High school football coaches weigh in on the possibility of losing spring training

The coronavirus pandemic already has put a halt to the Alabama high school spring sports season.

Although officials have said they will re-evaluate the situation in a few weeks, there is growing concern that sports will not be able to resume at any point in the near future.

In addition to ending the baseball, softball, soccer, track, golf and tennis seasons, that also would mean no spring football in 2020.

Is that a concern for high school coaches?

Here is what some coaches from around the state said about the possibility:

Steve Mask, St. Paul's Episcopal:

"I think it's something you can get back. I've always felt it was more meaningful for those guys who didn't play a lot in the previous year. You really focus on those guys in the spring, then you come back in the summer and worry about who you play with on Friday nights. If we don't have it, I think it would force us maybe to start a little earlier in the summer than we normally do – if we can – and try to make up for what we lose in strength and conditioning."

Scott Rials, recently approved head coach at Baldwin County High:

"It really gets you behind if you are at a new school. I think principal (Craig) Smith knew there was an urgency to get me in there, but now there is a coach in place but no players to work with. That hurts. Really, though, it takes a back seat to everyone's health concerns. It does put us behind some in just getting to know each other and letting them know what my expectations are."

Jeff Kelly, Saraland head coach:

"I think the steps the AHSAA has taken over the last several years with what we are allowed to do in the offseason and the summer makes spring less of an absolute necessity. What we are really looking for in the spring is who are the guys we can count on to play for us in the fall, who have had an outstanding offseason?

"I'm holding out hope we can resume spring sports and would love to be able to evaluate our kids, but I'm also reminded how trivial what we do day-to-day in sports is in comparison to what is happening in the world. Spring training is not super high on that priority list."

Caleb Ross, Prattville head coach:

"I think it all depends on how young a team you have. If you are a young team, it's a negative because you don't get to see those guys. If you are a more experienced team, it could be a positive because the other teams are getting less reps as well. I think on the offensive and defensive lines is where you would miss it the most. It's hard to tell much about those guys in shorts and t-shirts. If you don't have a chance to evaluate them in spring, you run the risk of not knowing if they are ready for the physical play in 7A."

Kenny King, Daphne head coach:

"Not having spring practice won't necessarily hurt. What will hurt is the fact that we don't have contact with those guys and can't work them out. That's the biggest problem. You have a team of 90 kids, and most won't have access to a weight room. Not only can they not come to the school, most of the gyms are shut down, too. They are sitting at home and may not be doing anything. We can and will send them programs and different things they can do but at the end of the day will they be disciplined enough to do it? I hope so."

Terry Curtis, UMS-Wright head coach:

"My problem with doing away with it is it is a good time to evaluate your rising eighth and ninth graders especially. The guys who are already there, who played a lot last year, they aren't doing much anyway. It's probably the most boring time of the sports season for them because we aren't going to let them get hurt in a spring practice. But for the young kids, it is good."

Mark Freeman, Thompson head coach:

"For us, it would be big. We put so much into spring. It's the only time of the year we go in full pads, and that is the way it has been for eight years. If someone gets hurt or something goes wrong, you have a few months to get over it. Those are contact days we won't be able to get back."

Stacy Luker, Clarke County head coach:

"For someone like us with young players, I would love to have a chance to see how much they have grown from the fall to the spring. We were really young last year, and we were excited about seeing them on the field. There is a proposal out there that would allow us to have an extra week of practice in the fall if we don't have spring. I hope that happens because it would be beneficial for young teams to have that week or to have spring before getting into the schedule."

AHSAA rules currently state that each school may hold spring practice any time during the second semester for a maximum of 10 days during any consecutive 20 school-day calendar period. That can include a spring jamboree or spring game in those 10 days. (Spring holidays not used for practice are not counted as calendar days.) Each school is permitted only one spring practice period per school year but may have a separate jamboree or regulation game for the senior and junior high/middle school teams.

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