The high school sports season should have been on the brink of kicking into full gear this week.
Instead, we don't know when we will get any kicks, first pitches, shots off the tee, serves or sprints out of the starting blocks.
Not that any possible resumption of high school sports should be high on anyone's priority list. But this is a sports column - most of the time, anyway.
Area schools are currently scheduled to be back in session no earlier than Monday, April 6. I reached out to people last week to see if they had any idea how the delayed start would possibly change the schedules that were in place.
The answers were unanimous - nobody knew. And they shouldn't, it was a dumb question. Again, low priority.
But when/if high school sports resume, the more individual sports such as golf and tennis should be able to get going again rather quickly. The team sports - baseball and soccer - will need a little more time.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association said it intends to hold state championships in spring sports this season. Under the current schedule, baseball is the last sport that will have a championship, that being in mid-June. There's no reason to think the other spring sports couldn't push back their championships into June, if that's what they want to do.
But for now, we're in a holding pattern.
Friday, I should have written about the program opener for Capital City girls soccer and Greg Jackson should have been in Springfield as the Helias Crusaders wrapped up the boys basketball season in the Class 4 Final Four. Saturday, I should have been at the Crusader Athletic Complex as the Helias Lady Crusaders started their soccer season.
There are going to be a lot of "should have beens" in the next few weeks. But if calling off schools, practices and games plays any role in limiting the spread of COVID-19, I think we can all deal with a lot of "should have beens."
III
The high school basketball landscape changed a little bit this week as three area head coaches stepped down from their respective positions.
On the girls side, Alan Lepper at Helias and Darren Heckman at Blair Oaks announced they decided not to return. Dillon Tenholder is leaving after three seasons leading the St. Elizabeth boys to trips to the Class 1 Final Four the last two seasons.
Tenholder is the only one who said he intends to remain in coaching. With his success with the Hornets, it shouldn't be long before he lands another position.
As for Lepper and Heckman, they were coaching at their alma maters. I have no doubt that made coaching the Lady Crusaders and Lady Falcons a little extra special.
Getting them back on the sideline might be a little more difficult. I don't expect either will be a high school head coach next season. But I have no doubt if they wanted to get back into coaching, there would be schools ready to reach out to them. I wouldn't be surprised if some already have done it.
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