In this file photo, Madison Amstutz of North Union checks her swing during a 2018 Division III state semi-finals softball game at Akron Firestone Stadium. Amstutz is a senior on this year’s Lady Cats team. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
With the 2020 high school spring sports season cancelled coaches start to think about the season they could have had.
Sports have been on unsure footing sense the outbreak of the coronavirus back in early March, but that doesn’t mean athletes haven’t been putting in the work.
North Union head softball coach Dawn Draper said her team was trying to do things differently this season.
“We started working out back in November,” Draper said. “We were doing yoga together.”
But after only two weeks of practice, teams had to go there separate ways after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine closed schools for three weeks. Ohio School Athletic Association Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass followed with a no-contact order preventing coach interaction with athletes.
Draper said the news was a blow, but the team wanted to keep themselves sharp for a season that could potentially still happen.
“Before we left the last thing they (the team) said to me was ‘we are now responsible for ourselves,’” Draper said.
Draper divided up equipment amongst players and set them on their way. According to Draper her players were working on their pitching, hitting and strength in hopes of coming back.
“I was hitting at home in the garage,” said senior pitcher Madison Amstutz. “Doing arm band exercises to try and keep my shoulder strength.”
The no-contact period also allowed for other players to rehabilitate from injuries and surgeries that happened before the season.
“Candace (Holloway) had shoulder surgery and was only able to throw under hand before all of this happened, “ Draper said.
Coaches have to adhere to the no-contact order, which does not allow group exercises of any kind, not even player led, according to the OHSAA rule. But what coaches can do is meet with their players virtually.
Draper has been using video teleconferencing apps to hold weekly meetings with her team, where she checks in on her player’s condition.
“We would talk every week to make sure everyone was still practicing,” Amstutz said. “We (the players) would text to keep everyone focused and keep practicing hard in hopes that we would come back.”
Draper said softball wasn’t the only thing she wanted to check on when contacting her players.
“We chat not only about softball, but what else they are doing during the stay at home order,” Draper said. “I got to see Candace throw for the first time over hand and her motion gave me goose bumps,”
All of the work and virtual meet ups were in anticipation for a hopeful return May 9. The season would have been condensed down to 21 days and a state tournament was scheduled to conclude June 27.
“If we came back I wouldn’t have been worried,” Draper added. “I know the commitment from my girls. It would have been an easy transition.”
All of that was until Monday when DeWine kept school’s closed for the remainder of the year. Snodgrass followed up on Tuesday by officially cancelling the 2020 spring sports seasons.
Amstutz said she had been keeping up with the news and knew a return didn’t look bright.
“Hearing it officially was the hardest thing,” she added. “It was so heart breaking.”
The cancellation wasn’t a complete shock for Draper either, but the outcome was still difficult to deal with.
“We knew DeWine was going to rip the Band-Aid off eventually,” she added. “I didn’t know what to do at first.”
Draper said she had parents texting her during DeWine’s daily press conference after he announced schools were closed.
“I didn’t know how to respond,” she added.
But eventually she did. Draper contacted her team to let them know the news that their season was over for 2020 before it even started.
“I didn’t get a single response back and that worried me,” Draper said.
Even though her team may not be playing any games this year, Draper said she is still their coach and will continue to hold weekly video conferences with her team.
“Even if we talk about nothing just to laugh with them, I miss that.” Draper said.
Now coaches around the league are trying to figure out what they do for awards, banquets and varsity letters.
“They deserve some recognition,” Draper said. “We have put time in season.”
Though it was Amstutz’s final season as a Lady Cat her softball career isn’t over. She will continue at the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima.
“It was upsetting that this was my last high school year, but knowing that I get to go on to play, it was bittersweet,” she said.
In this file photo, North Union head coach Dawn Draper meets with Kenna Ruhl at second base during a timeout in a game at Buckeye Valley. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)