Now that
graduation has been completed for the 2019-20 school year at Xavier Prep, the
attention is turning toward 2020-21, and all that will go with it.
A
significant piece of the puzzle will be the school’s outstanding athletics
program.
Officials
from the school and the Diocese of Phoenix, along with guidelines for return to
activity from the Arizona Interscholastic Association, will figure prominently
in what happens next as the COVID-19 virus continues to affect all walks of
life.
And exactly
what will happen? We just don’t know, to be honest. Many ideas continue to be
tossed around among the XCP sports hierarchy, athletic trainers and medical
personnel, coaches and various other staff members.
A meeting
for fall sports coaches and others on Wednesday (June 17) followed approval of
guidelines by the Diocese that closely mirrored those from the AIA.
Fall sports
coaches are awaiting approval from the Diocese to have open gyms and fields
(dates TBA), with that leading to fall tryouts in early August as preseason
practices officially begin in preparation for the regular season that likely
would start in late August/early September.
The fall
sports ledger lists badminton, cross country, freshman tennis, golf, swim/dive,
the club sport of mountain biking and spirit line activities. Crew (rowing) and
the Hotshots shooting and archery groups also participate in club competition.
Each coach
must submit a proposal plan that lists the best way(s) for their sport to
succeed in both daily practices and games. Some paperwork filled out by the
athletes and/or their parents also likely will figure into the mix.
“This uptick
(in virus numbers across the state), has us, particularly indoor sports
(volleyball and badminton) watching and waiting,’’ said Xavier Athletic Director
and co-head golf coach Sr. Lynn Winsor.
“As an
athletic office, we are taking a conservative path into starting open gym/open
field.’’
“We are
waiting for that green light,’’ said Lamar-Renee Bryant, whose volleyball
program is one of the best in the state on a yearly basis.
Bryant also
coaches a summer club team in the southeast Valley that had a practice on
Monday (June 22) in Tempe. The coach said her players were in small groups for
the most part and all wore masks.
That is
expected to be a way of life for volleyball, at least in the immediate future
as masks and distancing as much as possible are key elements. Badminton and
volleyball are the only fall sports that practice and/or face other schools
during the regular season in the Activity Center or at next-door Vestar Hall.
That leaves
cross country, freshman tennis, golf and swim/dive as the outdoor sports, which
already have some distancing built into their competition.
The
cross-country runners might be the first to go out. Coach Dave Van Sickle has
held informal workouts early on summer mornings in the past and his runners are
ready. During competition, the runners mostly start in a large group, but
things stretch out over the course that usually is around 3 miles.
Divers can
work in safe intervals and the swimmers compete in one lane per swimmer
(including relays, where no two athletes are in a lane at the same time).
Swimming coaches are consulting with their colleagues at neighboring Brophy
Prep, with its pool serving as the home location for both schools.
Long-time
Xavier teacher, coach and administrator Susan Contreras participated in last
week’s meeting and said that XCP head athletic trainer Laurie White and school
nurse Cara Gillem are playing big roles in the process.
“They
explained just about everything and it was very informative,’’ Contreras said.
“They let us what we need to know in this situation.’’
Wading
through the fact-gathering process can be a daunting task.
“Overwhelming,’’
Contreras said. “There’s so much information out there and a lot of it seems to
change daily.’’
The AIA
guidelines were put together by the Sport Medical Advisory Committee.
According to
the AIA, “The challenge is to reintroduce
physical activity in a manner that follows federal, state and county public health
guidelines to reduce the spread of illness amongst athletes, coaches, athletic
training staff and community.’’
The process
will involve three phases. When one has been completed, there is a move to the
next phase and then the final phase.
The trick is
to get all school districts on the same page as much as possible, in order that
the athletes, coaches, staff and spectators can be protected. This includes a
cleaning and disinfecting protocol, between practices and the games between the
lower-level teams and the varsity. That should keep the maintenance staff and
others busy.
“We want to
be able to protect everyone, both home and away,’’ White said.
The AIA has 12 pages of
guidelines. For an in-depth look, go to azpreps365.com and click on the blue
ribbon across the top of the home page.
