The Arkansas State Police plans to restore skills testing for driver license applicants next week. The tests will be limited to applicants who use the state police web site for scheduling a skills test and receive confirmation of the test date and time. Additionally, the tests will only be offered at twelve locations across Arkansas.
The web site scheduler for skills tests will be opened to applicants on Monday, May 4th. Applicants should be prepared to choose one of the twelve sites where the skills tests will be offered. The scheduler tool can be accessed at https://www.ark.org/asp_driver_scheduler/
On March 18th the Arkansas State Police implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus with temporary and limited adjustments in Class D driver license testing procedures. As the virus threat begins to diminish, the locations for license testing will be limited since many of the city and county facilities used by the state police remain closed to public access.
The continuing COVID-19 pandemic will require Class D skills test applicants to remain inside their vehicle at the open testing sites until a testing agent approaches the vehicle with further instructions.
Effective next Monday anyone at a state police facility for purposes of being administered any form of a driver license test (Class D written or skills and commercial driver license) will be required to wear an appropriate face mask covering both the mouth and nose, pass a health assessment survey, and be willing to submit to a body temperature scan. Social distancing practices will be mandatory at all testing sites. The new precautionary measures were developed in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Health.
Additional information and pre-requisites for driver license testing can be found at https://asp.arkansas.gov/services-and-programs/detail/driver-examination
By Fred Miller U of A System Division of Agriculture
So, you just had to slip out of COVID-19 isolation to pick up a few essentials at the grocery. You observed social distancing, wore a mask and, after you returned home and put your treasures away, you washed your hands and cleaned your kitchen surfaces just to play it safe.
So far so good.
One question — where was your smartphone while you were out there?
Research has shown that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, transfers from infected people onto surfaces by touching, coughing or sneezing, said Kristen Gibson, associate professor of food safety and microbiology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
From those surfaces, the virus can transfer to any human hands that touch them. Cell phones have surfaces, Gibson said, and she’s especially mindful of touchscreen smartphones.
“Touchscreens are high-touch surfaces, just like doorknobs and elevator buttons,” she said.
The greatest risk, Gibson said, is touchscreens that are tapped and prodded by multiple users, like self-checkout screens at many stores, or the ones you sign with your fingertip after swiping a credit card at the coffee shop drive-thru.
But the phone in your pocket is also at risk of exposure, Gibson said. A person’s hands touch those public surfaces, then transfer whatever they pick up to their phone.
Gibson recommends not using a cell phone while out running errands — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leave it in a pocket or purse until returning home and washing hands. But if that’s not possible, she advises cleaning the phone as soon as you return home.
It’s best, she said, to clean the phone first, using a damp screen-cleaning cloth or a dry microfiber cloth. Then wash your hands. “The other way around, you risk contaminating your washed hands while handling the phone to clean it.”
And remember, cell phones have surfaces on the back and sides, too. Gibson said it’s important to clean every surface.
Research conducted by a University of Arkansas undergraduate honors student under Gibson’s advisement in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences showed that a screen cleaning wipe with isopropyl alcohol and a dry microfiber cloth were equally effective at removing bacteria from smartphone surfaces. Research by other institutions has shown similar results removing viruses from different kinds of surfaces, and Gibson believes such results would transfer to cell phone surfaces.
“And if your phone is in a case,” Gibson said, “you can remove it and clean the case with warm, soapy water, or use a disinfectant wipe.”
She added that spray disinfectants may also be useful, but said she would not use one unless the product is recommended for use on electronic devices.
Concerning those multiuser touchscreens, Gibson said she uses her knuckles instead of her fingertips to tap those. She said stylus pens that have rubber tips for use on smartphones and tablets may also be a good idea to avoid touching fingers to public screens.
Gibson said alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a good intermediary step to clean hands while out and about. But she said wash your hands when you return home.
World Health Organization research has shown that sanitizer formulations vary among products. “Tests show they all have some ability to inactivate viruses,” Gibson said, “but some are more effective than others. And things like how long we rub our hands make a difference.”
“There’s a lot of variability in the products, in terms of alcohol content and use of other ingredients,” Gibson said. “We can’t be certain they remove every trace of virus particles.”
“Washing your hands vigorously with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the only completely reliable method to be sure your hands are sanitized,” she said.
Gibson said much research remains to be done to measure the effectiveness of various cleaning products and methods. Much research has been done for removing viruses from surfaces in clinical settings, but little has been done in this regard for food industry environments or other places, like homes.
“What we don’t know is what cleaning products or protocols are most effective,” she said. “What is the transmission rate from surfaces to hands? These areas require investigation.”
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at ArkAgResearch.
Mistakes are inevitable parts of trying something new, and beekeeping is no exception. There are plenty of ways to mess up as a first-time beekeeper. Fortunately, mistakes give you the opportunity to learn, improve, and turn your next attempt into a complete success. You can also learn from others’ mishaps. When you’re aware of the most common mistakes novice beekeepers make, you can learn how to spot and avoid them with your own hives. To make your first year as a beekeeper a success, read our list of common beekeeping mistakes and how to handle them.
Skimping on Equipment
A lot of tools and equipment will prove useful in your beekeeping career. You might think the full protective bodysuit or toolbox full of scrapers, brushes, and other utensils is a little overboard. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your equipment. Wear protective gear when you’re starting out—and always wear a hat and veil, no matter how comfortable you become with your bees. Be sure to make the most of your other equipment as well. A smoker is your best friend when it comes to keeping a colony docile, so don’t neglect it just because you think you can keep your bees from acting up.
Feeling Nervous Around the Bees
You may feel hesitant or nervous during your first few times around the hives. After all, bee stings can hurt! However, your bees can pick up on your emotions. If you’re anxious or uncertain, they’ll sense it and become agitated. Remember that confidence is key, and the key to confidence is knowledge. Learn how to safely handle your bees, perform efficient and effective hive inspections, and generally move more confidently among your bees. The more you know—and the more experience you get—the calmer you’ll be when working with your hives.
Collecting Too Much Honey
Many people get into beekeeping for the delicious, golden honey they receive at the end of the season. However, one of the most common mistakes novice beekeepers make is collecting too much honey from their hives. That honey isn’t just for you—your bees need it to survive the winter and come back strong next spring. In fact, most first-year colonies aren’t large or strong enough to produce excess honey after one season. Be patient, and let your bees keep their food supply. The payoff will be more than worth it when you start the next year with a thriving colony that can produce plenty of excess honey for you.
On Thursday, April 30, the Arkansas River Valley Food Bank distributed 40,000 pounds of Tyson chicken in Waldron.
The chicken, which was given out free to the public, was distributed at Waldron High School. Vehicles began lining the street along Highway 80 hours before the distribution began at 10 a.m.
The 40 pound chicken boxes were handed out by volunteers and workers of the RVRFB until all was distributed before 1 p.m.
Community members expressed their appreciation to Tyson and the River Valley Food Band. “Thanks Tyson, we really appreciate it,” stated Krystin Deaton of Waldron. “My husband is also an employee and wants to give a big thank you!”Amber McDaniel, also of Waldron, agreed. “Thank you Tyson for helping those in need!
Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, AR, donated the flash frozen chicken products to the RVRFB for the public distribution.
A press release from the food bank stated that “the donation…is tied to Tyson’s strategic long-term partnership with the RVRFB. In addition to the donations of frozen protein product, the company’s grants over the years have allowed us to expand freezer capacity, which allows the food bank to house more food to distribute to clients.”
Thursday’s donation comes weeks after Tyson Foods donated 73,000 pounds of product to the RVRFB, which was distributed to the public in Fort Smith on April 1.
“The River Valley Regional Food Bank appreciates the corporate sponsorship with Tyson Foods and thanks the company providing this gift to our community as it will help us fee hungry families during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
*Photos courtesy of Angie Brown
Vehicles lined up to receive the Tyson chicken donation.Arkansas River Valley Food Bank distributed 40,000 pounds of chicken donated by Tyson.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional Mansfield Tiger Booster Club Banquet to honor athletic award winners of the 2019-2020 sports season was canceled. To publicize the athletes that won either conference, state, or local awards, this publication will offer a series of articles related to those participants who earned athletic accolades this school year. Mansfield coaches submitted narratives pertaining to their specific teams which will be released in chronological segments. This article will highlight the fall sports award recipients.
2019-2020 Volleyball Awards:
(contributions by Coach Kaylie Pyles)
The Junior High Lady Tigers shined throughout their season placing second in Conference and finishing Runner-Up at District. The Senior High Lady Tigers volleyball team this year may have been small in numbers, but were big in their commitment and love for the game. This volleyball team worked extremely hard in the spring, throughout the entire summer, and during the competitive season. They came into the season with a positive outlook and drive for success.
Losing four starters from last season, there were quite a bit of changes to the varsity lineup. This year’s team was very young with several sophomores and juniors that stepped up and took ownership of the roles they were given. The team also consisted of six seniors who were great at presenting leadership and encouragement to the younger players. This year’s seniors consisted of Kara Sweeten, Madison Nelson, Janna Coplin, Abigail Morgan, Vanessa Noblitt, and Maggie Strunk. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity in the last two years to coach each of these six seniors. They will be greatly missed.
Jr High Lady Tiger Volleyball
The high school team placed third in the Harrison Tournament. They overcame the obstacle of barely having enough players to compete due to the ACT test being given that same day. They also placed third in the Mena Tournament where they played back to back most of the day and went undefeated in the opening rounds. Unfortunately due to fatigue, they lost to a very talented Mena team in the semis. While placing fourth in conference, the team would have to win two games in the district tournament to get that ticket to state that the seniors most unrelentingly wanted.
With freshmen moved up and senior guidance, the team won their first round of District against Booneville. The second round was a hard-fought battle that ended with a loss against one of the top-ranked teams in the state, the Paris Eagles. Not letting the loss ruin their chances of getting to state, the seniors rallied the team together to take a huge victory against our biggest rivalry, Waldron.
Sr High Lady Tiger Volleyball
In the first round of state, we got matched up against Harding Academy. After losing in three straight sets last year in the opening round of state, the seniors did not want to end their season without a fight. They ended their last game with a knockdown, point for point, five-set match, where they lost by only a few short points. The Lady Tigers ended their season with a record of 17-14 along with momentum for next year when they move into a different classification.
The individual Senior High volleyball awards go to:
Kiara Thomas: 3A West All-Conference
Haylee Helms: 3A West All-District and Mansfield Defensive Player of the Year with 399 digs.
Brooke Wright: 3A West All-District, 3A All-State Tournament Team, 3A West All-State, and Mansfield Offensive Player of the Year with 371 kills.
Vanessa Noblitt: 3A West All-District, Leader in Assists with 632.
Maggie Strunk: 3A West All-District
Abigail Morgan: Most Valuable Teammate
Kara Sweeten: Most Improved Player
Kara Sweeten
Haylee Helms
Kiara Thomas
Vanessa Noblitt
Maggie Strunk
Abigail Morgan
The 2019 Volleyball Player of the Year is Brooke Wright.
Brooke ended the season as the team leader in three different categories. She was the leader in aces with 54, leader in blocks with 77, and the leader in kills with 371. Brooke came to practices and games with a positive attitude and had a solid work ethic. As a teammate and leader on the court, she constantly encouraged and supported those around her. She gave 100% effort every chance that she stepped on the floor, whether it be in practice or games, which showed throughout her successful season. She received All-District, All-State Tournament Team, and All-State honors.
Brooke Wright
2019-2020 Football Awards:
(contributions by Coach Tim Cothran)
Expectations were high heading into the 2019 football season with 14 seniors, most of which were returning starters from the previous 8-4 season. However, the season, like all seasons, would have its own set of obstacles. With a new head coach in place, two new assistants, and the team having a target on their backs, the metal of this team would be tested.
The Tigers started off with a bang rolling out to a 4-0 start but dropped a heartbreaker on the road in Greenland. With no time to mourn, the Tigers got back to work to prepare for a trip to a perennial powerhouse in Charleston. The stadium was packed and people got their money’s worth, especially the Mansfield faithful.
Battling back and forth trailing the whole game, Mansfield finally caught a break. With less than a minute to play, Layton Howard stepped in front of a Charleston pass and raced over 100 yards for a game-winning “Pick 6”.
Sr High Tigers Football
The Tigers battled through the remainder of the season, trailing the #1 and #2 teams in the conference by one score at the half in each game only to lose late in each. The Tigers finished the season with exciting wins over Cedarville and Paris, securing a 3rd place finish in the conference.
The season did not go as hoped but they represented their school and town well. The Tigers would travel to Camden to play Camden Harmony Grove in the first round of the state playoffs. The Tigers battled fiercely losing the game 56-33 in a crazy fast-paced battle that saw neither team give up. Camden would go on to lose in the state semifinals to the state runner-up Osceola.
FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS:
Layton Howard- All-State, All-Conference, Special Teams Player of the Year, All-Area SWTR prep team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 #1 SWEETEST PLAY OF THE YEAR, MaxPreps stats leader – #1 in state for kickoff returns and total returns
Isaac Cothran- All-State, All-Conference, Defensive Player of the Year, Ironman Award
Ethan Stovall- All-State Honorable Mention, All-Conference, Offensive Player of the Year, All-Area SWTR prep team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 #7 SWEETEST PLAY OF THE YEAR, tied a state record with a 99-yard pass completion to Tyler Holmes for a TD vs West Fork
Jacob Brown- All-Conference, Lineman of the Year
Randy Claude– All-Conference, Defensive Player of the Year
Jaicy Griffin- All-Conference, Headhunter Award
Tyler Holmes- All-Conference, Good Hands Award, All-Area SWTR prep team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 All-Area Defensive Team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 #7 SWEETEST PLAY OF THE YEAR, tied a state record with a 99-yard pass completion for a TD vs West Fork
Clay James- All-Conference, Newcomer of the Year
Will Meadows- All-Conference
Bri Sanderson- All-Conference, Lineman of the Year
Blayne Bryant- All-Conference Honorable Mention
Cameron Macon- All-Conference Honorable Mention
Bri Sanderson
Will Meadows
Jacob Brown
Jaicy Griffin
Cameron Macon
Tyler Holmes
Isaac Cothran
Blayne Bryant
Randall Claude
Clay James
Football Player of the Year goes to: Ethan Stovall and Layton Howard
With an offensive team total of 3774 yards, Ethan completed 66% of his passes for 2488 yards and 32 TDs. He also rushed for another 337 yards and eight TDs. Catching 1168 of those yards, Layton led the team in receiving and led in TD catches with 16. Layton also completed a pass for 26 yards and ran for 75 yards. Layton was not just an offensive weapon, he was a weapon on special teams as well, returning five kicks for five TDs against five different opponents (he had one called back due to a penalty) and had a game-winning 100+yard return of an interception against Charleston that won the game.
FORT SMITH — The Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center is hosting a special contest for aspiring writers and conservationists in May: a special poetry contest focused on conservation and the environment. Winners will be featured in the September/October issue of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s award-winning magazine, Arkansas Wildlife.
The contest is the brainchild of Danielle Simmons, education program specialist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at the nature center.
“We normally are so busy working with school groups here at the center, but the issues with COVID-19 have forced us to close to the public,” Simmons said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t continue to help teachers with interesting material for their students that helps spread the conservation message.”
Three grade brackets are available for entries: Kindergarten-6th grade, 7th-9th grade, and 10th-12th grade. Any youth in the proper age range for these grades may participate in the contest.
“We want to make sure the contest helps teachers and homeschoolers with some of their required concepts, so each poem will need to meet a few requirements,” Simmons said. “It must be six lines or sentences long, must include one component of alliteration (repetitive sounds in closely arranged words) and one component of onomatopoeia (words that spell out the sound they make). Of course, it also needs to include something about hunting, fishing, litter pickup, planting native gardens or another conservation-minded subject.”
Entries will be judged by Jeff Adams with the Fort Smith Commissary Kiwanis Club, Jenn Jennings with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s STEM department and Sandy Berger, former president of the Arkansas Audubon Society.
The deadline for submission is June 1, 2020. Entries may be submitted through the following Google form: https://forms.gle/b4mYor1wXCKDG6HA6
Many species of wildlife have their young in spring, and many well-meaning Arkansans regularly call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to report young wildlife that looks abandoned. But moving these animals can actually cause more harm than good.
Most wildlife parents cannot be with their young nonstop. They must search out food for their offspring or gain much-needed nutrition to continue nursing them. It’s not uncommon for a doe deer or rabbit to leave her young alone nearly all day while they rest up and recuperate from the stress of nursing. Mother and father birds also take many trips scouring the nearby area for food they will bring back to the hatchlings.
It may come as a shock to a person to see these young animals in such a helpless position, but this is how these species have learned to survive. In fact, the more trips back and forth a mother makes to her young in the wild, the more scent trails she leaves behind for predators to possibly follow. Often, a doe deer is within hearing distance of her young, even though you may not see her. The best defenses fawns and rabbit kits have are to stay motionless so they blend into their surroundings and stay quiet so they don’t attract unwanted attention. Baby birds almost ready to fly hop around in the tree branches exercising their wings, and often end up on the ground a few times before finally getting the hang of things. Parent birds will continue to feed them on the ground until they fly off on their own.
Moving “orphaned” wildlife works against this plan. Instead of rescuing them, well-meaning people often mistakenly take them from their mothers and have little to no experience or idea on how to help that young animal. Wildlife rehabilitation experts often are overwhelmed by kidnapped young owls and other birds that were mistakenly “rescued” by well-meaning people.
If you do find a young animal and have taken it from the area, the best practice is to place it back where you found it as soon as possible. In cases where the spot may have been unsafe because of a nearby road or predator, you can move the animal slightly and its mother will find it. Forget the wive’s tales about the mother rejecting the young because of your scent; when she comes back to the area, she will take care of her young regardless.
If you know the animal is injured or truly orphaned and it is not a deer or elk, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission keeps a list of licensed rehabilitators available on its website at https://www.agfc.com/en/wildlife-management/wildlife-rehabilitation. These rehabilitators do not receive pay for their efforts, have limited space, and often are available only during certain hours, so calling ahead to find one that will take in the animal is highly recommended.
Young deer and elk present an additional challenge. By law, rehabilitators cannot receive or work with members of the deer family, since the transport of live deer may help spread chronic wasting disease, an illness in deer very similar to mad cow disease in cattle. A person picking up a deer from one area may possibly infect the new release site once the animal is rehabilitated. The presence of the deer at the rehabilitator’s location also may contaminate their facility, making it possible to spread the disease to any future rehabilitated cervids. Because of the potential to spread this disease, the AGFC was forced to ban the possession and rehabilitation of all cervids (deer, elk, moose and reindeer) in 2017.
If you happen upon a fawn, you legally must leave it where you find it. Just because an adult deer was found dead nearby does not mean the fawn is alone. That deer that was hit by a car may not be the fawn’s mother. Even in cases where the mother has been killed, there is still a chance other does are nearby that will take in the fawn as their own if they find them. In either case, that animal’s best chance of living a healthy life in the wild is for people to step aside and let Mother Nature take care of things.
(Fort Smith, AR- April 29, 2020)- United Way of Fort Smith Area has now opened Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Community Response Fund Grants.
Deadline to apply for this round is Monday, May 4th. They are offering ten $2,500 micro-grants to area non-profits and faith based organizations that are working with individuals and families combating food insecurity such as feeding sites, meals on wheels programs, non-perishable backpacks, etc., in order to meet the food needs locally.
United Way recently received the Blue and You Foundation Grant to help fund the fight against hunger during this unique and unprecedented time. United Way appreciates all the work area agencies and organizations are doing during this time to provide food to the hungry in our area. Volunteer members of an advisory committee will work with United Way to quickly assess the needs and make rapid funding decisions to ensure a thorough and efficient process. Even though an organization received a grant in the first round of funding, the organization is still eligible to apply for this round. “On behalf of the United Way Board and Staff we would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Blue and You Foundation. From the generosity of this grant, our COVID-19 response fund committee will be able to provide a direct impact for individuals and families through the agencies that receive these funds,” states Eddie Lee Herndon, President and CEO of United Way of Fort Smith Area.
During Phase 1 of the COVID-19 Community Response Fund Grants, United Way of Fort Smith Area awarded seven grants, totaling $7,000, to local non-profit organizations. These micro-grants (up to $1000) were for organizations responding to the immediate needs of vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following agencies received funding in the first round of grant process:
Antioch Consolidated Association for Youth and Family
Community Rescue Mission
Crawford County Senior Citizens Center
Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House
Girls Inc.
River Valley Regional Food Bank
Sebastian Retired Citizens Association
In an effort to address the health and economic impact on our neighbors, United Way convened a group of philanthropic and business partners to form a COVID-19 Community Response Fund, which will rapidly deploy resources to local agencies and organizations, getting dollars to where they are needed most. The COVID-19 Community Response Fund will assist agencies and organizations in providing individuals and families who have been impacted by this pandemic, the assistance needed to stay in their homes and keep food on the table. There are several ways you can donate to this fund, you can text “response” to 91999, go online to unitedwayfortsmith.org or by mailing a check to United Way of Fort Smith Area at 120 North 13th St., Fort Smith, AR 72901.
Jaelin Glass (left) and Maggie Rozell (right) signed their individual letters of intent today to play collegiate basketball.
Jaelin will be attending Crowder College on a full basketball scholarship in the fall. She has Lettered 4 years as a GHS Varsity Basketball Player. She has also participated in track, FCA, Beta Club and National Honor Society.
She attends Cavanaugh Church, where she leads worship for the youth praise team.
Like seemingly everything else in all of our lives today, the 2020 Arkansas high school football season hangs in limbo as a series of unknown and unanswered questions regarding the effects of the caronavirus and the subsequent effects on the next school year and high school athletics hangs in the balance. We all know that the spring high school sports seasons were a complete loss to the players and communities of Arkansas, and many are wondering if this will continue into the next school year. I feel so badly for the spring athletes who lost valuable seasons that can never be recouped in their lifetimes, and the trepidation of fall athletes who wonder if their upcoming fall seasons will be a loss, as well.
None of us know what is going to happen next school year. The fear of the unknown is a large part of the pain and anxiety that everyone is facing. When I think of athletes who cannot attend practices, workouts, and games, I visualize a race horse trapped in his stall and begins to jump up and down, kicking at the walls and the gate to breakout. Not being able to take it any more, the horse has to simply break out and run. I can’t imagine high school athletes, in the prime athletic condition of their lives, suddenly having it taken away. One can only pray that this nightmare will soon be over; the loss of life will stop, and our children’s lives will return to some semblance of normal. This I pray.
In the absences of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 next school year, it can be easily surmised that through social distancing, fall sports will return in some modified fashion. In my thought, that means that football, volleyball, golf, cross country, and tennis may be able to complete their seasons. All of these sports complete their seasons around November, with the exception of football playoffs that conclude with state finals in early December. With flu season starting around November, coinciding with the start of basketball season, I fear that basketball could be lost with a second round of COVID-19 in combination with Type A & B flu that traditionally occurs in the winter months. I am not a physician, and my opinion is worth as much as anyone else’s, but, this is my fear.
So with this cheerful thought in my mind, I interviewed some area football coaches by text and email to gather their thoughts on the possibility of high school football next fall. I want to thank the following head football coaches that were so generous to share their thoughts: Craig Bentley, Mena, Tyler Clark, Paris, Tim Cothren, Mansfield, and Ricky May, Charleston. These are gentlemen that I have, among others, had the pleasure to know and work with, and they all love football, and most importantly, care and love their players.
To the casual fan, football starts in August with the first games usually the last Friday in the month, or, in the case of teams who have elected to play during “zero week”, have started the week before. But, football is virtually a year-around proposition, with winter off-season beginning immediately after the end of the preceding season. Winter moves into spring with the start of spring football practice. School ends for the academic year, and football programs continue conditioning and playing 7-on-7 summer games until the start of fall practice in early August.
But like a lot of things, the devil is in the details. For example, April and early May are usually times when schools, working with area health providers, set-up mass screenings, or, clinical appointments for any student in grades 6-11 who wants to play high school sports the next year to have their physical examinations made. Schools across the state do this in different ways. But today, regardless of how schools have accomplished this task in previous years, our health system is overrun by COVID-19 testing and treatment, and health care professionals are not as readily available to perform athletic physicals. Combine this with school being closed and it being a greater challenge for coaches to remain in contact with players and students who are not currently playing but desire to do so next school year, and you have a situation that will be a challenge once the sports season is allowed to resume. Remember that the Arkansas Activities Association has proclaimed a “dead period” through May 30, and this means that nothing can take place until at least June 1. The way things are going today, it is very much a day-to-day phenomena for our country, and high school sports is caught up right in the middle of state and nation’s struggles against the virus.
One question I wanted to know from our coaches was how long this (the dead period) can continue before high school football is affected next fall. Coach Ricky May of Charleston responded, “I understand that safety is the ultimate goal for all involved so it is important that we follow the state guidelines. My understanding is that Phase 2 of the reopening plan is that all youth activities get started back, so I am praying that the people that are affected will recover and our nation and state will be closer than ever. I hope that the latest we get started with our summer workouts will be the original dead weeks that would end on July 6, but hoping we get to started a little earlier.Worse case scenario, is that we lose our non-conference games but get to have our conference and playoffs as usual. With the loss of spring workouts and spring football, our kids will not be as conditioned as we like or need to be.”
Craig Bentley of Mena commented that he is just trying to keep his players focused each day during the dead period. “Our philosophy has been to try and not guess what will happen or when it will happen. As far as returning, we are just focusing on each day. We have to realize things are changing, even when we do come back, and we have to be ready for that. That is why we have placed a major emphasis on our guys getting their workouts / speed work done at home on their own. We host virtual meeting with our players and coaches, as well as text and / or phone calls as we reach out to our players each week. Thankfully, I have a great group of assistant coaches and we all share that same vision. When we return to full team activities it is going to be a challenge to make sure we get the guys in playing shape while also focusing on football fundamentals and schematic work that we have missed Everyone (all programs) will be in the same boat, so, it really comes down to how well you are with keeping up with your players during this time off.”
Soon to be second year Mansfield head football coach Tim Cothren was asked how long the AAA’s dead period could go without affecting the 2020 season. Like most coaches I have talked to, Cothren thinks there is still time to have football next fall. “I’m thinking that if we get into August and we’re still into this (dead period), then you’re getting down to splitting hairs as to when, where, and how. The pressure will be on the kids to prepare themselves for the most part. Of course, we have been communicating with them digitally, reminding them of workouts they can do at home. But my best guess is that if we don’t get this thing started (football practice) sometime around the first or middle part of August, the season would be in serious jeopardy. I think to get the ten game schedule in as scheduled, the first or second week of August is going to be pretty critical. If nothing else, the acclamation to the heat, the conditioning, are a couple of huge factors, little alone the games themselves. I’ve heard rumors of different ideas involving perhaps the forgoing of the non-conference games. For schools our size, that means that perhaps we would have to play a conference game in week two. So, that would be pretty difficult for the players. The key factors are going to be the heat and the conditioning of the players. You can tell kids to get out there and do it, you can text them, do whatever, but if they’re not out there doing it, then you (coaches) still have a responsibility to make sure they are conditioned and acclimated before they are ready to get to game time. Due to the dead period, there is going to be a back log of things that have to be done, such as school physicals, once the dead period is lifted.”
The issue of physicals for fall athletes is a subject that also concerns Paris head football coach Tyler Clark. Clark mentioned that his program is fortunate to have a school-based clinic at Paris High School that will be a vital asset to helping the players get their required physical exams. School-based clinics such as the ones at Paris High School and Mansfield school district are operated by the Mercy Health System and provide vital medical care for local students and athletes. Coach Clark commented, “That (access to school physicals due to the effect of the virus on our health systems) is definitely a concern. I have not thought about that too much because at Paris are done a little differently. We have a wellness clinic at the high school and instead of doing all physicals on one day in April or May like a lot of school districts do, we always just keep track of our kids’ physicals whether they do them in August, December, February, or July, we just send them to the wellness center and the medical staff there always do their physicals. So I don’t think this affects us as much.” With respect to when Coach Clark believes football can resume this summer to not endanger the season as schedule he said, “I think we still have a while. Summer work is crucial to everybody; the workouts, the team camps, 7-on-7’s, but, you’re not missing too much if everyone else is missing it too. So, I think, in worse case scenario, that we are back by the beginning of August, and still let us acclimate kids to the heat and be safe with heat-related illness and things like that…the product on the field might not look as good as if we had been practicing all summer, but I think we could still have games and it would be safe from the heat standpoint. As far as the virus goes, who knows? I can’t speak to what that would mean. Of course, if it is not safe to go back (from the virus perspective), then of course it would be a bad idea. It would take some adapting by coaches (to protect kids from the virus).
Coach Clark, like all of the coaches I have talked to, has spoken informally with many of the area coaches in the state regarding ideas on how the schedule would be modified next year if needed. “I haven’t spoken to any of the conference coaches regarding what might happen with the conference schedule next year (Paris plays in a new football conference next season), but I have heard certain rumors of some things being talked about. I’d rather not say because at this point they are just rumors.” Coach Clark echoed Coach Cothren’s comments about the possibility of playing just a conference schedule, but neither coach wants that to happen and remain hopeful that the entire ten game schedules will remain in place for high school football next season. Coach Clark perhaps said it best when he said, “At the end of the day, everyone just wants to play; to return to some sense of normalcy.”
Normalcy; something we are all craving right now. So, it may seem trival to be talking about football when their are still grave concerns about the health of so many Americans due to the caronavirus spread in our country, the possible resumption of football and all sports is a signal of a return to normalcy for our stressed and fatigued country who has been through so much over the past two to three months. May we all pray for a quick return to normalcy where once again, we can drive the streets of our communities, eat at our favorite restaurants, not be afraid of others, and once again, drive past the ball fields and hear the chatter of kids, the cheers of our parents, and know that once again, all is good with the world.
With God’s grace, and by working together, I believe that day is much closer than we fear. A day when we will all get a break from the constant barrage of bad news on television about people dying in our country, and instead, get to watch and listen to kids do what they love to do, and to cheer on all the great things that sports bring to our children.
Yes, I believe that day is coming. Hang on everyone; we are going to see that day, and when it comes, we will all have much to celebrate. What a day that will be.
