Sports for Marshfield High School have been a little different this year. Fall sports, such as football and volleyball, will be starting mid-February. Spring sports will be starting around the end of March. beginning of April. Winter/spring sports, like swimming, should be starting in May and last until the end of the school year.
Volleyball this year is looking very different than in past years. Like most everything in day-to-day life, masks will be an essential piece of the puzzle. But, for many sports, traveling for games will be minimized.
“Our season is normally in the fall (August to November),” said MHS varsity volleyball coach Tammie Montiel. “We are unable to play indoors at this time, so we play outdoors on the football field against North Bend and Powers. Although it was not what we were used to or hoped for, it was a new experience for the girls, they got to get together and play volleyball.”
Since weather can be a factor when playing outdoors on the Oregon coast, it has made playing games more difficult.
“We are hoping that our real indoor season will start February 22nd,” said Montiel. “We will have been able to scrimmage Reedsport a couple of times over the last two weeks.”
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) COVID-19 regulations focus not only on player health and safety during active practice, but also during breaks. Guidelines also limit spectators.
“It takes constant reminders for the girls to try and remain six feet apart during drills and while waiting in line for water breaks,” Montiel said. “They want to be able to play however, so they are willing to try their best at these measures. We are also required to wear masks while in the gym. Social distancing is hard when it comes to games because multiple people will be going for the same ball sometimes. Keeping the masks in place over their nose and mouths is sometimes hard during long rallies as well because they slip.”
Playing any sport with a mask on is going to be hard, but the Marshfield volleyball team has pushed through and are still hoping to be able to play indoors soon.
Although students understand that the later start of sports is the safest way to do things, it is also hurting them. A lot of students look forward to going to games and having practices every night, and they can’t do those things right now.
“I would honestly much rather have sports at their regular seasons,” said junior Trent Summers. “Since we are getting a later start, it feels like the school is just cramming all the sports into spring which requires us to have shorter seasons.”
Oregon Governor Kate Brown held a press conference on Feb. 10 where she officially recognized that contact sports at Oregon high schools and colleges may resume with the amended schedule. She encouraged all athletes to set high standards in following COVID-19 safety protocols, both on and off the field, in the hopes that COVID-19 cases decrease across the state. If cases rise, she warns of canceling them altogether, once again.
“Since I only do track, I would say that it would’ve been safe starting at normal times,” Summers said. “But thinking about sports, like football and wrestling, where athletes are close together, I definitely think that it is much safer that we are starting later. I’m glad that we have any sports at all this year”
