LC kickers hope for smoother spring
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LCCC’s Kofi Awuah, right, is one of nine international players who figure to play next spring when the Trailblazers and the NJCAA play the rescheduled men’s soccer season. Awuah is a sophomore from Ontario, Canada. He is down in action last season.
lessPhoto: Pete Hayes File | The TelegraphLCCC’s Kofi Awuah, right, is one of nine international players who figure to play next spring when the Trailblazers and the NJCAA play the rescheduled men’s soccer season. Awuah is a sophomore from Ontario,
... more
LCCC’s Kofi Awuah, right, is one of nine international players who figure to play next spring when the Trailblazers and the NJCAA play the rescheduled men’s soccer season. Awuah is a sophomore from Ontario, Canada. He is down in action last season.
lessLCCC’s Kofi Awuah, right, is one of nine international players who figure to play next spring when the Trailblazers and the NJCAA play the rescheduled men’s soccer season. Awuah is a sophomore from Ontario,
... moreGODFREY — Facing a fall without soccer games, Ryan Hodge was at least hoping for a jump start on the rescheduled NJCAA season next spring. But Hodge, the men’s soccer coach at Lewis and Clark Community College, said those expectations came up a bit short.
The coronavirus pandemic has even affected recruiting. The result is what Hidge terms “Going with the flow.”
“We had 60 days we could use for off-season practices,” Hodge sad. “But once that 60-period started and ended, it was over. There was no stashing days if you had to miss for any reason.”
That included unscheduled off days because of COVID quarantines.
Make that off weeks. The Trailblazers has to miss a two-week period smack dab in the middle of the practice period that had been set aside for fall sports whose seasons had been postponed to next spring because of the pandemic.
“It was start, stop, miss two weeks, start again,” Hodge said. “Plus, we had some international students who weren’t there. They are taking classes online this fall and coming in at the (holiday) break. It was difficult even having tactical practices since we were missing seven players.
“So we were really only able to get touches on the ball and do conditioning, which is good, but less than I had hoped for. I was hoping to get ahead so that when we start preseason practices in March, we’d be ahead of the game. That’s didn’t work out as planned, though. We’re going with the flow.”
Hodge planned to take in a recent high school soccer showcase at the Lou Fusz Athletic soccer complex in St. Louis County to watch possible recruits. But because of COVID restrictions in St. Louis County, the games for the showcase were scattered all over the area - anywhere other than St. Louis County.
“Instead of having eight or nine fields with games all at the same place, games were in places like Wentzville, Columbia, Boonville, O’Fallon,” Hodge said. “It really wasn’t their fault. They were doing the best they could. But there was a lot more driving between games to see players.”
When the pandemic hit last March, the NJCAA first cancelled the remaining basketball playoffs, then the rest of spring sports seasons, and finally came postponements and rescheduling of this year’s fall sports to next spring. The association, which governs community college athletics in the U.S., has announced that athletes who compete during the 2020-21 school year will not be charged for a year’s eligibility, however.
“Preseason practices can start March 15,” Hodge said. “Hopefully, we’ll have everybody in town by then.”
Hodge said he understands why the international students, including three men’s players from Australia, chose not to report last August as usual.
“With the way everything had been changing, it was a lot to ask them to fork over $3,000 for a plane ticket to the U.S. and then maybe not play or be able to get to classes,” Hodge said. “They were also concerned about being stranded so far from home.
“I think things are looking better now.”
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Going with the flow - Alton Telegraph
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