Like the rest of the country, Midwest high school lacrosse is in a holding pattern because of the coronavirus outbreak.
And it isn’t easy.
Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) boys coach Dave Wilson went with a Tom Petty song to describe the current situation.
“The waiting is the hardest part,” he quoted.
His players will have to wait a while, at least until April 5, as the Michigan High School Athletic Association has “directed all member schools to suspend activities in all sports for all seasons” starting March 16. That includes practices, scrimmages and competitions.
“The kids are antsy and are trying to organize captain's practices,” Wilson wrote in an email. “Not that we would agree with gathering, but it's hard to control what they do at home.”
To that end, Wilson has tried to convince his players to stay home by offering drills from Duke great Deemer Class that they can do on their own.
New Trier (Ill.) girls coach Pete Collins has similarly turned to the web.
“We have an online platform that I am using to send out individual workouts, video clips, stickwork routines, etc,” Collins wrote in an email. “We are encouraging our students to be healthy and safe, get in a routine, hydrate, avoid sugar and processed foods, get in a workout and support each other, especially the seniors.”
The Illinois High School Association has not only prohibited organized team activities but asked athletes to refrain from any sort of gatherings.
“During this time of mandated closure, the IHSA does not believe it is necessary or prudent for any number of students to gather for workouts, regardless of how those students gather or whether any IHSA rule is broken by said gathering,” the Illinois High School Association wrote in a statement. “That includes informal/player-led practices or any type of instructional session.”
But of course, online platforms can’t replicate the in-person magic of lacrosse. That’s the hardest part, according to Missouri-based Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School (MICDS) boys coach Andy Kay.
“I don’t actually care about the X’s and O’s right now,” Kay said. “These guys are going to have to cope with not being in the locker room and not carrying on a lot of really cool traditions that have been laid out before them that they’ve been really excited to take the lead on. I don’t know how many of them care about anything other than being together with their friends, and that’s what high school lacrosse is all about, and unfortunately that’s the void that will be left for them.”
Making it harder was the promise that the Rams had shown in moving to 2-0 with a 15-3 victory over DeSmet (Mo.) prior to games being called off due to COVID-19.
“I was just so encouraged by watching the level of discipline that was executed on the field with a team that didn't have any superstars and just watching that group of guys,” Kay said. “They got it. I walked off that field just feeling like, ‘Man, this team, we’re not going to have a bunch of rock stars, but they’re going to win a state championship.’ That’s just what I felt.”
MICDS played its last game Thursday, but the Missouri State High School Athletics Association already was putting limitations on spectators at winter sports championship events, and it appeared only a matter of time before a decision would be made on spring sports.
The association issued a statement Monday saying it was following the CDC’s recommendations to postpone events for eight weeks.
“Immediately after the mental side of managing the game wore away, it was like, ‘Man, I don’t think I’m actually going to get to see this team play in a state championship with all the things that are happening,’” Kay said. “Our current situation is schools are out until April 3, and obviously I think everybody wants to remain positive about that, but I think if I’m being realistic about it, it's appropriate to start really thinking about what do we do if these boys don’t have this opportunity to finish.”
The dates differ. The exact terms of the restrictions differ. The story is generally the same.
In Minnesota, coaches and directors may not have in-person contact with players, require groups of players to gather or suggest or support captain’s practices or open gyms among a number of restricted activities between March 18 and March 27. They can, on the other hand, connect with players via technology and offer optional workouts.
In Ohio, a mandatory no-contact period is in effect from March 17 through April 5, during which all “facilities used for the purpose of conducting athletics activities” must be shut down. Tentatively, practices are allowed to resume April 6 with scrimmages and games permitted to begin April 11, but the Ohio High School Athletic Association adds that “since the current situation is rapidly changing, any of these may need to be adjusted.”
In Indiana, the Indiana High School Lacrosse Association (IHSLA) and Indiana Girls Lacrosse Association (INGLA) have suspended all games through April 13.
Back in Missouri, Kay suspects the delay might well be longer or that the season might never resume.
Ironically, he said, there may be greater lessons learned in that than anything.
“I do think that the lessons that they learn from this are going to be actually probably more profound than the lessons that we could have taught on the field,” Kay said. “These boys are going to have to learn to be selfless in ways that extend well beyond the lines. They’re going to have to really be patient, they’re going to have to learn to deal with conflict in close quarters with people that they love in their own family, they’re going to have to be stewards in their communities and they're going to have to be socially responsible. They have a real opportunity to play a role in this.”