Franklin Regional athletic director: Prepping for fall sports 'an uphill battle'

A meeting is planned next week between regional and state high school sports officials and athletic directors “to discuss possible alternatives, like moving fall sports to the spring season and thinking outside the box in ways we haven’t before,” Franklin Regional Athletics Director Zach Kessler said.

Kessler called the challenges of prepping for fall sports amid the covid-19 pandemic are “an uphill battle,” but said he and his staff are working hard to give students the best opportunity possible to succeed.

“The reality is, social distancing in sports is almost impossible, except for maybe tennis and golf,” Kessler told school board members at a special meeting Thursday where the board and staff detailed reopening and health-and-safety plans for the 2020-21 school year. “But we have protocols in place. We’re screening the kids every day, we’re providing cleaning supplies to clean balls, bags and equipment.”

On June 22, cross-country, football, soccer and other fall sports teams began returning to train. Kessler said guidance from the state is dictating how programs are run.

“Has it been perfect? No,” he said. “But we’re making changes as necessary.”

School board member Gary English said athletics in particular were a concern when it comes to high-contact items like sports balls.

“You can’t clean off the ball between every play,” English said.

Board member Ed Mittereder said ensuring good hygiene prior to athletic workouts and practices “goes a long way toward making this a safe environment.

“You can’t live in fear,” Mittereder said. “You have to be cautious. But I think if you take every precaution you possibly can, the benefits are better than living in fear that the boogeyman might get you.”

Middle-school nurse Beth Frydrych said she has confidence in athletic staff.

“We have an excellent (training) team there,” she said. “We have a plan in place, and we have students who are out there getting good exercise, interacting, doing healthy activity. We have to look at the benefits of the whole program, and right now — with very judicious procedures in place — we have students, coaches, athletic trainers doing great work.”

Dr. William Jenkins, a member of the district’s back-to-school task force, said there are simply a lot of unknowns when it comes to sports.

“No one knows what the impact of those soft touches are in sports,” he said. “I think you’ll see programs do a variety of things. You’ll see some cancel, and all we can do is rely on what the best expertise is today, and be fluid enough to react if those recommendations change.”

Frydrych agreed.

“If we have to change things, we will,” she said. “But it’s not going without a cautious eye at every practice.”

Kessler said his current focus is working to bring back fall middle-school sports and operating off-season workouts for winter sports.

“We’re also working with the band on what their return to campus may look like,” he said.

Read the district’s reopening and health-and-safety plans, approved Thursday, at FRSDk12.org.