How COVID-19 affects football

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the sports world, forcing everything in the spring to be canceled or postponed. The Georgia High School Association school closure deadline extends until April 24, for now. That deadline nearly nullifies all spring athletics, and now it’s beginning to affect what’s king in the South, football.

The first regular season game isn’t until August, but the work football teams put in to prepare for the season starts in the spring.

Spring workouts and practice is significant in the world of football from high school to the pros. Time in the weight room and the field is currently on hold after the GHSA emphasized all member schools to suspend all practices and contests until April 24.

Teams are losing out on imperative work that’s traditional in football. Spring is where teams implement new game plans, and gives athletes more opportunities to showcase their talent for college recruiters.

High school coaches are left with nothing but a deadline right now, and can’t do much until then but wait and plan for when they do get back on the field.

“It’s going to different,” said Northside Football Head Coach Chad Alligood about COVID-19 impacting football. “But all teams are having to deal with the same issues. It’s going to come down to organization and having a detailed plan when we are able to get with our players again. You can’t make up all the missed time, you’re just going to have to be very efficient with the time you get and keep things simple.”

Spring is essential for coaches because they get an early look at where their team is and what they need to get better. They’re missing out on evaluation time to decide who will start, who will replace the graduated seniors, and what schemes they’ll implement around them.

Players are losing out on weight training that’s essential in football. Football players are like warriors, and the weight room is where they sharpen their sword and strengthen their armor; where they first get ready for battle.

Athletes are also robbed of the joy spring ball brings. They’re reunited with coaches, teammates, and are back playing in pads for the first time since November or December.

Spring scrimmages are also jeopardized because of the pandemic. Scrimmages let coaches and players to simulate a game early in the year so they can analyze where they are. Players can go full game speed and have time to get healthy before the regular season. Practices in April typically lead up to scrimmage games in May, now that time has shortened significantly.

If teams fail to comply with the GHSA’s no practice orders, the violating school can receive a $500-$2,500 fine for holding an illegal practice and could receive more.

From the looks of the pandemic situation, teams will need to substitute traditional spring practice with something else. The April 24 deadline isn’t concrete, and is subject to another likely extension.

It’s unknown when this will end, and there’s no telling how much this will affect football season.

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