WELSH, La — When the LHSAA told schools to hold off on workouts until June 8th, Welsh Head Coach Cody Gueringer wasn't a fan.
"I just thought it was blanket and over dramatic in regards to putting that out there for June 8th, in regards to trying to adhere to phase 2," Gueringer said. "Because phase 1 allows for less than 10 individuals together. So we had the ability to get together but now were throwing that to the wayside."
The league says at the heart of their decision was equity among schools and student safety
"The sanitization, the availability to take everyone's temperature, who's going to take everyone's temperature and how are you going to monitor that?" LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine said. "All of those logistical things need taken into account."
Gueringer's initial concern was enforcement. But since, the association has detailed penalties for violators that range from fines to entire athletic program suspensions. Still he believes programs were equipped to start earlier.
"The NFHS sent an email out to (Bonine). There's emails going through these protocols, of phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, for coaching," Gueringer explained. "So we know exactly, in regards to the parish, how we're going to set this up and do all of these things."
While Gueringer was ready for the Greyhouds to start only a week earlier on June 1st, other coaches prefer to err on the side of caution.
"I think its important that we have all the safety measures in place," Church Point Head Coach J.C. Arceneaux said. "Make sure our procedures are solid. That we can check their temperatures and keep (the players) properly spaced out."
When training resumes at Welsh, Guerenger hopes it gives his players some sense of normalcy.
"Ultimately, a healthy a safe environment is what everybody wants," Gueringer said. "Along with in Louisiana, people want to go back to reality in some capacity. Reality is not anywhere near normal soon. But look at the NFL Draft. It was a virtual draft and it was the highest (rated) ever. It was a way to take themselves out of the environment that they're in every day. And that's what sports does."
"There's no right answer about this," Gueringer added. "There's not. There's a bunch of opinions, but there's never going to be a right answer about this. What everybody wants is normal."
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