By Andy Walter

As far as logistics are concerned, things couldn’t have been much worse than they were last year for high school athletic directors.

The COVID-19 pandemic seemingly changed the schedule constantly. And the list of protocols that needed to be followed looked overwhelming.

But the result of dealing with all those obstacles has left the ADs feeling a lot more prepared as another sports school year gets ready to begin.

“I totally feel a lot more prepared,” said Dover High athletic director Kevin Turner. “The hoops we jumped through last year ... this year I have more answers to the questions. I have a lot more resources.

“All that kind of stuff that you were scrambling to figure out last year is kind of within your reach. I’m not stressed about it.”

Clearly, though, the Delaware high school sports world — like everything else — isn’t free and clear of the pandemic just yet.

Gov. John Carney’s mandate this week that students in the state will have to wear masks inside has repercussions for sports.

It means that girls’ volleyball players will probably be wearing masks again for the time being. Volleyball is the only fall sport in Delaware that is played indoors.

School officials are expecting to get some clarification on that and other questions when the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association holds its monthly board of directors on Thursday.

Still, it’s a much better situation than it was last year at this time. Last August, it wasn’t clear when the fall sports season in the state would even be played.

“I feel very prepared,” said Polytech AD George Eilers. “I was really hoping that we could go back to normal. But it looks like this variant (of COVID) is going to put a wrench in things.

“We just need to make sure we address it and do what we need to do to make sure the kids are safe.”

Some of the Henlopen Conference’s biggest schools, like Caesar Rodney, Dover, Smyrna and Cape Henlopen, have already started football practice. That’s because they’re beginning their schedules on Labor Day weekend in order to get in a 10-game slate.

The other football programs as well as teams in boys’ soccer, cross country, field hockey and volleyball will start preseason practice on Monday.

Middle school sports, after being canceled last fall, are also expected to return to action this year.

“It should be easier, right?” Cape Henlopen AD Kevin Smith said about figuring out logistics. “With something like that (COVID), you never know what’s going to be thrown at you.

“But, the district office, we all work together. We got through it (last year) and did a good job. If we are thrown in that situation again, everyone is a lot more prepared for it.”

Technically, there are three new athletic directors in the Henlopen Conference this fall. But Sussex Tech’s Ryan Winkleblech has been the AD at Milford and Woodbridge’s Marvin Dooley has been an AD at other schools before.

Nick Brannan is the new athletic director at Milford.

With the prospects for playing sports constantly evolving through the first stages of the pandemic, the Henlopen ADs felt like they did a good job of meeting regularly and keeping on top of the situation.

They know that good communication will continue to be the best tool in dealing with the pandemic now.

“We’ve very lucky,” said Smith. “Not only are we a small state but all the ADs work together and they know each other. That actually helps a lot. The collaboration was terrific.

“Everyone worked well together and I think it was a very successful year across the board for athletics considering.”

On the other hand, there are no guarantees with a pandemic. So much of what happens in high school sports will depend on what the state’s overall health statistics look like.

“I just think the elephant in the room is what does the future hold as far as spikes?” said Turner. “Are we going to go back to kind of where we were before? Does the changing of the school day change what we’re able to do athletically?

“Everybody wants to be safe. I think last year we showed that we can be safe and still offer the kids a high school experience, educationally and athletically.”