Life goes on. We’ve learned that while we endure COVID 19 and all of its byproducts. However, what are we going to do about sports?

Head baseball coach David Hager spent some time with The Prowl and helped us understand what his baseball team and program are staring at in the upcoming months.

“Rebuilding team chemistry and maintaining skills is a big concern right now,” Hager told The Prowl from the plush baseball office here at Weston Ranch. “With Corona Virus cancelling the season less than halfway through last year, and postponing all practices until the second half of the 2020-2021 school year, it may be a challenging task to maintain and improve skills.”

It seems like a long way off, and it is, but with the official start date for baseball slated for March 8, 2021, many questions cannot be answered because Fall workouts and early reporting times simply can’t happen. In the past, baseball could work out in the Fall as a team and quickly jump on the Spring season. However, the first practice on March 8 is the first time they will have the opportunity to build on what they accomplished in the Fall. And that’s tough for a young program trying to establish itself in the very tough VOL.

“This is a valid concern because this allows the coaches less time to work with the younger less experienced players and gives the older players less time to prepare for an important season(s) coming up,” Hager said. “The temporary shutdown of the program has resulted in less development for the players and less interaction between players and coaches.”

With the team not playing or practicing together since March of 2020, the chemistry will most likely take a hit, but the cougars always bounce back. But the chemistry will always be a question and a factor in the future.
This team may also not be as close with each other as previous teams because of the limited practices before the season starts and the shortened games schedule this season. Grades may also be a concern because when student-athletes are on campus, they have the luxury of being constantly reminded by coaches and staff to keep their grades up; without this, some students may find themselves being lazy and not applying themselves.

These are all short-term issues that may result in long-term struggles for the program, its players, and its coaches. All sports are pretty much in the same boat. The Prowl wishes the best of luck to Coach Hager and the Cougar baseball program.