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NILES — Disappointment, not surprise, was the reaction from area coaches and athletic directors when the Michigan High School Athletic Association announced it was canceling the remainder of the winter sports season and the entire spring schedule on Friday afternoon.

Most of them were hoping that somehow they would be able to play at least a limited spring sports schedule and host state tournaments, but when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced last Thursday that schools would remain closed for the remainder of the year, they knew sports did not stand a chance.

Coaches and athletic directors alike feel terrible for the athletes, and particularly the senior athletes who did not know they had played their final game last fall, last winter or even the previous spring if they only played one sport.

“The ruling by the state to cancel spring sports is still pretty surreal at the moment,” said Brandywine baseball coach David Sidenbender. “Emotions of sadness combined with anger. Sadness that my five seniors — John Johnson, Ty Mickiewicz, Connor Janowiak, Brock Prenkert, and Shane Brown — and the rest of a promising young team will not have the chance to compete this year. Anger that things out of our control can take things away from you. A sentiment that I’ve shared with each team I’ve ever had, over 25 years of coaching,

“You don’t know many games you have left. Take advantage of everything you have. Don’t take for granted one out, one inning, one at-bat, one game. Leave it all out on the field.”

While disappointment and shock are still part of coping with the decision, everyone understands the need to have made it. Lives are being lost, with many more still to succumb to the virus before the outbreak ends. Sports certainly need to take a back seat at this time, coaches said.

“It is a huge disappointment to see spring sports canceled,” said Edwardsburg athletic director Kevin Dean. “While I understand the importance and gravity of the situation and the need to keep everyone isolated and healthy, it is still hard to process not having sports as a part of our everyday life. I feel sad for the student-athletes, especially the seniors, who lose out on the opportunity to play, spend time with their teammates and have fun, and also the coaches, who put in so much time prepping for the season and providing such valuable life lessons to their athletes. 

“I am hopeful that things will return to normal in time for the fall athletes to have the proper time to prepare for their season and that it can start without interruption.”

Dowagiac Athletic Director Brent Nate agrees with Dean.

“It is understandable why sports are canceled,” he said. “But I am extremely disappointed for our players and coaches, especially our senior athletes. They put the time in during the offseason and to not have a chance, while we understand it, it is still disappointing.”

It is a bitter pill to swallow for coaches and players, especially those who have many seniors on their rosters and for those who were expecting to have an outstanding spring sports season.

“I have six seniors and my No. 1 singles [Megan Schmidt] was a returning all-state player and our No. 1 doubles player [Maigon Conrad] was a returning all-state player. All six of my seniors would have been at No. 1 and 2 singles and No. 1 and 2 doubles, so this probably would have been one of the better teams I had on paper,” said Brandywine coach Joe Marazita. “The last two years we have had a top 10 finish. I think this year, we could have had an all-time high of finish eighth in the state with the experience we had coming back.”

Marazita said that it has to be devastating for the players to have their season taken away from them.

“I run a summer program,” he said. “So, we get all the kids together through the summer and then we start up winter condition in January, and I had a great turnout for both of them. It was like you just ran into a wall once this [COVID-19] took foot in the United States, and especially out in Washington and New York City. Some of the texting I had done with the players, they are just heartbroken.”

Dowagiac softball coach Mike Behnke said once it was announced there would be no more school this year, he knew that was more than likely going to be the end of sports as well.

“Even before that, I had my doubts,” he said. “When Indiana went to May 1 before they were going back to school, and I had heard several other states say they were not going back to school, with the way the numbers were increasing in Michigan, we were not going back or having sports.”

Coaches are also concerned with what will happen to their athletes when it comes to securing scholarships.

“If  [colleges] are still looking for a player, it is going to be tough for them,” Behnke said. “This is going to be hurting kids who develop and have worked hard for their senior year, and they have a great year, and then they can go somewhere. Now what? The team I really feel bad for is Three Rivers. They were going to be really good. They got their pitcher back this year who tore her ACL last year in basketball. They were going to be one of the top teams in the state. For a school like Three Rivers, who has developed into a powerhouse the past three or four years, but has a chance to make a state run, that really has to be devastating.”