Still waiting for word

CLOVIS - As the hoped-for start of 2020-21 high school sports fast approaches in New Mexico, players and coaches are waiting for the final word from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

As of early Tuesday, the state had not given a final go-ahead for the New Mexico Activities Association's abbreviated fall lineup, which is to include only volleyball, cross country and a portion of the spring golf schedule, with limits imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other sports activities aren't slated to take place until after New Year's. Over the summer, the NMAA this summer moved football and boys and girls soccer to the spring.

Full team workouts were slated to begin on Monday. Instead, coaches were still being limited to pods of nine athletes per coach in practice as high schools try to work around state-mandated restrictions.

The first day of competition is slated for Saturday. Several area schools, including Portales, have volleyball matches on tap that day.

Meantime, Clovis High cross country squads are slated to compete in a triangular at Carlsbad with Artesia, while Portales is hosting Lovington and New Mexico Military at Eastern New Mexico University. Cross country events are limited to three teams this fall.

"We really hope the kids get to play," said CHS volleyball coach Darrel Ray, whose team's first outing is slated for Tuesday against Roswell Goddard at The Rock. "But what I'm concerned about is this lack of communication, so you don't really know. I'm worried (volleyball) may be pushed to the second semester."

The restrictions have had a major impact on how teams practice.

"It's not a good situation," he said. "You couldn't put as many line drills together to see who can actually operate while the game is going on."

PHS athletic director Mark Gallegos said on Tuesday morning that cross country and golf appear relatively likely to get the go-ahead as outdoor activities, but more of a question remains on volleyball.

"That's the most frustrating part of this whole deal," Gallegos said. "We're approaching this as if we're going to play on Saturday, but we have to practice in the 9-to-1 pods. You can't scrimmage; you can only do certain drills."

He said the volleyball season could be moved back a couple of weeks, if necessary, and still be completed in the first semester. Volleyball is considered a "high-risk" sport by some, regarding potential physical contact.

"The NMAA had given (starting dates to) the state in June," Gallegos said. "We don't understand the delay."

A statement from NMAA Director Sally Marquez, released on Monday, said in part: "Our athletic directors are ready to move the calendar any way we need to, with the hope of (playing) these low-risk sports. The guidelines we sent up to the Governor has volleyball as a low risk sport with a lot of sanitation and mask wearing during play."