Before his team played its first game Wednesday, Chelsea boys tennis coach Rahn Rosentreter was still a little skeptical.

Though the Bulldogs got the opportunity to play in Chelsea’s first athletic event since the Michigan High School Athletic Association canceled winter and spring sports in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosentreter wasn’t sure how things would go.

But the event went as planned and Rosentreter was pleasantly surprised to see the match go as smoothly as it did.

“I was a little apprehensive because I wasn’t quite sure how everybody was going to handle it because of all the rules that the state came down with,” Rosentreter said. “But once we got down on the court and kids from other schools got out of vehicles with masks on and they stayed socially distanced, it got to be being normal.

“It was good for the kids. Our kids have been out since the end of June and I think they were probably getting tired of hitting against each other, but it was good. Everybody was on the court, everybody was happy, the weather was good, parents or fans seemed to be staying away from each other and everybody had masks on when they were on the courts and it felt kind of normal.”

After 160 days without high school sports, kids are back in the game

Getting started

Chelsea’s boys tennis team was one of several fall sports teams that started their seasons on time this week, along with girls golf squads in the Ann Arbor area who were able to compete once again.

Ann Arbor Pioneer girls golf coach Bill Lyle packed his team’s schedule with tournaments earlier in the season to make the sure the team would the most out of the opportunity to play this fall.

The Pioneers played in tournaments Wednesday and Friday, and are scheduled to compete three times next week.

Lyle said there’s still apprehension regarding what will happen with the postseason later in the fall, but for now, his team is thankful to be on the golf course competing.

“These kids have been through a lot starting in March,” Lyle said. “I was hoping that my three seniors on the golf team; I was hoping that (cancellation) wasn’t going to happen to them.

“We’re still unsure about what’s going to happen with the state tournament, but I made the decision that I was going to jampack the schedule early knowing that maybe at some point we may get canceled. We’re off to a fast start and it’s been great to see the girls compete on the golf course. It’s been great for them to get out and be able to do compete again because it’s been a long six months for all of us.”

Other side of the coin

While Rosentreter and Lyle are excited to compete, many sports teams aren’t as fortunate.

The MHSAA announced last Friday football would be postponed until the spring and announced Thursday that competition for boys soccer, volleyball and girls swimming and diving would still be on hold in many areas around Michigan for now.

Regions 6 and 8 in Michigan are classified as being in Phase 5, while the rest of the state is grouped in Phase 4.

Cross country, golf, swimming and tennis are fall sports classified as lower risk by the MHSAA. Volleyball and soccer are fall sports considered moderate risk, while football is higher risk.

Coaches in sports that aren’t allowed to compete right now are handling the restrictions as best as they can.

“We’re going to prepare as if there’s a season until we’re told otherwise,” said Pioneer boys soccer coach Jon Sundermann. “We have to deal with the cards that are dealt and to prepare for things that we can’t control.

“This environment in general is outside of our control, the decisions that are being made on how we move forward are outside of our control so what we need to do is prepare as if there’s going to be a season and take the precautions to do everything we can to be ready for when that day comes.”

While Lyle coaches the golf team, he remembers how his daughter lost her girls soccer senior season in March and sympathizes with both of his sons who play soccer for the Pioneers and are uncertain if they’ll get a chance to play.

“We’re very fortunate,” Lyle said of his golf team. “Every day I’m thankful that I come home from golf practice and we get to compete and play, but also waiting on edge to see whether my sons will get to play soccer.

“We’re fortunate that we play a sport that is low risk and all of us coaches have been very diligent with following the rules with masks. We’ve changed some rules to keep the girls even safer. We’re keeping them safe because we know that’s the easiest way to continue our season.”

The bigger picture

Though there’ some uncertainty on what will take place down the road, Rosentreter said just being able to compete now is something his team hasn’t taken for granted.

“They’ve still got some work to do in Lansing, but our goals are there, and the kids are looking forward to it,” he said. “But more importantly than all of that, than the wins and the losses is the fact that kids are getting to play.

“That’s what it’s really all about; let these kids have a chance. I don’t know if awards and rewards are important, just the fact that they get outside, and they can get away from all the stuff that’s around them and kind of get back to the way we used to be.”

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