By Lylyan Yenson
Spring sports are cleared to continue and play out their pre-seasons and seasons due to the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases and safety precautions set in place. Many coaches and athletes expect great things to come for the Baron athletes.
Boys’ and Girls’ Golf
Golf has been majorly affected as they’ve lost their home golf course, Mile Square Park, isn’t allowing them to practice or play matches there, head coach Carter Keyser said. The players currently practice individually at local golf courses, but fortunately Willowick golf course allowed them to play their matches there.
“I’m just really looking forward to spending time with my players,” Keyser said. Without being able to practice together, Keyser hasn’t seen the players in almost a year. Despite this, he believes that the players pushed themselves to practice during quarantine and expects players who are “competitive and want to take their game to the next level.”
Most of all, Keyser’s main focus is for his players to have fun. Playing golf again should bring them a sense of normalcy and he wants them to focus on having fun while staying safe.
“I’m just very grateful that we are having a season and that hopefully things loosen up and we are able to start practicing,” Keyser said.
Softball
Varsity softball coach Richard Aldrich is looking forward to the upcoming season and foresees a “season filled with wins.”
With a young team filled with great leadership, Aldrich focuses on getting the girls together and working as a team. COVID-19 hasn’t deterred these girls as they continue to focus on the fundamentals and improving as a team, just in smaller groups.
“[The girls] are happy to be back on the field and hopeful we will get to play the season,” Aldrich said.
Aiming high, Aldrich placed his goals as winning league, a long run through CIF playoffs and bringing back a championship title.
Baseball
“[The team doesn’t] complain about it because that does nothing for us,” head coach Deric Yanagisawa said. “We have to learn to adapt and continue to get the job done.”
Adjusting to COVID-19 has been difficult for all sports and it isn’t any different for baseball. The coaching staff struggled to make time and practice for varsity, junior varsity and frosh, but with a lot of organization, they were able to make it work. Current practices are back to normal—with the exception of masks.
“[The players] express frustration at times, and that’s understandable, but at the end of the day, they are happy to be out here and playing a game they love,” Yanagisawa said.
The team persevered throughout all the changes and came to practice with high spirits, Yanagisawa observed. They practice as hard as they can to compete to the best of their abilities and show their pride as athletes representing Fountain Valley High School (FVHS).
“These athletes at FVHS put a lot of time and effort into their activity,” Yanagisawa said. “They deserve a change to compete.”
Last year had been tough as seniors couldn’t play their final season, but this year Yanagisawa hopes to compete in the Sunset League while remaining safe.
Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis
“Tennis Team is our 2nd family [and] each day is absolutely [a] blessing,” head coach Harshul Patel said.
Tennis has struggled during quarantine, but maintained online practices as often as possible and tried to keep its players ready for an upcoming season. Before quarantine, the team practiced six days a week and Patel has kept this schedule to maintain a sense of normalcy.
“[I’m] very fortunate to be out on the court with my players and coaches,” Patel said. “[It] feels GREAT to be on our campus.”
With the season starting up again, Patel wants to focus on “improving each and every student on our team” and “win matches and league.” He predicts that the players will dominate the season and leave with a league title.
Girls’ Basketball
“I think you’ll see every level of athlete play like its’ their last game because now we realize we never really know if it will be our last game,” head coach Marianne Karp said. “There is no promise of tomorrow.”
Karp is grateful to the parents and coaches who’ve supported the team and remained by their side throughout these uncertain times.
Practices have been rough on the girls as major changes, including moving outdoors, affected the team. There has been an athlete who dropped basketball due to uncertainties, Karp explains, but the team is adjusting as best as they can by doing virtual practices as they can only practice in person twice a week.
“If we can do this, get into the gym, with no [COVID-19] cases we can begin to see a very late season of basketball,” Karp said.
Last year the girls had won their first league championship title in 24 years, and Karp hopes to push for more as the girls continue to play at the best of their abilities with a winning attitude. Along with the modified season, she hopes to set up fun competitions and activities for the players to enjoy themselves.
“We are looking forward to seeing athletes participate in their sport of choice and to also allow their parents to sit in the stands and enjoy seeing their daughters participate,” Karp said. “This is a big deal, a shared experience that can be talked about for years within a family.”
Girls’ Soccer
“It makes it difficult to create realistic game situations when you’re not allowed to have contact or come within 6 ft of your teammates or opponents,” head coach Scott Goldman said.
Soccer’s adjustment has been difficult as it is a contact sport, but with the season starting the girls have been anxious and excited to return to competition.
“The Barons should look forward to seeing a girls soccer program that is experienced, energized [and] committed,” Goldman said.
Overall the main focus is to enjoy the season as they weren’t allowed to play last year while remaining safe.
Boys’ basketball head coach D’Cean Bryant, wrestling head coach Brad Woodbury, boys’ soccer head coach Jason Smith, swim head coach Christine Locke and badminton head coach David Gutierrez did not respond for an interview.
