They are good problems to have, but they are still problems.
It looks like we might have high school sports for the first time in more than a year. Non-contact sports such as tennis and cross country started this week. Baseball, softball, badminton, lacrosse, soccer, track and volleyball look to be on schedule to begin April 12.
The big one, football, got the green flag to begin preparation for a shortened season this week.
Only basketball and wrestling have yet to be addressed, and it is possible that basketball may yet be played in some kind of outdoor format.
But, even as athletes, coaches and parents are cheering, school administrators are trying to figure out how to make it all happen. Pushing an entire sports school year into three months brings up enough logistical problems to challenge a General Eisenhower.
Schedules shouldn’t be too big a headache for either Petaluma or Casa Grande. Both are facing abbreviated seasons in almost all sports, and will pretty much be confined to league schedules. The Vine Valley Athletic League did a good job putting together schedules for Season 1 in the two-season school year, and, with some sound thinking and a functional computer program, can figure out how to design schedules for Season 2 sports. The VVAL football schedule is already completed.
More problematic is field space. Both Petaluma High and St. Vincent have limited turf (grass or synthetic) space. By glancing at the list of sports, it would seem that practice and game space can be found, but remember, most sports have two, some three, teams when you include junior varsity and freshmen.
Another major problem could be officials. Many officials work multiple sports. It is going to be difficult to cover baseball, softball and football during the same season, and the problem will really compound if basketball is allowed to be played, even outdoors.
What do you do about spectators? That has yet to be determined, but it is more probable than possible that no spectators will be allowed.
The big problem is, of course, transportation. The state has mandated that no more than 15 athletes will be allowed in a bus and suggested that only immediate family members travel in a singular vehicle. More on this later because it could be a major problem.
It will take ingenuity, patience and perseverance, but the challenges are minor compared to what players, coaches and parents have already been through. They are the fading clouds of one of the most stormy sports years ever.
What cannot be overcome is another spike in COVID-19 cases. It is great to have athletes back on the fields and courts, but we still have to be vigilant to keep them there, and more importantly, to keep the players healthy and continue saving lives.
(Contact John Jackson at johnie.jackson@arguscourier.com)