Coaches at Skyline College, College of San Mateo remain optimistic

“We went from March until the end of September with no (team) activity,” Piegrossi said. “We were not allowed to do anything (in-person) with our players.”

Piergrossi and other community college coaches from around the state hope to start ramping up their activity as community college athletics remains on track for a January practice start, with games beginning in February. Last Friday, the California Community College Athletic Association voted to continue forward with the contingency plan that was approved in July. The plan, much like is being proposed at the high school level, has the community college athletic calendar split into two seasons. Season 1 — basketball, cross country, football, women’s golf, soccer, women’s volleyball, water polo and wrestling — will begin practice Jan. 18, games Feb. 5 and ending the season in mid-April.

Season 2 — which encompasses badminton, baseball, beach volleyball, men’s golf, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and men’s volleyball — starts practice March 27, games April 10 and the season concluding June 23.

There are some changes in the number of games allowed and there will be no state championship events for 2021. Playoffs will run through regional finals.

All of this, however, is still contingent on state officials green-lighting play under the cloud of COVID-19.

“ The Board of Directors reaffirmed following the Contingency Plan while also expressing that the plan is only a framework and final decisions to participate in competition will be left to institutions in consultation with their local health authorities,” the CCCAA said in a statement on its website.

Tim Tulloch, College of San Mateo head football coach, like Piergrossi, will take it. The simple fact the CCCAA did not call off the season is a win.

“Our first game wouldn’t be until February, which gives us three more months to see where we’re at,” Tulloch said. “It certainly helps to have all the [four-year programs] in the state go first (with their football season) and then we can learn from them.”

Tulloch said there were a couple of administrative issues that were worked out during the meeting. One, the CCCAA’s COVID-19 Work Group will set a deadline for schools to opt out of the season as schedules will need to be revamped. Also, Tulloch said playing this season will not cost an athlete a year of their eligibility.

“I think [Monday] was the first day I had a lot of confidence that we’re going to play this year. I didn’t have that confidence before,” Piergrossi said. “[The CCCAA] had a chance to shut it down and they didn’t do that.”

Both Piergrossi and Tulloch said the next step is to begin to transition to more sports-specific training. Tulloch said the CSM football program is moving into phase 2 of its return, moving from pods of 10 to 25 — with safety protocol staying in place. Piergrossi said by the end of the month, his team is hoping to be back in the gym.

But both know all of this hinges on COVID-19 loosening its grip.

“The activity (allowed) is really handled on a school-by-school, county-by-county basis,” Tulloch said. “Some counties are in weight rooms … and there are some schools that aren’t doing anything (athletically).”

Both coaches said their teams are being tested for the virus and are encouraging their players to continue to do the things that will allow them to take the field or court at the start of new year.

“We have some very strict guidelines that our staff, administrators and players are doing a good job following,” Tulloch said. “The key factors, I think, of having a chance to safely play is going to be, one, all of us taking responsibility, being smart by wearing a mask and social distancing. The other part is going to be the testing and contact tracing.”

With a plan in place and permission to cautiously move forward, community college coaches in the state are slowly starting to turn their attention toward playing and will continue to do so until they’re told they can’t.

“We’re just trying to focus on the players and keeping them engaged and active and just on the right path, no matter what we hear from the state or the district,” Piergrossi said. “Everything is just such an unknown.”