Offseason? What offseason?

At this point last summer, high school football teams around Section VI (and Monsignor Martin) were hosting various types of on-campus workouts.


What You Need To Know

  • High schools in New York State may host workouts after Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives his approval

  • Under NYSPHSAA guidelines, players must take temperature checks before each practice and only noncontact workouts are permitted for two weeks

  • Winter sports in New York were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while spring sports were eliminated entirely

“We would have already played 7-on-7 practice and been at 7-on-7 camp," says South Park head coach Tim Delaney. "Now, we would have been at a team camp out at Cheektowaga. We've been doing that for years with five to six other schools."

"We would go four days a week from 7 a.m. until about 9:30. That's been a big reason for the success in our program over the past couple of years," adds Lancaster assistant Sean Bruso. "We’ve had about 96 percent attendance the last few years."

"Every week, we'd be getting together for lifts and for field work," says Canisius head coach Rich Robbins. "Those types of things. I also think the other things we do at Canisius that are a little unique is all the team-building. All the team retreat stuff."

Although Erie County has entered Phase 4 of the state's reopening, schools are still not allowed to host on-campus workouts until Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives his approval. Coaches are working around this limitation with creative solutions.

"We've been able to do some unbelievable video and film studies," says Robbins. "Chalk talk stuff. Virtual meetings and stuff with those guys."

The loss of the spring season meant that coaches could start working with their players sooner, since many of them play multiple sports.

"We typically don't get to see our kids until the offseason," says Bruso. "From an installation standpoint, with everything we're doing virtually, we feel like we’re ahead of the game."

Delaney also pointed out a potential benefit of losing on-campus workouts.

"You're really going to find which kids are that serious about football and staying in shape," he says. "They're dedicated, and it shows that Western New York football has just continued to get better because those kids are taking it seriously."

As infection rates decrease in New York, coaches are hopeful that we’ll still have football season.

"I would say we're cautiously optimistic," says Bruso. "We're officially two months away from the start of the season."

"We’ve done everything we possibly can at Canisius to prepare to phase back in. Have these guys back in, and follow all the guidelines. Ordering the protective face shields, and ordering the thermometer guns," says Robbins.

"Hopefully, everybody can continue to take the right precautions," says Delaney. "Life can start to return to some bit of normalcy. People can stay safe and stay healthy."

Coaches say that once practices resume, they will likely focus on strength and conditioning. Under NYSPHSAA guidelines, practices are heavily regulated. For the first two weeks, only non-contact drills are allowed, and players can’t use tacking dummies, footballs, or sleds.​