Tenatively scheduled to resume spring sports practices Monday, April 6, the Wyoming High School Activities Association instead announced over the weekend its decision to push that date back to April 20.

The decision by the WHSAA to extend the date — announced Saturday in a press release — comes on the heels of Governor Mark Gordon’s decision Friday to extend school closures an additional two weeks, further shrinking an already small window of opportunity for spring sports and activities to compete.

“We will extend the suspension of spring sports until Monday, April 20th,” read the WHSAA’s press release, in part. “So that everyone will be on an equal playing field, there will continue to be NO PRACTICES during the suspension.”

March has been a frustrating month for Uinta County and its three school districts, especially for spring sports and activities; beginning with the cancellation of the Class 3A/4A State Basketball Championships and the subsequent shutdown of all schools and school-related programs, students, coaches and parents alike are left to play the waiting game.

“The first week of March was fast and furious, trying to get the season started,” said Evanston Lady Devils head soccer coach Karalyn Barton. “To have it put on hold before it even begins is hard for the kids. I’m hoping we can get something in, but at this point, you just don’t know.”

Prep soccer has proven to be a tough sell in Evanston, even without the current shutdown — a lack of a permanent practice field, coupled with limited access to practices on turf (Evanston is the only 4A program in the state that doesn’t play its home games on a turf field) has made it difficult in the past to field competitive teams at the high school level.

“If we had a turf field to practice on, it would be a game-changer,” she said. “Last year, I thought we were very competitive, but everyone else from the get-go was playing on turf, and everything we end up playing on is so much different than what we’re able to practice on.”

Barton said she has athletes in place to build a solid foundation this season, but without a season to play, she worries that interest will wane.

“If we can get two weeks of practicing in — and the girls are in shape — we should be able to still do something if we can resume,” she said. “I can’t imagine it’s the state’s goal not to have spring sports, especially for the seniors. I just feel so bad for them.”

Barton has just one senior on the Lady Devils’ roster this season — three-sport standout Taryn Wagstaff — who is poised to have a breakout season on the pitch.

“Taryn is a good, good soccer player,” Barton said. “Not to take anything away from her other sports, but I think out of all the sports she’s done, she’s the best at soccer. She’s an All- Conference-caliber player, for sure. I really feel bad for her.”

With the team unable to practice together, Barton has been sharing YouTube training videos with her players that they can do on their own or with a sibling.

“It’s mostly going to be working on their individual ball-control skills, because they can’t get together as a group,” she said. “It has to be done solo, or if they have a brother or sister they can pass the ball back and forth with. I’ve also posted videos of games they can watch, as well as some tactical videos. That’s what we’re trying to do right now to keep the players engaged.”

EHS head track and field coach Roy Barker has taken a similar approach to Barton in ensuring his athletes will be ready if and when practices resume. Like the soccer programs, the track teams were also able to get a week’s worth of practice in before the shutdown began.

“The biggest thing I’ve been trying to do for our team when I communicate with the kids is tell them to just stay positive,” Barker said. “A lot of them are worried whether we’ll even have a season — and we just don’t know those answers. So we keep telling them, ‘Hey, enjoy it — enjoy the working out, enjoy the training — just stay positive as possible right now in what you’re trying to do.’”

Barker went on to say he and his staff will pick up the interaction with the kids in the next couple of weeks, offering creative ways for athletes to work out on their own.

“The kids are awesome with social media stuff, so we’re going to try some Instagram stuff, YouTube videos of kids working out — sharing those things and motivating each other, trying to be positive and encouraging,” he explained. “I’m terrible at social media, so my kids are trying to coach me up.”

Despite having 85-90 kids out for track, Barker said there aren’t a lot of seniors on the roster, though the seniors he does have are a talented bunch. He’s hoping they get the opportunity to compete one last time.

“It’s a small senior class, but it’s a very good senior class,” he said. “They’re a committed group. I feel for them — my own son is a senior, so it’s kind of hard to watch all of them go through this. But they’re trying to be positive, getting in their workouts and just anticipating a time they can go and compete.”

For now, the state continues in a holding pattern in regard to spring sports and activities — there were no further updates from the WHSAA as the Herald went to press Monday afternoon — though the WHSAA will meet again this week with the Board of Directors, as well as continue to gather input from member schools.

“Due to the continuing influence of COVID-19, we are not able to predict when it will be safe to resume spring sports,” the WHSAA wrote on its website. “We will continue to be guided by the Government of Wyoming, including the Wyoming Department of Health and the State Department of Education.”