A slow return

Getting back to a normal routine seems to be very challenging for all of the football teams throughout Evangeline Parish.
With the state still in Phase II of the COVID- 19 pandemic return protocols, every team in the parish has had to make adjustments to how they approach their normal summer workouts.
Some of the protocols set in place by the LHSAA include taking daily temperatures of all the players before they even step into the facility, keeping group sizes to 25 or less and sanitizing all equipment after every use. If a player registers a temperature of 100.4 or higher then they are disqualified from participating in any type of activity for that day.
On top of that, coaches have to slowly re-introduce their players to the physical rigors of getting back into some semblance of shape before the season begins in earnest. Even with workouts being sent to players for self-conditioning while they were quarantined and away from the field of play, players are still not used to the heat or the pace of team workouts.
“I learned in college when I played that no matter how much you get ready in the off-season on your own, that first day back in team workouts you are gassed because the pace at which you workout is much faster,” stated Pine Prairie head football coach David Carrell.
Sacred Heart head coach Josh Harper also understands the concept that some of the players did not get enough workout in during their hiatus.
“I think it is going to take some time to get them into the shape they need to be in,” said Harper. “Usually we have spring training to keep us on a certain pace staying accustomed to the heat, but we did not have that this year. So right now we are just trying to help them get adjusted to the outside conditions.”
One big adjustment for all of the teams and their players is getting used to the protocols and guidelines set in place for them to be able to gather as a team in order to prepare themselves for the season ahead.
“I think the players are adjusting better to the protocols than I am,” said Mamou head football coach Dwight Collins in a tongue-in-cheek manner. “We have had to find creative ways to make sure that the players and the coaches are social distancing while at the same time going through the routines we have in place. Practices are definitely longer just because we have to make sure the players remain as safe as possible. It is most definitely a whole new world for us right now.”
Ville Platte head coach Jorie Randle says that having his players ready for the season will be a slow process that is going to take some time.
“With the situation that we have been in for the last three months, expectations are going to have to be on a day-by-day basis,” stated Randle. “More than anything we want to keep the players active. We started off by working on getting the core of our bodies back in shape so that we can get that much needed stability and balance back. Right now it is all about how much the players were able to accomplish away from the complex.”
For Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand just getting back into a routine is the best cure to the COVID-19 blues.
“It was time for us to get back to work,” commented Bertand. “I know the players were ready, I know the coaches were ready, and I was definitely ready. It is just of matter of knowing what we can and can’t do right now. I think once we get into the next phase here in the state that the protocols and guidelines will change to give us more freedom. It is a little more time consuming but it is worth it to be back getting ready for another season.