Spring sports athletes in limbo as season remains in question

REGION — Chase Ingersoll has been a three-sport athlete during his career at Forest Area High School.

However, as a senior this year, Ingersoll has only been able to play one sport from beginning to end.

Forest Area cancelled its football season after just two games in the fall due to lack of numbers, and now, with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down schools throughout the state for the time being, Ingersoll may not get to play baseball either.

“I’m a three-sport athlete and the only sport I’ve got to play this year is basically basketball,” said Ingersoll, an all-state selection on the diamond as a junior. “I love basketball but baseball is my favorite sport, and for it to be my senior year and to possibly be ripped away because of some crazy thing that’s going on in the world, it’s awful. Everybody is feeling it. It’s not just us. Everybody’s got to deal with it.”

It’s true that there are many others, like Ingersoll, who are waiting in limbo to see if they get to play spring sports. From baseball to softball, track to soccer, golf and tennis, high school athletes all over Michigan are dealing with the possibility of not having a season at all. At the very least, a shortened spring campaign is already a given.

“Right now we don’t think there is going to be a season, with the way everything is looking. That’s disappointing,” said Bellaire senior Teegan Dawson, a member of the Eagles’ defending Ski Valley Conference girls track and field squad.  “I was really looking forward to it. One last season to see what you and your team could achieve.”

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