Published May 23, 2020
Kyle Neddenriep talks COVID-19’s impact on recreational, high school sports
Will Coleman  •  Hoosier Huddle
Staff
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With Memorial Day around the corner, it’s only fitting that recreational sports in the state of Indiana make their initial re-opening this weekend. Contact sports teams are able to condition, non-contact sports are able to practice, and soon enough they’ll be able to compete.

But while we’re as little as three weeks away from the return of games and competitive play, the state’s athletic community is only just beginning to understand the repercussions of the last ten weeks. IndyStar high school sports reporter Kyle Neddenriep is confident that there will be seasons to be played this fall, just not how people are used to them.

“It’s not going to be back to normal, I don’t think anything will look exactly normal, but I think that’s okay and I think we have to live with that,” Neddenriep told Indiana Sports Beat. “That’s the biggest thing, is to get to a point where we can kind of get back to some sense of normalcy. I hope coaches out there and administrators for these programs are being smart about it and sticking to the guidelines.”

While sports have only returned in a limited capacity so far, Neddenriep added that the coronavirus’ impact on the collegiate recruiting trail isn’t as long-term and only affects one specific group. He said that it’s this time of year when sleeper prospects of the incoming senior class are discovered, and some of those under-the-radar athletes won’t get that chance this year.

“It does change things for a lot of kids who are in that position,” Neddenriep said. “For that 2022 Class and down there’s still plenty of time... but for that class that’s gonna be seniors right now, some of those guys or girls who could bump up to a Division-1 scholarship offer or go from mid-major to high-major aren’t really getting those opportunities to prove what they can do.”


The recruiting world has stayed surprisingly active during the pandemic despite its virtual restraints, and yet there’s still a lot of movement for the NCAA to give in and lift its recruitment restrictions. There’s no guarantee, however, that scouting events and both campus and in-home visits will ever be condoned this summer.

“I’ve been hearing that possibly a couple of weekends could open up in August for recruiting, but that’s down the road and I don’t know what’s going to happen exactly,” Neddenriep added.

As far as all the necessary pieces for a feasible fall sports season, Neddenriep is a little skeptical of certain peoples’ expectations. The National Federation of State High School associations – headquartered in Indianapolis – released some preliminary instruction with future considerations for athletics this week, and it’s tough to imagine the implementation of some of these guidelines without any setbacks.

Be it constantly cleaning equipment or taking temperatures and testing for the virus multiple times per week, there are obvious challenges that Neddenriep acknowledged. For all the small, low-division teams without as much funding or large staffs, it presents both physical and financial obstacles.

“We have to come up with something that’s doable and also safe,” Neddenriep said. “I don’t think people are realistic when it comes to that because these athletic directors and coaches already have a ton on their plate, so to add that element they’re going to need some help. Everybody’s going to have to pitch in.”

To listen to the rest of the interview and more, check out the tweet below.


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