Canceled sports’ season leaves void at the end of school year
by Richard Lamb–Advance Editor
With the announcement that the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) has canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 winter and spring sports’ seasons, student athletes will miss a key part of the school experience. This will be the first school year to not see MHSAA finals played in multiple sports since 1942-43, when World War II led to the elimination of finals in most sports.
Some area coaches tried to put the situation into perspective for students and fans of the sports. Wayne Karsten, head softball coach at Posen High School said that unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.
“THE NUMBER one objective is to make sure everyone is safe and that we support everyone who is out on the frontlines of this situation. It’s unfortunate that student/athletes are missing out on the opportunity to play spring sports this year. Hopefully they can use this situation as a learning experience just as we use sports to teach about more than just the sport itself,” Karsten said.
“I know a lot of these athletes are going almost year-round. I would tell them to take this opportunity to slow down and catch up on the things you missed out on. Spend this time with your family or use that time you would be at practice to help out in your community somehow some way.”
He had just one senior out for softball this year in Riley Krajniak, an outstanding three-sport performer.
“It’s unfortunate all the things seniors missed out on this spring. I would tell her to take this time to pass on her knowledge, drive and work ethic to her younger brothers and sister. Spend time playing ball out in the backyard. You won’t regret making memories with family. And in this time, we are in that’s who we lean on,” Karsten said.
OPTIONS FOR saving some sort of season were considered by the MHSAA during its winter meeting March 27. Those included a series of concepts for completing the winter tournaments and an abbreviated spring season, contingent on the lifting of a statewide quarantine. The closure of school buildings into June nixed those options.
“It is very sad not to have a spring sports. It will hurt some of them that would or could set a record or go to state. As for seniors it is the something they will never get back. I would tell all the seniors just not the track and field ones, to look back on the memories you made in the past seasons and the fun you had with your friends. Those are something that can never be taken away,” said Rogers City High School (RCHS) track and field coach Rob Kortman, who also coaches cross-country and wrestling.
Karl Grambau, athletic director and head softball coach at RCHS agreed that this is a time that history will remember. And the weather so far this spring, has been the best in recent memory, he said.
“I can certainly understand why the MHSAA didn’t finish the basketball tournaments and why they canceled the spring sports’ season since athletics are an extension of the classroom and if schools can’t be open you can’t have athletics. I know that all of our spring sports’ athletes were looking forward to play this year. We had a good number of students who were looking forward to participating in either baseball, softball, golf or track and field. I feel bad for all of these student athletes but especially for the seniors who won’t have a chance to play their favorite spring sport this year,” Grambau said.
KARL MOMRIK, coach of Posen girls’ varsity basketball, had a very successful season end for his team just before the virus hit the United States.
“You should not dwell on things you have no control over. If you played any sport in 2020, you have now become a unique part of history. It doesn’t change your record, your standings, or how you played; you own it all and need to be proud of what you did. There may never, in history, be another year quite like the one you’re living in. What stories you’ll have to tell your kids,” Momrik said. “Success is not how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”
Because the five winter sports were not able to conclude with finals, no champions will be awarded in those sports for 2019-20. However, championships won at earlier rounds of those tournaments (district or regional) will continue to stand. All of the county’s boys’ basketball teams were set to play in district championship games March 13 before the games were called off.
Duane Pitts is a teacher at RCHS, head girls’ basketball coach and assistant softball coach. He said the events of the past few weeks were beyond imagination.
“I feel horrible for all of the students at Rogers City. All the memories of just living our daily lives have been hit with a pause button so to speak. The loss of sports for all is a big blow, but especially for the seniors. My heart goes out to them, as athletics is a huge part of the whole school experience by simply being a member of the team. No one really knows why this had to happen, but my wish for all the seniors is to be able to walk for graduation and then be successful in the next phases of their lives. Until then stay safe, be healthy, and hope for an end to this coronavirus as soon as possible,” Pitts said.
MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl said the decision to halt the seasons had to be made.
“WE ARE heartbroken to not be able to provide these opportunities for Michigan’s student-athletes, and especially seniors.
“We understand as much as anyone how much school sports mean to athletes and their communities. We had ideas and hopes for finishing winter and spring seasons and helping bring some sort of normalcy after this long break. But this is the correct decision, and we will play our part in bringing schools and communities together again when the time is right.”
The MHSAA will in coming weeks provide guidelines and other information pertinent to this unusual offseason as attention is turned to preparing for fall 2020