
LAX and Baseball all get recruited from their club and travel teams, playing high school is just more playing time. Football does not have that option. I’d feel bad for the coaches but the players that participate can still play through travel/Club. Plus I think baseball will be moved to the Fall...
In my scenario there were no fall sports and moving to spring was a way to save them.
It is not possible to play fall and spring all at the exact same time. There is no space and lack of coaches would be a major issue. Best bet would be March/April with varsity playoffs going into May. Spring going May/June going into beginning of July. No summer contact for fall sports but start practice first week of August.
I'm well aware, this is the first summer I haven't travelled the country for baseball in several years.
You are right - girls soccer is normally a spring sport. The field is used for lower level boys in the fall, then the fence is put up for softball. The other side of the field is the JV Softball field.
Yes, I've acknowledged its not ideal. I've come up with solutions for problems that I thought may occur. Now, I'm asking for your view on what problems may occur. Maybe, I have solutions for those. Instead of saying there are problems and not trying to problem solve from the start. I thought that's how discussions work. I ask a question after you reply to my post and you answer then I'll either have a solution or answer or I say good point.
I think it's already been said. Baseball really won't work as a fall sport. It will be hard to complete games at the end of the season because it doesn't stay light long enough. I do think the weather is better for it in the fall, however. But, it could be done if the season started, say August 1st and playoff play concluded by the middle of October. For instance, sunset for October 15, 2020 is scheduled for 6:10 PM in the Joliet area.
With all these sports going on at once I doubt many schools would be able to field Freshman teams and most freshman would play up on Sophomore or JV.
I don't see anything on the IHSA website giving exact numbers - but there are at least enough Lacrosse schools to make it a Varsity sport for both Boys and Girls. Which means a high number across the state have to offer it.
I took a look at the bracket from last year, assuming everyone get in the tourney, there are about 100-125 programs (boys), mostly co-ops and big schools and around 60 girls programs.
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I personally think you are going to have far more kids and sports competing for indoor space until they can get outside. They do play volleyball in the fall and spring, but boys and girls don't play at the same time. More kids right there. Baseball and football are outdoor sports, but would use indoor facilities until tney could get outside. Then what do you do with those guys when you have inclimate weather? There is always a period in the spring when it rains for a week or 10 days straight, or when the weather simply isn't cooperating. You can't ask the baseball team to take 10 days off and you don't want to interrupt indoor sports either.
I think because of the volume of people, it presents more challenges that can be handled. I don't know how you handle coaches who work in the fall and spring. Then, you have kids having to make a choice between two sports. I am so glad my kids never had to face that.
Maybe some schools could pull it off. But, I suspect, the majority of them can't for multiple reasons.
yes, there will be plenty of issues, but I know the schools athletic departments will do everything they can to make it work.
You can't play 15-18 sports all at once and make it work. In actuality it is 40-50 teams.
I don't anticipate them running 15-18 sports at a time, however, whatever the plan is, the coaches and athletic staff are going to find a way.
Most LAX officials are also football officials. LAX pays officials more than football officials for half the time spent. And 30% of the aging officiating population says they may not work in an infectious environment. Those are decisions to consider also.
I am sure they will and it isn't an easy problem. But, it is never reassuring to hear "we are doing all we can" I want results, results, RESULTS!! LOL!
Need a plan and a directive before schools can decide how to tackle what they are allowed to do.
You happened to forget a couple sports. What about tennis? Does girls tennis move to the spring? If so, how many schools have enough court space for boys and girls freshman, sophomore/JV and varsity teams to practice at the same time? Not a huge amount of schools have badminton, but that's also a sport that shares court time with other sports in the spring. Are you moving girls swimming to the spring too? A good amount of those kids play water polo, which is a spring sport.
Maybe I'm giving the powers that be too much of the benefit of the doubt, but I have to believe they will leave the sports that make sense and do not conflicts with others alone. That being said, it may be a great year to compete on the Bass Fishing Team.
Oh I'm with ya there, that I hope they'd do that as well. But some of the decisions the IHSA has made in the past or makes yearly like with sectional assignments, etc. is baffling so it wouldn't shock me
I'm moving all fall sports to spring. This was under the assumption fall sports get cancelled.
