The fate of Samo sports
By Riya Khatod, Staff Writer
All high school sports at Samo are currently cancelled due to COVID-19. CIF has released fall, winter and spring sport schedules.
This year, fall, winter and spring sports are scheduled to be played during the winter and spring months, but will be referred to as the fall season and spring season. Fall sports such as cross country, football, girls’ volleyball, boys’ water polo and girls’ tennis along with one spring sport, boys’ volleyball, are scheduled for winter months, which is now the “fall season”, joining winter sports, including girls’ water polo and boys’ and girls’ soccer.
In order to accommodate the fall sports teams, a variety of winter teams are also switching to the spring season. Boys’ and girls’ basketball and girls’ wrestling are planned to be played in the spring, along with girls’ golf, whose season traditionally takes place in the fall. All other sports, boys’ baseball, boys’ golf, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, boys’ and girls’ swimming, boys’ and girls’ track, boys’ tennis and girls’ softball, are scheduled for their usual spring season. Before games, teams must reacquaint with each other through practice, and according to athletic director Evan Fujinaga, team practice schedules are still up in the air. Luckily for athletes, there is a districtwide committee that has begun to consider how on-campus sports would return.
“I do not [know when practices will return], but might know more this week. Given the national news in the last couple days I don’t know how that will impact the decision-making process at the district level,” Fujinaga said.
Currently, certain sports that are scheduled to begin their season first, including football, are expected to begin practicing soon and coaches have been given certain guidelines surrounding resuming practice. Each sport must create their own practice plans that will be approved if they adhere to the county’s and school district’s guidelines before a team is able to practice in-person. Furthermore, teams will be split into “pods” that consist of up to 12 athletes per sport practicing together at a time.
Samo athletes, such as varsity girls soccer player Sydney Forsyth (’23), although excited, are also doubtful about the upcoming seasons. Over the past six months they have been told time and time again that they would be unable to play due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I’m very hopeful and excited, but also skeptical. I'm obviously really hoping for a season, but everything just seems to keep getting pushed back,” Forsyth said.
Athletes and coaches are ready and excited to return to play, however safety must be the top priority. Athletes can only hope that sports scheduled for the winter and spring months will be able to play in their respective seasons.
