Gov. David Ige’s announcement on Thursday to extend the COVID-19 safer-at-home lockdown to June 30 will make it more difficult to start the high school football season at its usual point.
That is, even if schools open their doors in August.
While the HHSAA works on starting dates that have are moving targets because of the unpredictability of the virus’ effects, coaches are expressing a willingness to be flexible. They are particularly concerned about preparation time that has been lost due to the lockdown and closure of schools and facilities.
“I would like the football season moved to spring,” Mililani coach Rod York said. “It gives us more time for a vaccine for (coronavirus). It also gives us more time to find info on it. Also, the second wave of COVID-19 will have occurred. It seems that would be much safer for all if we have a football season. We would also have more chance of spectators to attend games. Having a season without fans seems possible, but I know the kids would want their families to be there. I have been in games without the band and I can tell you the feeling is very different.
“Kids would have more time to prepare. Kids need time to prepare for a football season. Injuries would be sky high, I believe, if we only had a month to prepare together before a fall season. And extending the stay-at-home order to June 30 doesn’t help us have a proper and quality fall season. Spring season makes more sense, in my opinion,” York said. “But the big factor would be the other sports and activities. Soccer. Track. Band. They all use the football fields. Also, Title IX is a big issue.”
Longtime Kapolei Coach Darren Hernandez has already been forced to cancel his team’s preseason trip to Texas. He’s not optimistic about the possibility of switching seasons.
“It’s too soon to know. I wouldn’t be thrilled about it. I think that moving the seasons around would be a mess. Kids in multiple sports may have to make some tough choices. It would negatively affect college recruiting,” Hernandez said. “But all of this is new and we do not know what it will be like in the fall, so we just have to be change-agile.”
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