“Communication and consistency. We haven’t been able to see each other for over 7 months and people have moved or changed numbers and email, it’s been tough”, says Nicholas Dellaria, Northeast High School Head Football Coach. The football team has faced many challenges due to COVID-19. The fear of the virus has caused players and parents to struggle in deciding whether or not students will be playing this year. In addition, students are now facing the challenge of how to get to practice after classes.
Practice Put on Pause
The team has been put on hold in terms of training and practice for at least 7 months as they have not been able to see each other since late February 2020. “Missing 7 months can’t be forced into a short time frame”, Dellaria expressed. Broward County Public Schools has been following the recommendations from state and federal government while still keeping the health and safety of the students and staff in mind. Once the guidelines provided were met, BCPS and the State developed a comprehensive plan to slowly start back up. The team has been slowly progressing as BCPS ensures the players are safe avoiding injury as well as illness.
Guidelines for the New Season
The season has definitely begun in terms of preparation. Games are set to begin on October 30th, 2020. All players must be socially distanced while on the sidelines and wearing face coverings while not on the field. These same safety measures are included in trainings and practices. Dellaria stated, “As things get better it may change, and the opposite may occur too…”.
Gameday and Fan Information
In terms of changes for anyone interested in attending games, fans are allowed. All social distancing guidelines and mandatory face coverings are required for fans as well. Pre-sale tickets are being looked into as well as possibly the sales of E-tickets due to capacity limitations on each game. As of right now, it looks as though the Northeast High School Marching Band will unfortunately not be in attendance of the games.
Coach's Remarks
The Northeast High School Football Team has come a long way and is trying to thrive as much as possible throughout the pandemic the best they know how. “They have been eager to get back on the field and we need all the help we can get”, said Dellaria. They have had many different struggles in the past months including some financial hardships in addition to the pandemic. The team is dedicated to working hard to change how people see the football team as well as Northeast High School.
Please be sure to follow the Northeast High School Football Team on Twitter @TheBallCoach76. Go Canes!
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