By TIM KELLY
As America continues to wait for the resumption of major league and college sports, New Jersey’s high school football programs appear to be ahead of the curve.
On Friday afternoon, Ocean City High School’s head coach Kevin Smith received confirmation from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) that the Red Raiders and other public and non-public school football programs may begin summer workouts on Monday, July 13.
Of course, the practices will be different than in years past, with strict social distancing measures mandated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The guidelines are long and specific,” for resuming practice, said Smith, who added that he was looking forward to seeing his players in person for the first time since March.
“It’s been a different experience, and we knew that was going to be the case,” he said. “I haven’t seen the players at all, other than to run into a few kids around town.”
In previous years, Smith said his team would have completed their summer week-long mini-camp on Friday. This time around, they held a “Virtual Mini-Camp” using Zoom meeting technology.
Each player was responsible for his own individual off-season conditioning program using weight training if the player had access to weights, and resistance training for those who don’t have a home gym.
Smith said the Zoom sessions allow the coaching staff to discuss players’ individual workouts, go over basic offensive and defensive schemes and watch video of the Raiders running the plays.
Mostly though, he said, the virtual meetings are for teaching the “core philosophies” of the program such as discipline, character and accountability and attitude. Attendance was mandatory and the sessions were treated with the same importance of pre-pandemic practices.
As for the actual live workouts starting next month, the coaches will instruct groups of no more than 10 players. There will be no pads and no contact. That part is similar to what would have happened during the “old normal,” Smith said.
“(These workouts) are for drill work and technique mostly,” he said. “That’s what we would have been doing anyway. The main difference is we can’t be on the field together as a team or have 11 on 11 drills.”
The players will be assigned in positional groupings for the instruction. For example, offensive linemen will be working out together with instruction from their position coaches.
Smith said the July 13 startup is “phase one” for re-opening high school ball in New Jersey, and that after two weeks, or July 27, the NJSIAA will re-evaluate how things are going and possibly move on to the next phase.
Ocean City has an edge over most programs, coming off an historic 9-3 season, including two postseason victories and a berth in the South Jersey championship game. It was O.C.’s best record in two decades. The Raiders return 16 starters, seven on offense and nine on defense. The program’s overall turnout is strong, with nearly 70 players on the preseason roster.
“One of the benefits of having an experienced team is knowing where everyone fits,” Smith said, adding that the players and coaches know what to expect from one another.
Using a virtual tool called Huddle, the coaches are able to install basic schemes on both sides of the ball, diagram plays and show video clips of how the concepts are to be run.
He said the live programs will break out with seven “pods” of approximately 10 players and one coach assigned to each group.
The status of the 2020 season still has numerous questions attached, but it appears New Jersey high schools are ahead of their counterparts in the pros and in major colleges, according to Smith.
“To be honest, I think many of the states opened up too early and didn’t adhere to the recommended steps,” he said, referring to college and pro teams dealing with numerous players testing positive for the virus. “I think New Jersey was really smart and did a good job of sticking with the plan.”
But that doesn’t mean there are expectations for the usual packed houses at Carey Stadium come fall. The opening game is scheduled for September 3, when Holy Spirit invades O.C. in one of the most anticipated opening night matchups.
“Nobody is sure what the games are going to look like, if fans will be allowed or how that is going to work,” Smith said. “We’re just taking things day by day.”
