By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
For the past few weeks, coach Joel Guzman has watched his Brownsville Rivera softball team play some of its best ball in several years to start the 2020 season.
Now, due to a University Interscholastic League ruling Monday that previously banned games and now halts even athletic team practices, it’s all on hold.
The UIL announced it was suspending practices and other school-related activities through at least March 29 due to the heightened threat of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
While it seems a bit unfair that this should happen just when the Lady Raiders are on the rise, everyone appears to agree the health and safety of students, teachers and school officials is the primary concern.
Brownsville ISD went on Spring Break last Friday. On Wednesday, at a specially called meeting, BISD decided to extend Spring Break and have students stay away from school at least until March 27.
Guzman said it’s simply an ill-timed turn of events for the Lady Raiders.
“We had a very quiet 10-5 non-district record going into district (last Friday) — perhaps Rivera’s best record in a long time,” Guzman said. “We had high expectations for this season. Regardless of what happens, the importance of our health and safety will always come first, even if that means not lacing up those dirty cleats.
“After last Friday’s game, we talked about what might happen regarding the ongoing health crisis,” the Rivera coach added. “The last thing I wanted was for parents to be worried about bringing their girls to practice while having to make lines for food, water, etc. We’ve been able to communicate in our chat group for any new information.”
Guzman said the current situation is unique to anything that’s happened before.
“We’ve heard comparisons to the H1N1 virus halting UIL competition, but this feels different, mainly because it is happening now,” he said. “The main thing I’m telling my girls is to keep up to date with all the information being given to us. There are new changes every day, and we need to be ready to go back to practice (if and when the UIL allows it).”
District 32-6A softball competition began last Friday, and of the three district games scheduled, only Rivera at Brownsville Hanna was played. The Harlingen South at Los Fresnos and San Benito at Harlingen High games were postponed/suspended.
The Hanna-Rivera game turned out to be a 12-inning thriller with the 10-3-1 Lady Golden Eagles prevailing 3-2. Camila Magaldi had 23 strikeouts as the winning pitcher.
Hanna softball coach Greg “Boomer” Larson said he hasn’t met with his team since last Friday’s game.
“When the swine flu broke out, we had a week off with no practices, but things got back to normal quickly,” Larson said. “Hopefully for the seniors we get to play again this year, but there is always the possibility of the season being over.”
The Harlingen schools didn’t play their district softball openers last Friday due to a ruling issued by Harlingen CISD taking effect that same day that suspended all school activities, including athletic competition. Just like Brownsville ISD, HCISD is on Spring Break this week, too.
“It’s tough, but it’s the right decision to delay everything,” Harlingen South softball coach Elias Martinez said. “All I told the girls (at our last team meeting on Friday) is that we worry about the things that we can control, not the things we can’t. We have to be ready for when the UIL tells us what is going to happen next.”
Harlingen High softball coach Josh Silva said he now stays in contact with the 71 athletes in his program — freshmen through varsity — by way of the school district’s “remind app.”
He agrees with Martinez that calling off all games and even not having practice is the right thing to do.
“There are more important things than athletics right now,” Silva said. “The primary concern of our school district, and actually all those throughout the state, is the well-being of the students.
“I wish all the best to not just our athletes, but all athletes throughout the Valley,” Silva added. “Hopefully we can resume our season soon. For now, this is a good time that God is giving us to reconnect with our families. That’s what we’re telling our players.”