FREEDOM PLAINS – Betsy Wilson can’t help but smile to herself each time she fills out the questionnaire, running down what essentially is a self-diagnostic checklist before heading to practice.

Are there any symptoms? Has there been a possible exposure?

It’s part of what now is a daily routine for Arlington High School athletes as Section 1 begins fall sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s crazy,” the field hockey player said on Saturday, during her second practice of what already is a strange season. “Thinking back to last season, I would’ve never imagined a year later our season would be pushed to October and we’d be running with masks on or having any of this going on.”

Nobody could have imagined it then. Really, even at some points this summer, it was difficult to picture them even being on the field now.

But that is the new reality athletes and coaches face as they attempt the first steps in navigating what figures to be a uniquely challenging autumn. Arlington, which opened practice on Friday, is among five Dutchess County schools participating in fall sports. Beacon, Our Lady of Lourdes, Roy C. Ketcham and John Jay-East Fishkill began earlier in the week.

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“It’s hard changing what we’ve been used to for years,” girls soccer coach Kelley Hand said. “But the happiness to be in practice is greater now than ever. We’ve been away from sports for a while and we missed it so much. It felt so good to be out there again and we’ll do whatever we can to keep that feeling.”

That sentiment was echoed by athletes and other coaches there, people who readily admit to being uneasy about the circumstances – or even physically uncomfortable performing with a face covering – but who consider it a small price for the activities they spent months yearning for.

“It’s great to see the smiles on all their faces; they’re excited to be back out here with their peers,” athletic director Michael Cring said. “Everyone has been on top of following the department of health guidelines and today went smoothly. So far, so good.”

Even the youngest players have shown “maturity” in understanding the seriousness of the coronavirus and following safety protocols, junior varsity field hockey coach Katie Reynolds said.

The first slate of games in Section 1 is scheduled for next Saturday and Arlington, because of its later start, will open the season Oct. 14. Each team is required to complete 10 practice days before the start of interscholastic competition.

The soccer and field hockey teams on Saturday ran drills mostly pertaining to footwork and individual skills, minimizing contact. In the early going, field hockey coach Audrey Treanor said, she wanted to evaluate how well her players executed fundamentals such as stickwork, ball-handling and passing.

“It’s definitely an adjustment, but we’re pretty diligent and it’s just a matter of getting used to it,” said Treanor, who begins her first season as a coach under these trying circumstances. “But these girls are resilient and I’m just glad there’s people out here willing to play and we have this opportunity.”

It was “scary,” Wilson said, confronting this summer the possibility of having her senior season kiboshed. But, as fall sports began to seem feasible, she and a group of teammates met regularly – “but safely,” she insisted – and passed the ball around. The hope, she said, was to mitigate the rust and be prepared to start, whenever they did get the go-ahead.

On Aug. 24, Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave clearance for “low-risk” fall sports to resume in late September. Football, swimming, cheerleading and volleyball have been moved to March.

“If we’ve learned anything from COVID-19 it’s that life can be taken away from you,” Hand said. “You can’t take any moment for granted. We have to appreciate this chance we’re getting and do whatever we have to. Whatever it takes.”

Arlington is one of the largest schools in the state and its sports teams usually have deep rosters, which creates another challenge for coaches and administrators, figuring out how to reasonably practice social distancing. Practice times are staggered, and the teams utilize two fields on the compound. The soccer and field hockey teams were split into smaller groups that train and run drills together during practice.

Hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and masks are available at each practice, Cring said. The goalposts, equipment and even the gates of the field entrances are cleaned between sessions, as well as any place the players might’ve sat or touched.

The players also must be cognizant of safety and hold each other accountable, some said.

“Everyone is so (eager) to get back, sometimes you forget for a second and we have to remind each other,” said Cassie Coster, a senior on the girls soccer team. “During our run earlier, everyone was clumping up and I had to turn back and tell everyone, ‘Split up! Split up!’”

Hand said that, although her players worked out during the lengthy offseason and returned in good shape, she has noticed them looking “exhausted” at times in practice. She attributed that to the masks. It is difficult to run and perform for several minutes with a facial covering, particularly in an intense, high-cardio sport. Because of that, Hand said, frequent substitutions likely will be necessary during games. 

Cring said that once the regular season begins several chairs will be set up along the sidelines and cordoned off by cones. That area will be reserved for players substituting out of games who might need a minute to remove the mask and catch their breaths. He also suggested the referees halt games periodically for mask breaks.

The truncated season and travel concerns altered game schedules, limiting the teams to 8 to 12 games and focusing heavily on league play, Cring said. The Arlington teams are somewhat fortunate in that two of their biggest league rivals, Ketcham and John Jay, are within 20 minutes of them. Cross-country schedules still are being sorted out and there is the possibility of invitational tournaments, so long as the number of teams is limited.

The girls soccer team won three straight Section 1 Class AA titles – a run that included a state championship in 2016 – before they were stunned by Mahopac in the sectional semifinals last year. The Admirals do return most of their core, so there are lofty expectations of this group, even in a wonky season that won’t include regional and state tournaments.

“But we’re still excited that we’ll have games and sectionals, and we still want to go undefeated,” Coster said. “This is the season you’ve gotta bring everything you’ve got. You play every game like it’s your last because, right now, you never know if it might be.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4