Marysville third baseman Leah Potter makes a tag on a base runner during a game from the 2019 season. Potter, a senior, is like all other spring sports athletes across the state who have seen their 2020 season canceled due to the coronavirus. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
“This is devastating for the kids… especially the seniors.”
Those were the words of Marysville High School athletic director Joey Day when he spoke to the Journal-Tribune Monday evening.
Day’s reaction came several hours after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced schools throughout the state will remain closed for the rest of the academic year.
That closure has prompted the cancellation of the 2020 spring sports season.
Schools have been shuttered since the middle of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor had previously established a couple of dates for the possible re-opening of schools.
The latest date was May 1, but DeWine’s announcement on Monday squelched that possibility.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association postponed and later canceled the remainder of winter sports tournaments in boys and girls basketball, wrestling and ice hockey.
The organization at first postponed the start of spring sports to coincide with the governor’s school closure dates.
The OHSAA, however, stated spring sports would be canceled if schools remained closed.
The organization had not made an official announcement through any social media by the Journal-Tribune’s press time today.
“I feel badly the seniors have lost their final high school sports season this spring,” said Day. “It’s heart-breaking, but it’s nothing we can control.
“This is how it is,” he said. “We just have to get through this the best we can.”
Day said there are several Marysville High School senior athletes who will be signing to continue their careers on the collegiate level.
Under normal circumstances, those signings have been a celebration at the school in front of family, friends, coaches and classmates.
The social distancing mandate associated with COVID-19 forbids that type of celebration.
“I’m not sure just how many seniors we have who will be signing with colleges,” said Day. “We’re looking at possibly holding some type of virtual signing ceremony for them.”
The athletic director addressed the matter of financial compensation for 2020 spring sports coaches.
“A final decision on this has not been made by the district at this time,” he said. “Spring coaches have already received a partial (payment) installment that was scheduled earlier in the year.
“We know the efforts that our coaches put in year- round to help their student- athletes, so we are working to make sure they are taken care of.”
Day said event contracts with opposing schools run on one or two-year cycles.
Fall and winter sports schedules have pretty much been established for 2020-21.
“Right now, we’re working on finalizing spring sports contracts for 2021,” said Day.
Day talked briefly about the 2020 fall sports season.
“It’s hard to say right now what fall sports will look like and how they will play out,” he said. “This is such a fluid situation.”