Spring sports canceled: Season ends before it began for Vanguards

Dennis Wood prides himself on teaching “life lessons” to his girls softball team at Wisconsin Heights. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic beat him to the punch. The WIAA officially canceled spring sports Tuesday due to the ongoing coronavirus. The decision came after Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers extended his stay-at-home order through May 26 and closed schools for the rest of the academic year. Coaches and athletes from across the state — including those at Heights — struggled with the news, but also seemed to understand the bigger picture. “I feel most understand the big picture,” Wood said. “Lives of our families and friends mean more than any athletic event.   “Having said that, I know they have to be wondering, ‘What could have been?’ For our seniors, it’s especially tough as this was their last chance to play the game they love while representing the Wisconsin Heights Vanguards.” Heights track and field coach Sara Boutelle had similar feelings. “Emotionally it is difficult to know that another month of seeing my athletes will come and go,” she said. “We’ve missed the team part of the season the most.”  The WIAA initially postponed all athletic participation following an executive order issued by the governor on March 13 that closed all public and private schools on March 18. That order put a premature end to the basketball seasons, which were still in their tournament series. Since then, spring sports teams have kept the faith they might be able to salvage some type of season. While teams haven’t been able to hold organized practices, athletes continued doing individual workouts and held virtual meetings with coaches and teammates. When Evers extended his stay-at-home mandate, many took the news extremely hard. “Several messages I have emailed the team have asked them to stay positive while hoping to have a chance to play,” Wood said of his team. “A couple weeks back we hosted a ZOOM conference with the team with members telling each other what they have been doing, individually, to keep prepared for the season. The meeting was uplifting as it was nice to see their faces and hear their voices.” Boutelle agreed — and also tried finding some positives during a rough time. “This didn’t come as a shock. I had a feeling the stay at home order would be extended to ensure Wisconsin residents could help each other stay safe and healthy,” she said. “The kids are resilient. We had a Zoom team meeting with about 30 of them this past Friday, and we shared some laughs and stories from the past weeks. It was a fun bonding moment.”