Carson High basketball hosts ‘non-contact’ tryouts

After a fall semester without organized high school athletic competition, Carson High’s boys basketball team was able to continue its no-contact practices over the weekend.

In fact, the Senators were able to put together a tryout, even if it didn’t match the standard definition of a tryout.

A directive from Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has basketball on the “no-play” list.

Though that directive applies to practice, the directive does allow for no-contact drills, opening up the floor just a bit.

“If a school really wanted to conduct ‘tryouts’ on Jan. 2 it could,” said NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson. “It would, however, have to follow ‘conditioning’ (NO contact) guidelines (in Sisolak’s directive). It may be difficult to hold tryouts by performing individual skill sessions only, but a school/team could.”

It was a step the Senators were willing to take, but one that came with its fair share of challenges and difficulties as coaches and administrators decided on the best way to move forward.

For a sport that isn’t shy on contact when it’s allowed to be played under its normal rules, Senator head coach Jordan Glover knew he was in a tricky situation.

“The toughest thing would probably be … getting the kids to get something out of a non-contact drill and still making it as game-like as possible,” said Glover. “It’s finding better drills to condition them without contact.”

With winter sports in-season competition scheduled to resume Jan. 14, per NIAA update 13, coaches are expecting an update on the status of high-risk winter sports (basketball and wrestling).

“We’re sitting there trying to say, ‘OK we can’t do contact,’ but how do we prepare for contact to happen?” Glover said.

It’s a tight rope to walk for coaches and one that may completely disappear in a week, or grow much wider if contact becomes permitted.

For Carson High wrestling coach Nick Redwine, the same standards apply.

“We can’t touch each other. That’s the bottom line,” said Redwine. “We have to maintain social distancing and no contact. We are holding non-mandatory workouts several days a week. We run, lift and work on basic fundamentals of wrestling.”

One winter sport that is already individualized by nature is skiing.

The Senators’ ski team was allowed to begin practice and competition as of Saturday and was planning on conducting its first practice Wednesday, per Carson High athletic director Blair Roman.