There will be no sports in the fall at SBCC and Allan Hancock College, as the governing body of community college athletics in California voted to move all its intercollegiate sports for the 2020-21 school year to the spring season.
The Board of Directors of the California Community College Athletic Association overwhelmingly approved implementation of its Contingency Plan on Thursday. The plan is divided into two phases for the spring of 2021. The first phase has football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, water polo, wrestling, men’s and women’s cross country and women’s golf starting practice in mid-January and beginning competition in February. They would finish in April
The second phase will include the traditional spring sports of baseball, softball, women’s beach volleyball, men’s golf, swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, track & field and men’s volleyball. They’ll start practice in late March and commence play on April 10 and run through June.
All sports will have a 30 percent reduction in the maximum number of contests or competition dates they are currently permitted and have regional postseason competition. Formats for the postseason will be announced at a later date.
The CCCAA will not have state championships in 2020-21.
SBCC Athletic Director Rocco Constantino said compressing the entire sports calendar into one season will be a challenge.
“Trying to run our entire sports program in the spring semester obviously creates tremendous staffing problems, but we will do our best to serve our students and make it all work,” he said. “As always, the top priority of whatever plans we have will be the health and safety of our staff and students.”
Said Hancock AD Kim Ensing: “While we are discouraged, we are not surprised given the current climate. Hancock is going to its best to support our student-athlete population. We plan to implement intercollegiate conditioning during the fall semester when conditions allow for it. Our athletic training staff, Cheo Munoz and Kayla George, have done a tremendous job preparing our coaching staff for the resocialization of our student-athletes. This is a very challenging time for our student-athletes but we are committed to staying connected and engaged with them we navigate this unprecedented situation. We thank our coaching staff for quickly adapting to this ever-changing situation changes.”
The Contingency Plan was among three potential scenarios approved by the Board in early June. The Board based its decision on a recommendation from the CCCAA’s COVID-19 Work Group and decided to approve immediate implementation of the plan rather than wait for its original target date of July 17.
“I know I speak for the entire CCCAA Board that moving fall athletics to Spring 2021 is a huge disappointment,” Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Board Chair and President of Pasadena City College, said in a statement. “However, the need to keep our student-athletes and the amazing coaches and athletic trainers who work with them safe was simply the only option available with the virus spiraling out of control across the state.”
Constantino said SBCC has been planning for all the possible scenarios for the 2020-21 sports season.
“Now that the CCCAA has made their decision, we can get to work on the details and the logistics on how we can provide the same fantastic athletic and academic experience for our students that we always do,” he said. “I have meetings starting first thing tomorrow morning to start working out some of these logistics and the (Western State Conference) will be scheduling an ADs meeting soon. The WSC will be sending out adjusted athletics conference schedules soon as well.
“At this time, what I can say is that we all need to work together to make this happen. We’ll all have to make sacrifices and possibly do things we aren’t typically expected to do. I urge everyone to keep in mind that no matter how difficult things get throughout this process, we should keep in mind that we are here to serve our students and, if that means going above and beyond for them, we’ll do it. “
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
