CIF's delayed sports season's impact on club sport athletes

SECTIONS ANNOUNCEMENTSON MONDAY BROUGHT SOME HOPE THATWE WILL SEE SPORTSAGAIN SOMETIME SOON.BUT AS THEY KNEW MAKING THEDECISION FOR A TWO-SEASONMODEL PUSHED BACK TO THE LASTMONTH OF THE YEAR WOULDBRING CHALLENGES FOR ATHLETESWHO NORMALLY PLAYOUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL.A BIG NOTE FROM THE C-I-F WASTHE ALLOWANCE FOR HIGH SCHOOLATHLETES TO CONTINUE COMPETINGWITH THEIR OUTSIDETEAMS DURING THEIR HIGH SCHOOLSEASONS.

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.SOMETHINGTHAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE.FOR DUAL COACH AMY PARKER.

..WHO COACHES LIBERTY GIRL'SVOLLEYBALL AND AT THE CLUBLEVEL.

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.SHE RECOGNIZES IT'SALL ABOUT THE BALANCE OFSCHEDULING FOR THOSE ATHLETESWHO WILL CHOOSE TO COMPETE INBOTH."I THINK IT'S GONNA REQUIRE YOUKNOWCLUB COACHES AND HIGH SCHOOLCOACHES ON BOTH SIDES TO BE ABLETOWORK TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW,MAYBE HAVE TO HAVE SOMECOMMUNICATION IN,YOU KNOW, SO THAT YOU KNOW WE'RENOT RUNNING OUR KIDS RAGGEDSEVEN DAYSA WEEK OR HOW DO WE GO STRAIGHTFROM HIGH SCHOOL PRACTICE TOCLUBPRACTICE TWO OR THREE DAYS AWEEK."AS PARKER PUTS IT.

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.THE ADULTSWILL HAVE TO COME TOGETHERFOR THE ATHLETE'S BENEFIT."DO ANY OF US REALLY WANT TOCONCEDE PRACTICE TIME?

NO.

BUT,YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT HIM TOGETBURNT OUT EITHER."OTHER SPORTS SUCH AS SOCCER,BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL ANDBASKETBALL ALSO RELY ON CLUBCOMPETITIONS FOR COLLEGERECRUITMENT.

.LIKE THE AMATEURATHLETIC UNIONKNOWN AS A-A-U.WHO NORTH HIGH'S ATHLETICDIRECTOR AND BOYS BASKETBALLCOACH HAS EXPERIENCE WITH ALONGWITH COLLEGECOACHING."WE FEEL LIKE AT NORTH THAT WEHAVEKIND OF A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE,WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER KIDSEXPOSURE TOWHERE THE AAU THING ISN'T AS BIGOF A DEAL WHERE I'M MORECONCERNED WHEN I'MLOOKING AT IT FROM THE ATHLETICDIRECTOR, PERSPECTIVE IS LIKETHE VOLLEYBALL SCENE, BECAUSECLUB VOLLEYBALL IS SUCH APROMINENTTHING IN BAKERSFIELD."AMY PARKER: "OUR KIDS GETRECRUITEDFROM CLUB, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TOCLUB TOURNAMENTS THAT'S WHERETHECOLLEGE COACHES ARE BECAUSE OURSEASON IS USUALLY THE SAME ASTHEIRS."CENTRAL SECTION COMMISSIONERRYAN TOS WANTED TOENSURE ATHLETES HAD OPTIONS EVENTHOUGH HE RECOGNIZES THATIT'S NOT THE PERFECT SITUATION."WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TOCOME UPWITH A PLAN TO FIT, NINE MONTHSWORTH OF SPORTS IN THE SIXMONTHS WITHOUT THERE BEING SOMEOVERLAP AND SOME CHALLENGES, ANDSOME CHOICES THAT PEOPLE AREGOING TO HAVE TO MAKE.

AND SO WEUNDERSTAND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE,BUT WE'RE ALSO REALLY HOPEFULTHAT WITH THE IDEA, A CHOICE, ORANOPTION IS BETTER THAN NOTHING."EVERYONE WILL BE FOCUSED ON THEPOSITIVES."THOSE LITTLE DETAILS ABOUT HEYYOU KNOW THIS KID MIGHT HAVE TOMISS TWO PRACTICES A WEEKBECAUSETHEY'RE ON A CLOCK PRACTICE OR ADIFFERENT SPORTS PRACTICE.

ITHINKWE'LL BE LUCKY TO HAVE THOSEPROBLEMS AT THAT POINT.""SPEAKING FOR MY KIDS LIKE THEYLOVEHIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL, IT IS SODIFFERENT THAN CLUB AND, YOUKNOW, THEYLOVE THE ATMOSPHERE.

THEY LOVETHAT PEOPLE GET TO WATCH THEMAND THEIR FRIENDS ARE IN THESTANDS.

AND, YES, SOMETIMESWE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOMEDECISIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA,YOU KNOW, OVERPOWER WHAT, BUT ITHINK IN THE LONG RUN MOST OFTHE KIDS IF YOU ASK THEM WILL BELIKE, 'ALRIGHT I CAN HANDLETHIS, AT LEAST I CAN DO BOTH'."ALONG WITH CLUB SPORTS.

..ANOTHER ISSUE WILL BE THEMULTI-SPORT ATHLETES WHO NOWLEAST I CAN DO BOTH'."ALONG WITH CLUB SPORTS.

..ANOTHER ISSUE WILL BE THEMULTI-SPORT ATHLETES WHO NOWHAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE IFTHEY CAN ALSO BALANCE THAT.SOMETHING I'LL LOOK INTO NEXT.FOR 23ABC SPORTS, I'M KARI,CONNECTING YOU.NEW INFORMATION TODAY ON THATTARGETED ATTACK