Dubs Basketball Eyeing a Nervous Season With Virus Complications
Stacey Myrick, Elizabeth Hamilton
Sarden’s Boys: The North Atlanta varsity basketball squad, under the direction of head coach Kerry Sarden, will face a foe for the 2020-21 unlike anyone faced before — the tricky global virus known as COVID-19. Senior standouts Montavious Myrick and Charlie Hamilton are expected to lead the team this coming season.
Basketball players at North Atlanta have had a rough few months. In the absence of practice and summer league games, players have had to keep themselves in shape for when the sport makes its return. The much-anticipated fall league enables the players to start coming together as a team, but Georgia High School Association rules pose some limitations to what they can do.
Current knowledge suggests that the 2020-2021 basketball season will happen. Fall conditioning has been recently approved and will start Sept. 21 to Oct. 23. Then tryouts will begin on October 26.. There are some slight modifications that have to be made but the show must go on. Coach Kerry Sarden is hopeful about the team’s return to the court. “I am very excited about the season because we have a lot of potential,” he said. “If we come together organically we will be a good team.”
As of now, the schedule is up in the air. North Atlanta has had to cancel tournaments in Ohio and Tennessee because of the coronavirus. Regardless of specifics, this season is sure to be a competitive one, as Sarden hints at a match up against former state champions.
There is also the issue of protecting the health and safety of players and fans. With many people being asymptomatic, it would be hard to tell if a player has come down with a case of COVID-19. Players will have to learn from football’s mistakes, which cost them a delay in the season. Coach Sarden has taken the necessary precautions for this season. “We are following North Atlanta and APS guidelines that were put forth by the athletic department,” he said. “We have been doing lots of cleaning, wearing masks and checking temperatures.”
The loss in practice time could make or break the team’s early season success. Coach Sarden has sent out regiments for the players to do, but knows they might not be in top shape, as at-home training looks different. “If we were in school we would be doing conditioning and weightlifting,” he said.
Hopefully the success of the fall league translates into success during the season. Players will have to work hard and compete harder. This is sure to be a season like never before.
