Pandemic forces sports to surmount unique challenges

The four sports deemed safe enough to compete this fall face unique quirks.

Swim teams at a dual meet, each in their own pool.

Staggered starts to cross country meets.

Tennis players using individualized balls.

There is a common thread. They're happy to be here.

"Are things a little bit different? Absolutely," said Glenbrook South girls swim coach Kim Kiraly. "But it's better to have something as opposed to having nothing."

The one sport not mentioned above is golf, relatively unharmed by the coronavirus. Between the tee box and green social distancing is almost inherent.

Glenbrook North boys golf coach Justin Gerbich said initial Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois High School Association guidelines specified the use of face masks between shots. That recommendation has recently been rescinded.

With courses open over the summer and the Spartans returning seniors Kevin O'Regan and Sam Kogen, junior Carl Gustin and sophomores Jason Gordon and Robby O'Regan (Kevin's brother) from a 2019 Class 3A runner-up, "it wasn't like they missed a beat," Gerbich said.

Aside from no rakes in sand traps or removing pins, probably the greatest change for Spartans golfers was the inability to play on their home course at Sportsman's Country Club, under renovation. They're now at Willow Hill in Northbrook or chipping at Sportsman's par-3 course.

"It's been a good start. We haven't had any hiccups," Gerbich said.

Can't hiccup in a pool. That's trouble.

Also trouble, according to the powers that be, is Illinois prep swimmers competing in the three relay races. In theory, Glenbrook South's Kiraly said the four legs of an individual medley relay could be timed then added for a result.

Kiraly said swimmers are safer in the water than out, so this fall no swimmers will be lining walls waiting their turn. Starting blocks are disinfected between heats. Athletes and coaches on the deck wear masks when not in the water.

To enhance distancing, swimmers on opposing teams may start at opposite ends of the pool, Kiraly said.

"It's not unheard of in the world of swimming, but it is unique," she said.

Ramping up since the shortened fall season began Aug. 10 (it ends Oct. 24, likely at a regional or sectional level), the Titans girls team has its first meet Friday against New Trier. Both teams will swim at their own facilities with scoring done remotely, a practice followed throughout the Central Suburban League, Kiraly said.

"I think it's a very safe decision," she said.

"We are thrilled that we can have something."

Also something is the spectacle of cross country runners crammed shoulder to shoulder, charging from the start line. That can't happen when numbers are limited to a socially distant 50.

The Glenbrook South boys team has split-squad meets this Saturday, at Evanston and at Glenbrook North. Glenbrook South coach Kurt Hasenstein's plan is to send off 20 runners, pause a minute, then run 20 more.

"We wouldn't put any more than 40 kids or so on the course at the same time, to keep the spacing," he said.

Timing can be maintained by coaches or a third party manually or with fully automated timing, results tabulated later.

Hasenstein is less concerned about results than he is about getting athletes on the course, getting them cooled down in pods, and getting them off the course.

His main lament with 2020 cross country is the innate mentoring and camaraderie lost when, as with the girls team, the same athletes are in the same training groups to minimize risk of any virus transmission. He's had to manufacture post-practice discussions rather than see them occur naturally either in training runs or after practice.

Plus, with parents able to sign waivers allowing their children to drive themselves to meets, that bus bonding is gone. As of Monday, 70 of his 78 athletes (an increase of about 20) had signed that waiver.

"It's going to be different, for sure," Hasenstein said. "But I guess like everything else, you need these challenges to grow a little bit. Both the athletes and the coaches."

Athletic directors, too.

"If it weren't for the hours and hours the athletic directors have put in to make this season possible, we wouldn't have a season," said Glenbrook North girls tennis coach Peggy Holecek.

Along with those individualized tennis balls, identified with players' initials and kept in their own pockets when not in use, much of tennis protocol pertains to social distancing, particularly regarding their opponents.

Players, who wear masks until they step on the court, can't share food or water and, like all athletes, must submit to wellness checks.

In practice, ball hoppers are alternated and cleaned daily. In competition, there's a 12-person limit by school. In the dual-site New Trier Invitational at Glenbrook North there were no spectators; at New Trier, there were.

Holecek said she'd lay awake nights worrying about procedures to follow. She remains concerned about her players "protecting your bubble."

When she sees her girls in action those feelings vanish.

"All of it goes away for that two hours during practice and to see those girls loving to compete and play tennis," Holecek said.