By Harry Minium
Old Dominion University football coach Ricky Rahne wasn't surprised when Conference USA announced Thursday night that spring practice and spring games in the conference were canceled.
ODU's campus will be shut down for eight weeks and much of the nation is in a virtual lockdown because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19. Sports of every kind have put on hold, restaurants and other businesses are closed and millions of Americans are either adjusting to unemployment or working from home.
Holding spring practice in the spring just wasn't practical, he said.
But Rahne says when sports do begin to play anew, they will bring America back together in a way we haven't seen since the 9/11 attacks on New York 19 years ago.
"This is a pandemic, something we haven't seen since the Spanish Flu of 1918," he said. "That's an unbelievable thing we're going through as a nation.
"I hope sports come back at some point soon. Sports brings us together.
"I remember 9/11 well as a college student. Sports events were postponed for a week or so, but when they returned, there was great national pride."
Indeed, there was. When the Boston Red Sox hosted the hated New York Yankees, the rivalry was put aside. Bosox fans sang the Frank Sinatra song, "New York, New York," which the Yankees play after every home game.
The gesture left some of the Yankees and much of America in tears.
Twelve years later, when terrorists exploded a bomb during the Boston Marathon, the Yankees returned the favor. A sign outside Yankee Stadium said the Yanks were "United with the Boston Red Sox."
"Sweet Caroline," the Neil Diamond beloved by Red Sox fans, was played in Yankee Stadium.
"We have different circumstances today than we had right after 9/11," Rahne said.
"But at some point, the games will return. And for many people, that will be the first sign of normalcy."
ODU's spring practice was supposed to begin Tuesday morning, and it was expected to be an important step for Rahne in rebuilding ODU's program.
Gone is Bobby Wilder, ODU's coach in its first 11 seasons. Rahne, offensive coordinator at Penn State last season, has seen his players work out in sweats and shoes and in the weight room but hasn't see them play a down of football.
ODU is installing a new offense and defense. Players need to become accustomed to new coaches and coaches need time to assess their talent.
But that won't happen until the summer, and until then, the Monarchs are making the most of it.
Rahne's staff has given players individualized workout plans to fit their needs since the access to workout facilities is limited, or in many cases, non-existent. Most community and private gymnasiums have closed, as have most athletic fields.
Quarterback Hayden Wolff, who is home in Venice, Fla., is among the fortunate few. He and about 15 players from other colleges have been provided access to a gym otherwise closed to the public.
Now that social distancing is the new norm, only a handful of players will be allowed to work out at one time.
Wolff also has one of the best receivers in the country to throw to – brother Weston Wolff, a rising high school senior. However, when they went to a local field that was deserted and began to throw, they were asked to leave by a parks and rec official.
"It's going to take mental toughness for our guys to stay in shape," Rahne said. "Realistically, we know they won't come back in as good as shape as they were when they left.
"Before this all happened, we were really pleased with how the guys were progressing. We were excited to be able see them in pads and helmets.
"Now, we're just going to make adjustments day by day and week by week."
ODU's academic advisers, who normally hold study hall on campus, plan to hold mandatory study halls and tutoring sessions online. Part of Rahne's charge to assistant coaches was for them to make sure the players are keeping up academically.
The NCAA is dealing with a ton of issues and will eventually get around to dealing with spring practice. But as it stands, there's an uneven playing field.
Some schools completed practice in February, including UConn, which hosts ODU this fall. Conference USA foe Charlotte was a week away from being done when UNC-Charlotte shut down its campus.
"Eventually, assuming this pandemic clears by summertime, the NCAA is going to have to do something, they're going to have to have a plan," Rahne said
.
That plan could include having an abbreviated spring practice and spring game during the early summer.
All of Rahne's 90 football players went home, although some who could not fly home went home with their teammates.
"They're frustrated," Rahne said. "Most of them are asking 'when will this be over, when do we get to practice?'
"People think kids don't want to practice but they do, especially football players. They don't get many chances."
Linebacker Jordan Young left for home in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. He came back to Norfolk from spring break to pick up materials he needed when classes resume online.
"Campus was a ghost town," he said. "Nobody was there. It was surreal.
"This entire situation is surreal."
Young was ODU's second-leading tackler last season and will be a senior this fall. He said Rahne and the new staff had reignited the team's enthusiasm and work ethic.
The Monarchs were 1-11 last season and enter their opener at home against Wake Forest with an 11-game losing streak.
"We never want to experience that kind of season again," Young said.
"We've worked hard to become a better football team. "We've spent extra time in the weight room.
"Everything we do now is about the team, not about individuals. Everything you do can affect the team. That's our complete focus."
Young said he's encouraging his teammates to focus on academics and staying in shape.
"You have to have the discipline to do things on your own, be accountable for yourself," he said.
"We can't control the coronavirus. We just have to stay strong and control what we can control."
Although the New Normal is making life difficult for ODU's young staff, you won't hear any whining from Rahne or his assistants.
"You can look at something like this as an opportunity or an obstacle," he said.
"That's what I said to our staff. This is an opportunity for us to look for new ways to coach our players."
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu
Minium: Football Coach Ricky Rahne Says That When Sports Resume Play, "That Will be The First Sign of Normalcy"
