Although Wildcats aren’t back in school, winter sports are up and running, but with a twist. This season will involve many areas of play, including pools, gyms, and hockey rinks, and it took a large effort to get the Wildcats back in action safely.

According to hockey coach John Thompson, configuring a new safe and productive plan for the season was a test.

“The biggest challenges for us have been the need to re-invent how we conduct the season of hockey,” he said.

Across the board, common safety measures instituted by all sports include face masks at all times, limited contact, social distancing, perpetual sanitization, and no spectators allowed.

“Media access is set up for spectators to watch the event,” Thomson said.

In preparing for the games, girls basketball coach Kenisha Philips is grateful that those at West have provided many opportunities for players to stay in shape.

“Our training staff at Oshkosh West has been amazing in offering different lifting and conditioning for our athletes,” she said.

Throughout all sports, numbers remain an issue. Non-cut sports, such as swimming, are more affected than cut sports, such as basketball. The added numbers provide a greater challenge in keeping the team healthy.

“Swimming is a no-cut sport so we needed to organize practices around the limitations given,” swimming coach Kelly Wayne said.

While safety precautions will limit the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, sports with unique circumstances, such as swimming and wrestling, require even more preparation to get their athletes ready to compete. In addition to multiple daily practices to ensure limited contact, wrestling coach Duane Hartkopf states they are trying to limit contact as much as they can, which is not an easy matter to handle keeping in mind that wrestling involves constant physical contact.

“We are also keeping athletes with a single partner at this time to limit contact and on top of this we keep groups spaced about more than six feet at all times and sanitize often in practice,” he said.

Swimming provides its own challenges as well, as face masks can’t be worn at all times, and a crowded pool can easily lead to the spread of COVID-19.

“There are plastic barriers between the lanes and swimmers are spread out on opposite sides of the pool,” Wayne said. “Athletes have to wear face masks at all times on the deck. In addition, locker room usage is spread out, there are staggered changing times for the locker rooms along with no use of the showers.”

Coach Thomson realizes that the differences may be tough for those who may never have a regular sports season.

Senior Nick Pohjola tries to find a pass against Oshkosh North. The boys basketball team has started their season, but with no fans, and required masks.

“I particularly feel for the seniors on the team as they have given up the most,” he said.

But, the Wildcat coaches are making the best of their given circumstances and are very hopeful for having a great season and a fun time to take their mind off this stressful period.

“I am really excited for these boys to have a chance at a piece of normalcy in their lives right now,” Wayne said. “Especially with not being in the classroom, some normalcy would prove great for the athletes.”

These special circumstances can lead to positive outcomes, such as a closer team bonding and resilience.

“We are excited to grow as a team, individual people, while getting to represent West,” Harkopf said. “Hopefully we can compete in another successful season.”

By John Vandenheuvel

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue 3

December 11th 2020

Preparation, extensive safeguards hold key to winter sports moving forward as planned