Prep sports: New CIF calendar

By Ed Piper

Diego Solis finishing football for La Jolla at the beginning of April 2021, with his Vikings basketball teammates Christian Gamboa and Max Raulston already playing official games in March.

My mind started to work over the possibilities, upon reading the state CIF office's announcement this morning (July 20) that, as expected, fall high school sports will be postponed until at least December, and probably into January 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CIF, the prep sports organization, is going to allow student athletes to play for their club teams as well as school teams, a break from the rule established a couple of years ago to limit the chaos that was wrought upon both school teams and those independent of educational institutions.

That freedom will allow folks like Nathaniel Gates, who has gone on from LJHS to Stanford to play volleyball there--if the 6'8" star middle were still in high school--to compete both ways simultaneously. Thus, the better for college prospects.

Such a situation will present itself because for the 2020-2021 school year only, CIF is grouping all three sports seasons (fall, winter, and spring) into only two divisions--fall and spring. Those athletes like Gates in volleyball, and several of our male and female soccer players, among others, won't have to decide between club or school team, and can play for both at the same time if they choose.

This doesn't present itself quite the same way in basketball, which is governed by AAU teams in the non-school category. Solis, mentioned above, plays for school teams only--football and basketball. But he and football/basketball teammate Luke Brunette will be faced with "doubling" decisions as well: Will they play both sports, which schools may try to help them do if they so desire? (Issues of flexibility on practice/game schedule conflicts will come up, but more importantly self-care and protection from injury will exist--not even to mention COVID-19 exposure dangers).

Folks, the pandemic is real, despite what pandemic deniers are saying. The coronavirus is not just the flu, and it is not just going to go away if the media stops reporting the now-140,000 deaths in the U.S.

The virus wins out. By that, I mean it's like having severe back trouble (which I've had and have). You can make all the plans you want, but the stabbing pains in your back will actually determine which, if any, of those plans come to fruition.

By analogy, the novel coronavirus. CIF and the coaches and administration at La Jolla High can make all the contingency plans they want, but, as they know well, none of that is realized unless the pandemic allows it.

The way I look at it, as a retired public school teacher now substitute-teaching (but not presently substitute-teaching, because campuses are closed), the school year 2020-2021 is already a make-it-up-as-you-go proposition. We don't know if students will be able to return to classrooms in fall 2020, with distance learning already announced by San Diego City Schools for the start of classes.

Then, in view of the surging numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, we'll have to wait and see if the spring semester will be more of the same as this past spring: distance learning only, or, hopefully, some if not all students returning to classrooms at least part of the semester.

What's kind of fun, to break the monotony and discouragement of the COVID restrictions now going into their fifth month since Friday the 13th, March 13 when the announcement was made that classes were suspended, is to think of the possible scenarios of sports and athletes following CIF's announcement this morning.

Basketball and baseball are going to go on at the same time in March-May 2021. I'm picturing the wheels moving in Viking head baseball coach Gary Frank's mind: Luke Brunette plays first base and pitches. He's a three-sport guy.

Imagine the old days when LJHS boys volleyball coach Dave Jones ran both the boys and the girls programs. The new CIF calendar plots both sports at the same time, January-March 2021. How do you coach both? Who gets the practice floor at what time in finite athletic facilities? Wow, what a scheduling challenge.

Girls and boys soccer are both made "spring" sports this coming school year only. Imagine coaches who run both teams at some schools. Both genders of tennis were put in the spring group, as well. Golf, ditto. Aaron Quesnell, Vikings golf coach for both programs, what are you thinking? And his assistant coach, Christie Quinn, same deal.

Amanda Combs Warford coaching field hockey stays in the "fall" category (Jan.-March 2021), while Kitty Cullen and Sam Farrell coaching girls soccer are somewhat separated in the "spring" season of sports (March-May)--though some athletes play both sports.

I hadn't even thought of water polo. Both girls and boys teams were plopped in the "fall" sports season, so Tom Atwell and Amy Jennings will have to work out practice and game scheduling.