By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
LYFORD – Basketball may not be a fall sport, but that didn’t stop the University Interscholastic League from imposing some big changes that will impact hoops programs in the 2020-21 season.
The basketball network has been buzzing since the UIL announcement was dropped Tuesday as coaches began reaching out to one another to revise schedules. The basketball calendar only had one update, with the district certification deadline being pushed to Feb. 9 for girls programs and Feb. 16 for boys, but arguably the most significant change the UIL made was eliminating all regular season tournaments.
“When the UIL released the announcement, and I know I speak for a lot of basketball coaches, I was on the phone right away trying to pick up what I felt was the best opponent for our team. I wanted to replace those tournaments with games that would be very competitive and push our kids,” San Perlita boys basketball coach Nataniel Garza said.
Even though coaches said they understand and agree with the reasoning behind not allowing tournaments, the decision will have a big impact on all programs because tournaments serve many purposes for coaches and athletes.
“Tournaments are a good way to build chemistry and see different rotations because you’re able to play the majority of your team,” Harlingen High girls coach Ashley Moncivaiz said. “But not having those, now we’re having to find more games and see, would you be able to find competitive teams that can prepare you with the season shortened?”
Moncivaiz estimated the lack of tournaments would cost the Lady Cardinals around 18 games, and Brownsville Veterans Memorial girls coach Arnold Torres said his team’s season will be at least 15 games shorter. But they both mentioned some silver linings of not having tournaments, like being able to protect athletes from injuries or fatigue and getting extra practice to work on things they notice in games.
Girls teams can start practicing Oct. 21, and games will commence Nov. 6. Boys practices kick off Oct. 28, followed by games Nov. 13. While those dates are familiar and unproblematic, the delayed dates for fall sports maximize the usual overlap between seasons, particularly for 5A and 6A schools. Football playoffs for large schools won’t start until Dec. 10, volleyball playoffs at bigger schools start Nov. 19 and district cross country meets for all classifications take place Nov. 14.
“I have four kids on the varsity that play football, two of them are starters, so we won’t have that chemistry until maybe January,” Brownsville Pace boys coach Jose Luis Ramirez said. “Football kids run in bunches, they block for each other and they run together. But in basketball, we run lanes and spread out. Even if they’ve played before, it does take three or four weeks for them to adjust to the speed of the game and the different style.”
Multi-sport athletes who make the playoffs in fall sports likely eill miss district contests in basketball, but the overlap also affects officiating. With three sports playing simultaneously for a longer stretch of time and the UIL allowing basketball teams up to three games in a week, it could cause issues as many officials work multiple sports.
Coaches said there is a rumor that the UIL could push back the basketball calendar to adapt to some of the questions and issues thaf are arising, but no official word has been released.
Regardless of some complications, a positive that will come from coaches revamping schedules is an increase in competitive matchups between top teams in the Rio Grande Valley. Some school districts, like Brownsville ISD and Edinburg CISD, have asked their coaches to avoid traveling outside of the Valley, and it’s something many are doing even without restrictions.
Garza feels playing locally is the safest decision not only for RGV programs, but for others across the state as the area has become a COVID-19 hotspot. The Trojans coach said the pandemic isn’t stopping him from pitting his 1A squad against large programs.
“We’ve always loved the challenge of playing the bigger schools, and historically we’ve done very well against them,” Garza said. “Here in the Valley, there’s a lot of talent and a lot of great teams, so there was plenty to pick from. I was able to finalize the schedule already … I want to say, pound for pound, our schedule’s even tougher now.”
Even with many challenges still ahead, coaches are itching to get back on the courts with their athletes. They’re asking their communities to do their part to curb the spread of the coronavirus so the kids, especially seniors, can return safely to basketball.
“It’s definitely going to be a hard wall to climb. But we know that everything happening now is in the best interest of our kids,” Torres said. “We’re just hoping that things improve and we’re actually able to have a season. The fact that it’s going to overlap and other changes are just small stepping stones to the big picture, so if we can get by this and everyone stays healthy, coaches won’t mind overlapping a little bit or having to lose games as long as we have a season.”