SULLIVAN COUNTY -- As they try to navigate the unfamiliar road to the start of the now-delayed winter sports season, Sullivan County schools find their journey repeatedly affected by changing signals along the way. What's missing from those signals however is the longed-for green light that would mandate full speed ahead to a full schedule of practices and games at least for indoor track and skiing, the moderate risk sports.

Instead what's visible are only the flashing yellow caution light or the red one signaling a full stop. Worse yet, for basketball, wrestling and cheerleading, the high-risk sports, there is not even a road to travel as yet, let alone any cautionary signal to regulate the way.

When the OCIAA postponed the sanctioned winter sports until January 19, they also indicated that voluntary practices could go forward at the discretion of the districts as long as COVID-19 safety protocols were in place. The operative word here was “could.”

For Sullivan West which had been undergoing voluntary conditioning practices open to all students during the fall, the waning days of November were about to witness a transition to preparation for winter sports replete with sports-specific cohort practices again open to all students, including basketball and indoor track.

But with the announcement from the November 25 meeting, the district advised Athletic Director David Eggleton that they would be instituting a pause on all athletic activities until December 11 when a re-evaluation will take place.

As Eggleton notes, “at that juncture, if it is deemed safe, voluntary practices, most likely sports-specific, will resume. It's a very fluid situation that can change from week-to-week,” added Eggleton who understands the frustration and disappointment evinced by the students and coaches, in particular, those athletes who have signed up for winter sports and are extremely anxious to get underway.

“Kids loved being back to sports-specific activities,” said Eggleton referring to the weeks prior to the postponement, “If we can offer that we will.”

For girls basketball coach Pat Donovan, the delay, then this pause and the ensuing uncertainty have been very troubling. “The kids are itching to get going,” said Donovan whose team would be junior-loaded with a few sophomores and no seniors. Not having practice after school is strange territory for the 15-year veteran coach who commiserates with his fellow girls coaches around the county including Livingston Manor's Kevin Clifford, Monticello's Ryan Jasper and Liberty's Liz Fuentes.

For basketball players and coaches it has been particularly unsettling as they await word from Governor Cuomo and the Department of Health on the fate of their sport this year. If the season is nixed, there is no rescheduling it later this school year. That will be it. For seniors on teams around the county, that would be catastrophic.

A look across the county

While Sullivan West is waiting at the yellow light, Monticello is at a full stop at a red one. After several staff members tested positive for COVID-19, the district went entirely remote and the facilities are being sanitized in the interim. There are no sports activities going on until in-person instruction returns which is slated for December 11.

Eldred is awaiting the January 19 start date to get its indoor track program started. Similarly Livingston Manor and Fallsburg are also at a standstill.

Liberty had to shut things down after mass exposure as Varsity Girls Basketball coach Liz Fuentes notes. Initially Liberty was going to proceed with basketball practices according to strict protocols but now they plan to resume after the Christmas Holidays.

Tri-Valley however has used the voluntary workout provision to author cohort practices for the students who attend Monday-Tuesday or Thursday Friday. Boys basketball practices are held on Monday and Thursday, girls practices are held on Tuesday and Friday. Coaches are using Google Classroom to augment their workouts.

Obviously every participant has his or her own ball. As Tri-Valley Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Kevin Delaney notes, “We started slowly with light conditioning and foul shots. No passing, rebounding or guarding of other players is permitted.”

The practices are open to the entire student body. Other cohorts include indoor track, as well as workouts for soccer and softball. If basketball is authorized both Donovan and Delaney predict a season of no more than 10 games. Since S.S. Seward is a division rival and is located in Orange County, it is questionable if inter-county travel will be allowed. One possible scenario is that Sullivan County schools could play each other home and away.

There is parity among the county schools so even if a Class A school such as Monticello plays a class D school such as Livingston Manor, there would not be a huge disparity in talent particularly this year due to the graduation of so many key players.

Since last week's publication of the article on Alpine Skiing (Downhill Detour), both Holiday Mountain and Mount Peter have authorized two midweek dates each week for practice and ski races. Now all that is required after the start date of January 19 is snow.

Section 9 Ski Chairperson Janet Carey will be attending a meeting this week on the projected state meet at Lake Placid on February 22-23. For Tri-Valley and Fallsburg which combine for alpine skiing, each school would conduct its dryland practices separately as has been the case in recent years. They travel together and compete as a unified team during the season.