SOL baseball teams hold out hope for shortened season
Suburban One League baseball coaches haven’t seen their players since the middle of last week. As schools shut down due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the teams are forced off the field.
There is a lot of uncertainty if or when schools and sports will return to normal.
Area coaches agree that sports are a secondary matter in relation to the coronavirus, but also note how important they can be.
“This whole situation is devastating in a lot of ways and creating a lot of chaos for everybody,” Hatboro-Horsham head coach Pete Moore said. “I understand baseball or any other high school spring sport is a very small part of what we’re facing right now, but the reality is it’s a huge part of kids’ lives and coaches’ lives. It’s just one thing that’s been changed and one of the things we’re all trying to process right now.
“Once things calm down, any sort of normalcy we can give to our kids I think would be good for them to get back to things they’re used to. Even if it’s a shortened season, just to be back into the routines they’re used to I think would be good for everybody. Sports plays such a large part in our world in terms of everyday routines and what kids are accustomed to doing day-in and day-out. If we get back into school, it would be great to give the kids an opportunity to continue with the routine that they’re used to.”
“As a coach you know how much sports mean to these kids,” Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Chris Manero said. “You know how much baseball means to them. That’s powerful as a coach to see that, to see how much it’s hit them to not have that, or the fear of maybe not having that, you really see how much it means to them. It’s nice in a way to see kids care so much about something and be so passionate about it, but at the same time as a coach it devastates you a bit to see how upset they are.”
The delayed or possibly cancelled season has a big impact on all coaches and players, especially the seniors.
“It definitely sucks,” Souderton senior shortstop Conlan Wall said. “I have a lot of things I was looking forward to this season. So far it’s still up in the air if we’re going to have it or not. Definitely looking forward to things like Senior Night and trying to get another state championship. It’s rough not knowing if that’s going to be able to happen.”
“Our three seniors have been fantastic leaders all offseason and preseason,” Upper Dublin head coach Ed Wall said. “They’ve done so much to get this group together. I really hope PIAA gives us a chance to get on the field and let them put all their efforts out there and have some fun playing baseball.”
Hatboro-Horsham’s 2020 roster features 13 seniors.
“I’ve never had 13 seniors,” Moore said. “It’s just a close-knit group of guys. They’re constantly with each other and they’re a big part of my life. My kids talk about those kids that are my players. We were looking forward to spending a lot of time together this year and hoping to make a real good run with the talent that we have. I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me.”
Conlan Wall is committed to play college baseball at St. Joseph’s University next year. Other upperclassmen were counting on this season as a final opportunity to extend their careers.
“I think there are three kids committed to colleges in our senior class,” Conlan Wall said. “I know there are still a few kids that want to play in college. They’re kind of relying on this.”
While the NCAA cancelled spring sports, the PIAA hasn’t made that decision yet. Coaches hope that a shortened season can still be the result.
“There’s a chance that in the end cancelling is what’s best for everything that’s going on,” Moore said. “My hope would be that it’s not a decision that’s rushed into and they allow time for everything to play out. In the end, you have to trust the people that are put in position to make decisions that are in the best interest of everybody.”
“The hope is still that we will be back in school and we’ll have some kind of season,” Manero said. “That’s an optimistic stance. It helps to keep the optimism and say, ‘I’m going to be ready to go as soon as we come back because we’re coming back at some point.’ That only happens if everyone follows the instructions that they’re given. If everybody ignores all these suggestions it’s not going to get any better. If everyone follows them, maybe we can get our lives back sooner than later.
“As a coach, we just have to trust that (the PIAA) is going to do what’s best for everybody. It might not seem like this for the kids, but there are far bigger things to be concerned about right now than sports. We have to let all these governing bodies – whether it’s the state, the school districts, the PIAA – I think we have to all let them do their job and trust that they’ll do what’s best for everybody.”
Coaches aren’t allowed to see their guys during this time and don’t want to see months of work go to waste in the weeks before a shortened season hopefully starts.
“It’s tough because you can’t do it in groups,” Manero said. “Most important priority No. 1 is to follow all the protocols and all the instructions they’re given in terms of social interaction. No. 2 is to have that self-discipline to get up in the morning, get yourself moving, get outside, do things, stay in shape.”
“I just sent out an eight-week speed improvement plan for running,” Ed Wall said. “I’m putting together a little throwing program now. I don’t know how long we’re going to be out. It would be a crime to let all that we’ve been working for for the last six, seven months just fall to pieces in a couple weeks here. I’m just trying to stay in touch with (the players) and keep sending them stuff, keep feeding them ideas, things to read, things to do, ways to stay busy.”
Souderton is the defending PIAA-6A state and SOL Continental champion. Plymouth Whitemarsh won the SOL American last year and Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Dublin followed in second and third.
