Nothing comes easy for sports in COVID-19
world
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| A Saskatoon Selects pitcher fires in a pitch. |
They came away winners because those sports were able to have a summer season. During these times that has the world caught in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the fact a sports body was able to have a season should be considered a major accomplishment.
On a cool, crisp and picturesque Thursday night at the
diamonds at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, local leagues played out their
final games of the 2020 campaign. With most leagues first hitting the field on
July 6, close to two full months of baseball and softball was played in
Saskatchewan.
That is likely far more action than most expected to see in
those sports. The games on Thursday were watched by modest groups of spectators
that physically spaced apart from each other around the diamonds.
Teams were able to play for city championships and house
league championships. In the case of the Under-18 AAA Saskatchewan Premier
Baseball League, they were able to hold a championship game for a circuit that
had teams around the province.
On August 23 at Optimist Park in Regina, the Sask Five Giants from Martensville slipped past the host Regina Athletics 2-0 to capture the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League crown in a one game showdown.
The odd league was slated to host post-season games this coming weekend.
On August 23 at Optimist Park in Regina, the Sask Five Giants from Martensville slipped past the host Regina Athletics 2-0 to capture the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League crown in a one game showdown.
The odd league was slated to host post-season games this coming weekend.
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| A Saskatoon Outlaws pitcher chucks in an off-speed pitch. |
Still, it didn’t seem to be lost on anyone that took part in
games that it was a good thing they got to play games. In some cases, there might
have been a new found appreciation for being able to play games.
Most of the spectators that usually turned out during the
season were friends and family members of the players, but it was still great
for them to have something to look forward to during the week and somewhere to
go.
During a normal year, the bulk of the baseball regular
seasons are usually played in May and June.
Teams that play in July and August are some of the few that have won enough to take part in a provincial champion or national championship tournament.
Teams that play in July and August are some of the few that have won enough to take part in a provincial champion or national championship tournament.
Considering there was a very real possibility there could be
no season at all, what took place from July 6 through to Thursday felt like a
welcomed thing that injected some normalcy into life.
Memories were made during practices and games. For a few
hours, players, coaches and staffer were able to get their minds off what was
happening in their daily lives.
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| The Sask Five Giants ran to a Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League title. |
Overall, all those involved with minor baseball and softball
in Saskatchewan proved it is possible to play sports during a pandemic created
by an easily transmitted virus.
That meant paying attention to extra precautions like no
post-game handshakes between teams after game, frequent use of sanitizers and
having people stay home who are sick, even if it is just a minor illness.
The fact minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan were
able to complete campaigns in 2020 helps increase the optimism for other sports
it is possible to play during these crazy times.
Hat High retires use of “Mohawks,” “Kwahommies,”
other notes
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| Quinton Slack tears downfield during a 2012 Hat High practice. |
That time came on Thursday when principal Boris Grisonich
announced at a press conference in the school’s gym that Hat High was
discontinuing the use of “Mohawks” for its boys teams and “Kwahommies” for its
girls teams.
Of course, Hat High was continuing a trend that has gone on
for the last about 20 years with various stops and starts of sports teams at
all levels of sports in North America electing to no longer use team nicknames
that come from First Nations. The changes were made due to concerns about
racism.
The only program immune from that trend is the Florida State
University Seminoles of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That
comes from the fact the Seminole Tribe in Florida has officially sanctioned
that post-secondary institution to use the names and images associated with
Seminole history.
In Hat High’s case, Grisonich said the decision to retire
the “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” names had been years in the making. The “Kwahommies”
name was developed by spelling “Mohawks” backwards.
Grisonich said no new name has been picked and the school
teams will play under just the Medicine Hat High School name for the 2020-21
campaign and use the institution’s “M” logo.
Grisonich said with what has been going on the world lately
it made now a good time to retire the “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” names.
In 2020, the world has been caught in the grips of the
COVID-19 pandemic and more involved talks around racism with the Black Lives
Matter moment that originated in the United States.
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| The Hat High football team’s defence gets a gang tackle in 2012. |
Back in 2015, Suzanne Tripp, who graduated from Hat High in
June of that year, had a petition going to try and get the names of Hat High’s
sports teams changed. At that time, it was decided to continue with the use of “Mohawks”
and “Kwahommies.”
The Hat High football teams did use the “Redskins” moniker
in the 1950s and early 1960s, and few people in Medicine Hat remember the use
of that name in the current time. Had “Redskins” still been in use after the
1960s, that name likely would have been changed about a decade or two earlier
from the present time.
With all that noted, the Medicine Hat High School teams when
they went by the names “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” were associated with the
characteristics pride, honour and class.
When you think of the Hat High sports teams, you picture football
head coach Quinn Skelton guiding the Green and White to another win. Skelton,
who was named the NFL Canada youth coach of the year in 2008, has been the head
coach of the school’s football and rugby teams since the 1990-91 season.
Over the decades, he has had a huge positive impact on his
players and also the students at Hat High from his role as a teacher in that
school. Very few are held in as high regard amongst the student body at school
as Skelton is at Hat High.
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| Hat High HC Quinn Skelton, left, with Nathan Coehoorn in 2014. |
The goes for Canadian track and field star Sage Watson.
Memories of students doing the “Cha Cha Slide” during
halftimes of football games at the Methanex Bowl will live forever.
The great memories that have been made at Hat High will
never disappear.
Of course, there has been push back over the name change in
Medicine Hat. All one has to do is look at the comments section from social
media posts about the name change coming from the Medicine Hat News and CHAT
Television media outlets.
Over time, the hurt feelings will likely fade.
Hat High will continue to build on its spectacular history,
because of the quality people that are inside that institution.
- On Wednesday, Regina sports radio voice Michael Ball said his son Ethan has tested positive for COVID-19. Ethan is a freshman defensive back with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team and is down in Grand Forks, N.D. The Fighting Hawks play in NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Ethan is a graduate of Regina’s Riffel High School Royals football team. Michael interview Ethan for “The Growing the Game with Ballsy” podcast on Wednesday that can be found by clicking right here.
- On Wednesday, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed he, his wife and two children tested positive for COVID-19. In an Instagram video that lasted 11 minutes and 35 seconds, Johnson said his family is on the other side of the virus and they are no longer contagious. Johnson’s Instagram video can be found by clicking here.
- According to Worldometer at the time this post went live 878,133 people have died so far this year in the world due to the coronavirus. Also this year, Worldometer has reported 1,141,158 people in the world so far this year have died of HIV/AIDS, 727,946 died by suicide, 665,855 died by malaria, 571,650 people have died by water related diseases, 331,539 died by seasonal flu, and 209,820 mothers have died during birth.
- You get the feeling the way Dr. Bonnie Henry, who is B.C.’s provincial health officer, talks that restrictions regarding COVID-19 will like last well into 2021.
- On Wednesday, Dan Barnes of Postmedia reported nine positions were terminated at the CFL head office in Toronto and 20 staff members were furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The departed includes Steve Daniel, who was the league’s senior director of game information and statistics.
- On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported the NCAA plans to furlough its entire staff from its head office in Indianapolis, Indiana, anywhere from three to eight weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughs will take place between Sept. 21 and the end of January of 2021. The NCAA’s Indianapolis office employees about 600 people.
- Way back on August 27, 1980, the Winnipeg Tribune news paper closed after a 90 year run. Patti Dawn Swansson and Gregg Drinnan posted tributes to the late publication on their respective blogs. Swansson’s piece can be found by clicking right here and Drinnan’s piece can be located by clicking right here.
- Back on this past Aug. 27, the City of Saskatoon reopened the Saskatoon Field House fitness and weight room and track and court area.
- On Thursday, Hockey Canada cancelled three events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include the National Women’s Under-18 Championship set for Nov. 2-8 in Dawson Creek, B.C., the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup set for Dec. 6-12 in Bridgewater, N.S., and the World Junior A Challenge set for Dec. 13-20 in Cornwall, Ont.
- On the good news front, the Saskatoon Hilltops announced they will return to practice next week. Practices for the venerable club, which has won 22 CJFL title, will run from Tuesday to Thursday for six weeks.
If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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