MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Former West Virginia High School Athletic Director of the Year Jeff Bailey oversees one of the largest prep sports programs in the Mountain State. University High School fields teams in all WVSSAC-sponsored sports and boys and girls lacrosse as well. Many Hawk programs feature teams at the junior varsity and freshman levels.
Bailey and his peers are navigating new realities of a compressed winter and spring sports schedule. Many schedules are being rewritten for a third time due to competition delays caused by pandemic.
“It is time for me to find the rabbit and pull it out of the magic hat. We’ve had winter schedules and spring schedules and those were changed. So we revamped and did an entire winter schedule, not just basketball, we’re talking about swimming and wrestling,” Bailey said.
“That rug was pulled out from under us again and understandably so. We’re not complaining by any means. We have to make sure that we are taking care of everybody in this unique time.”
In a normal year, there is little overlap between winter and spring sports seasons. This year, spring sports competitions can begin April 12. The boys basketball state tournament will conclude May 8.
“Usually I do all the scheduling but I have had to lean on coaches and say, ‘Alright, let’s do this together’. Now we are going to have to work even closer with each other when it comes to winter and spring. I have communicated to the coaches that it is time we get rid of our tunnel vision and we get a wide scope on things and try to do what is best for the kids.”
Student-athletes can compete in multiple sports at the same time (i.e. basketball and baseball) provided they have met the required minimum number of preseason practices.
“We are big advocates here at University High School of multi-sport athletes. We push it. You only get to do this once. We’re going to work at letting kids make that choice but still be a part of both seasons. There’s going to have to be some give and take.”
While working with his coaches to craft schedules, Bailey acknowledges that no amount of scheduling gymnastics can solve every logistical problem.
“I am trying to creatively schedule but we know there are going to be conflicts. Are we going to fix it time-wise where an athlete can do both in the same night? Are they going to be able to practice on the same night? Sure. Are they going to be able to participate in a baseball game at 4:30 and then a basketball game at 7:30? Possibly. Would it be hard on them? Yes. Will they be able to do it if the basketball game is in Wheeling and the baseball game is in Fairmont? Probably not.
“You also worry about wearing the kids so thin that they can’t see straight. Sometimes we are just going to have to pick and choose. Some nights, maybe they won’t have all their players at a game. Whatever sport it is, it is man next up or next woman up.”
Winter sports practices can begin on February 15 but as of now, no conditioning window will be allowed prior to that date. Athletes face a quick, two-week ramp up after being completing shutout of school activities since the first week of December.
“We were hoping we could get the kids in a little bit early to get them acclimated. I am sure a lot of kids have been working out but some of them have been sitting on the couch. We are a little bit worried about that. We’re going to have to take it slow and work them back up. The acclimatization is going to be a little bit unique from what we have usually done.”
Monongalia County student-athletes were delayed at the start of the fall sports season by about a month due to the state’s COVID metrics map. Bailey says the Hawks have endured a great deal over the last ten months.
“What they have been through since the middle of March, you talk about resilient. I couldn’t be more proud of them. We’ll figure this out and they will trudge through. This has been tough on them and they continue to be the absolute best.
“If I had hair, I am pretty sure it would already be gone.”