Tallahassee/Panhandle Schools pushing to switch seasons

[gatorman-uf]

Tallahassee Schools

BREAKING: The @FHSAA meets on Friday to vote on the fate of fall sports. @LeonSchools Rocky Hanna and other Superintendents from across the Panhandle are recommending flip flopping several sports from the fall and spring. More tonight on @abc27

Fall:
Baseball
Softball
Track
Swimming (if pools reopen)

Spring:
Football
Volleyball
Cross Country

[gatorman-uf]

6 weeks ago, we had this discussion about moving these exact sports. Back then I said, coaches would be able to make their schedules in time, in this situation, I am not sure coaches could do it. I think if coaches/admin/officials were pushed, we could have a season that started by Sept 14, done by November 20th (no playoffs or only playoffs for district champions, done by early December). 

This was the right idea 6 weeks ago, but now it is too late.

[DisabledAccount]

53 minutes ago, gatorman-uf said:

6 weeks ago, we had this discussion about moving these exact sports. Back then I said, coaches would be able to make their schedules in time, in this situation, I am not sure coaches could do it. I think if coaches/admin/officials were pushed, we could have a season that started by Sept 14, done by November 20th (no playoffs or only playoffs for district champions, done by early December). 

This was the right idea 6 weeks ago, but now it is too late.

The right idea if the goal was to kill anyone's season just to get football then sure 

 

But I do agree it's way too late for this idea to even be considered

[gatorman-uf]

2 hours ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

The right idea if the goal was to kill anyone's season just to get football then sure 

 

But I do agree it's way too late for this idea to even be considered

Depends on what your underlying assumption is. If you believe that the spread of COVID will be so bad as to force to end the "fall sports season" then yes, it is a bad plan, but that means the only good plan becomes the truncated season plan to ensure some season for everyone.

Again I think this idea had merit 6 weeks ago, almost no merit now. 

[DisabledAccount]

7 minutes ago, gatorman-uf said:

Depends on what your underlying assumption is. If you believe that the spread of COVID will be so bad as to force to end the "fall sports season" then yes, it is a bad plan, but that means the only good plan becomes the truncated season plan to ensure some season for everyone.

Again I think this idea had merit 6 weeks ago, almost no merit now. 

Perhaps but in my opinion it does feel like this idea is just a means of sacrificing spring sports to get football in the spring because those sports are considered expendable by the state which I am outraged by 

 

It's pathetic and disrespectful to those athletes to just cast them aside like they are nothing because football makes more money 

 

Yes football is king but those other sports still matter to the athletes which should be the primary focus right now, athletes 

 

Coaches will get to coach 

Officials and fans will get future seasons

The athletes have a limited window 

[gatorman-uf]

Let's change it for a second... if football was a spring sport during the time of COVID, do you think they would have canceled the season like they did with baseball/softball... If you think they would have canceled it, it isn't about baseball/softball being disposable, it is about the health and safety of the students. Honestly, they canceled proms, musicals, and graduations were done as drive thrus in some communities. To think they would not have canceled football during spring is silly. 

The reality is that it sucked for all of those students, nobody thinks otherwise. But to be so petty to say that well then football and basketball shouldn't have a season because the last season of spring sports didn't happen is foolish. Nobody wanted to cancel those seasons and due to when those seasons occur during the school year it is what is going to happen. 

The FHSAA and school districts need to do everything possible to make sure that same thing doesn't occur to this year's student (even if it is a truncated season for everyone). 

[DisabledAccount]

1 hour ago, gatorman-uf said:

Let's change it for a second... if football was a spring sport during the time of COVID, do you think they would have canceled the season like they did with baseball/softball... If you think they would have canceled it, it isn't about baseball/softball being disposable, it is about the health and safety of the students. Honestly, they canceled proms, musicals, and graduations were done as drive thrus in some communities. To think they would not have canceled football during spring is silly. 

The reality is that it sucked for all of those students, nobody thinks otherwise. But to be so petty to say that well then football and basketball shouldn't have a season because the last season of spring sports didn't happen is foolish. Nobody wanted to cancel those seasons and due to when those seasons occur during the school year it is what is going to happen. 

The FHSAA and school districts need to do everything possible to make sure that same thing doesn't occur to this year's student (even if it is a truncated season for everyone). 

Then why is the idea on the table of flipping the seasons? That's what shows they view it as disposable

 

You know dang well if they do that it will only be a matter of time before those sports get cancelled for 2 straight years just so they can hope to get a football season without trouble in the spring 

 

It sucks but blame the people in the state for not taking the virus seriously, if football can't go in the fall then either run the seasons cocurrently in the spring or cancel it but flipping the seasons is nothing more than exposing that only one sport matters to most of the state which is funny because most fanbases do a crappy job supporting the sport anyway as evidenced by vastly lower numbers at regular season, postseason and state championship games compared to bordering states and the poor pay in the state 

 

 

[DisabledAccount]

1 hour ago, gatorman-uf said:

Let's change it for a second... if football was a spring sport during the time of COVID, do you think they would have canceled the season like they did with baseball/softball... If you think they would have canceled it, it isn't about baseball/softball being disposable, it is about the health and safety of the students. Honestly, they canceled proms, musicals, and graduations were done as drive thrus in some communities. To think they would not have canceled football during spring is silly. 

The reality is that it sucked for all of those students, nobody thinks otherwise. But to be so petty to say that well then football and basketball shouldn't have a season because the last season of spring sports didn't happen is foolish. Nobody wanted to cancel those seasons and due to when those seasons occur during the school year it is what is going to happen. 

The FHSAA and school districts need to do everything possible to make sure that same thing doesn't occur to this year's student (even if it is a truncated season for everyone). 

Or maybe the FHSAA needs to face reality

 

A state series isn't gonna happen, move on! They don't even have a site for 5/8 of the Championships and no damn city gonna bid for hosting in the middle of a virus 

 

Cancel state series and try to get some games in November and December hopefully and then move on to the next season (winter) 

 

Hopefully things will be cleared up by then so winter and spring can have a season as scheduled

 

[DisabledAccount]

And to answer your question yes they probably would have cancelled it but I also seem to remember the Numbers not being as bad as they are now either 

 

I do think if it was any sport but football they would have cancelled a month ago and not even be attempting to move the sports around to save it, they would just call it a day and sit back hoping the next sports season would be ready to go 

[gatorman-uf]

9 hours ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

I do think if it was any sport but football they would have cancelled a month ago and not even be attempting to move the sports around to save it, they would just call it a day and sit back hoping the next sports season would be ready to go 

I do generally agree with you on this. I am not sure the powers that be would be fighting tooth and nail to have a season if baseball and softball were the first sports. I think they would have already voted on the truncated season (which we all acknowledge is an imperfect plan). 

I think the concern in why you switch the seasons is that some sports can more safely social distance during the course of play. Football with players lining up less than a yard from each other, running into each other and breathing on each as they are in a pile, probably makes it that football is a bigger risk sport (as is basketball) than baseball/softball. It is the same reason why Track would be moved to the fall instead of Cross Country. 

And again, switching only makes sense if you believe that there would be a season. If we don't believe that there likely would be a season, switching is wrong and ultimately, we are left with a truncated season as the only real answer. 

[Perspective]

51 minutes ago, gatorman-uf said:

 

"some sports can more safely social distance during the course of play."

 

Bingo. 

[DisabledAccount]

2 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

I do generally agree with you on this. I am not sure the powers that be would be fighting tooth and nail to have a season if baseball and softball were the first sports. I think they would have already voted on the truncated season (which we all acknowledge is an imperfect plan). 

I think the concern in why you switch the seasons is that some sports can more safely social distance during the course of play. Football with players lining up less than a yard from each other, running into each other and breathing on each as they are in a pile, probably makes it that football is a bigger risk sport (as is basketball) than baseball/softball. It is the same reason why Track would be moved to the fall instead of Cross Country. 

And again, switching only makes sense if you believe that there would be a season. If we don't believe that there likely would be a season, switching is wrong and ultimately, we are left with a truncated season as the only real answer. 

And I don't believe it will happen, not if they are determined to have a state series 

 

Some counties can play this fall but there will be counties who can't which is why the right call right now is to cancel the state series and work on some backup plan to get the athletes some games 

 

I proposed an idea recently that I feel is fair and would minimize the damage to the other sports and still give football a season 

 

Scrap postseason and have teams play independent, if they aren't able to play at least 8 games in the first semester let those teams play in the second semester or finish playing games in second semester (probably can have it county by county basis on who plays in the spring)

 

Winter and spring stay as scheduled

Sure it would mean some multi sport athletes would have to choose one sport or the other but at least it tries to minimize the damage statewide on the athletes

 

There are a few counties that probably could play right now

 

Other counties may be ready by October/November

 

You basically plug games where you can and try to work with each county individually on getting a reasonable amount of games for the athletes and programs so the athletes get a decent amount of exposure and the programs can make some money on gate if they choose to have fans

 

 

I feel in trying times like this you need to do as minimum damage to the athletes as possible, Spring athletes for most part didn't even get 10 games so their chances of impressing colleges was probably very minimal, they can't afford a shortened season in this year if things are able to go as scheduled by spring time 

[DisabledAccount]

I also feel like switching the seasons would only be done so it would be easier to cancel those sports 

 

They would probably wait a few weeks and then say that the numbers are too unsafe to keep playing and then pull the rug under them

[gatorman-uf]

3 hours ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

They would probably wait a few weeks and then say that the numbers are too unsafe to keep playing and then pull the rug under them

Assuming a switch and then a "cancel" in late Sept/early Oct. though it would still allow time to add the sports back on the schedule in Spring in my mind.
Honestly, this plan isn't going anywhere. 

[DisabledAccount]

4 minutes ago, gatorman-uf said:

Assuming a switch and then a "cancel" in late Sept/early Oct. though it would still allow time to add the sports back on the schedule in Spring in my mind.
Honestly, this plan isn't going anywhere. 

Perhaps but if that is the end result wouldn't it be just as easy to leave the spring sports in the spring and just add football to the spring calendar?

[HornetFan]

1 hour ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

Perhaps but if that is the end result wouldn't it be just as easy to leave the spring sports in the spring and just add football to the spring calendar?

The kids are going back to school this month, either in class or on-line. I think the FHSAA should look into which sports can be played safely this Fall, regardless of when their season normally is scheduled. I play golf three mornings a week and have played through the entire pandemic. We social distance, ride single in carts or walk, don't touch the flag sticks, and we're all over 65, many of us with pre-existing conditions. The schools could play golf, tennis, cross country, possibly baseball and softball with limited exposure. My thought is that a lot of these sports lost out last Spring. We don't know what it will be like this coming Spring. Give these kids a chance to play their sport now. They'll be subject to greater exposure in the classroom than they will be playing their sport. I also want to see football played this year, if possible. With the colleges creating a great deal of confusion this week, who knows if we'll have football, but if possible, let the kids play.

[DisabledAccount]

1 minute ago, HornetFan said:

The kids are going back to school this month, either in class or on-line. I think the FHSAA should look into which sports can be played safely this Fall, regardless of when their season normally is scheduled. I play golf three mornings a week and have played through the entire pandemic. We social distance, ride single in carts or walk, don't touch the flag sticks, and we're all over 65, many of us with pre-existing conditions. The schools could play golf, tennis, cross country, possibly baseball and softball with limited exposure. My thought is that a lot of these sports lost out last Spring. We don't know what it will be like this coming Spring. Give these kids a chance to play their sport now. They'll be subject to greater exposure in the classroom than they will be playing their sport. I also want to see football played this year, if possible. With the colleges creating a great deal of confusion this week, who knows if we'll have football, but if possible, let the kids play.

I would be fine with watching softball and baseball this fall if I thought they would actually get to play 

 

However I feel what would happen is they will move it and a few weeks from now they will cancel it and leave spring sports as a casualty of the virus for the second straight season which isn't okay with me 

 

[HornetFan]

2 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

I would be fine with watching softball and baseball this fall if I thought they would actually get to play 

 

However I feel what would happen is they will move it and a few weeks from now they will cancel it and leave spring sports as a casualty of the virus for the second straight season which isn't okay with me 

 

I know where you're coming from, but to be realistic, football is king. If they have to rearrange every other team's schedule to allow for football, they will. Spring may see every sport trying to squeeze in their schedule; the casualties are going to be the multi-sport athletes. Also if football is moved to Spring, it will overshadow all the other sports.

[Perspective]

8 minutes ago, HornetFan said:

The kids are going back to school this month, either in class or on-line. I think the FHSAA should look into which sports can be played safely this Fall, regardless of when their season normally is scheduled. I play golf three mornings a week and have played through the entire pandemic. We social distance, ride single in carts or walk, don't touch the flag sticks, and we're all over 65, many of us with pre-existing conditions. The schools could play golf, tennis, cross country, possibly baseball and softball with limited exposure. My thought is that a lot of these sports lost out last Spring. We don't know what it will be like this coming Spring. Give these kids a chance to play their sport now. They'll be subject to greater exposure in the classroom than they will be playing their sport. I also want to see football played this year, if possible. With the colleges creating a great deal of confusion this week, who knows if we'll have football, but if possible, let the kids play.

Hornet, I agree with your thinking.  However, if I remember correctly, in one or two of the FHSAA meetings from last month, some of the board members discussed the problem that schools were having with getting on the golf courses they traditionally have used.  I don't know if they were talking about public courses, private courses or both and I don't know whether that situation has gotten better over the last month or so.  But I do remember golf and bowling being somewhat problematic because of venue concerns. 

[DisabledAccount]

2 minutes ago, HornetFan said:

I know where you're coming from, but to be realistic, football is king. If they have to rearrange every other team's schedule to allow for football, they will. Spring may see every sport trying to squeeze in their schedule; the casualties are going to be the multi-sport athletes. Also if football is moved to Spring, it will overshadow all the other sports.

Rather overshadow than cancel 

 

But I know which sport I would be at if it's ran at the same time, and it won't be football

 

In fact I may prefer it that way, if football is running all the administration at Columbia will be too busy watching football and won't be at softball bothering me 

[HornetFan]

33 minutes ago, Perspective said:

Hornet, I agree with your thinking.  However, if I remember correctly, in one or two of the FHSAA meetings from last month, some of the board members discussed the problem that schools were having with getting on the golf courses they traditionally have used.  I don't know if they were talking about public courses, private courses or both and I don't know whether that situation has gotten better over the last month or so.  But I do remember golf and bowling being somewhat problematic because of venue concerns. 

The golf courses around the Orlando area have not closed during the pandemic. They have restrictions as I mentioned above, but it hasn't stopped anyone from playing. I can't speak for courses down south, but up here, it's been business as usual with safety provisions added on. It's been a great escape from the boredom of the isolating and social distancing of the pandemic; I play 3 times a week. I really haven't seen kids in Central Florida adjusting their lifestyle so much because of the virus. They play in the streets and parks; the football teams have been working out the whole time; they spend time at the beaches, basketball courts did shut down for a month or so, but have been reopened for a couple of months now. 

[HornetFan]

42 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

Rather overshadow than cancel 

 

But I know which sport I would be at if it's ran at the same time, and it won't be football

 

In fact I may prefer it that way, if football is running all the administration at Columbia will be too busy watching football and won't be at softball bothering me 

Peace and quiet goes a long way.

[DisabledAccount]

1 minute ago, HornetFan said:

Peace and quiet goes a long way.

Yeah it does