‘Feels good to be back’: Iowa prep baseball, softball teams begin practice with new measures in place

The scene at Des Moines' Hoover High School’s softball field Monday set the illusion of a normal June morning.

Players were strung across the outfield running various drills. Softball bags, gloves, bats and balls sat along the fence. Coaches offered direction and encouragement as an hour-long practice wrapped up.

Nearby, Hoover athletic director Jacob Burke smiled.

“Feels good to be back in action,” he said.

Monday marked the first day of practice for high school baseball and softball teams statewide. It also marks the first activity of high school sports in any capacity since the novel coronavirus pandemic became widespread in mid-March.

Summer sports were originally supposed to begin practice on May 4, with games on May 25. But the pandemic forced the outright cancellation of the spring season and put the summer in jeopardy until, on May 20, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds gave the green light for high school sports to return.

And because Iowa is the only state to sponsor summer high school sports, the state is the first nationally to bring back high school athletics, giving Monday a special feeling as athletes and coaches returned to their routines.

“We’re happy to have a little bit of normalcy,” Hoover softball coach Melissa Helm said. “All we know, and all our players know, is softball during the summer. We’re happy to be back, especially for our seniors.

“Honestly, I was a little bit surprised that they made the decision to do this, just with everything else going on and the fact that we didn’t even finish the school year.”

Although the return of practice — and, come June 15, games — gave way for celebration, it wasn’t exactly the same as it was last summer.

The Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education, in tandem with the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union, unveiled guidelines to follow as they return to play.

Among them: No games or practices for players with symptoms. Frequent temperature checks. Sanitize constantly. No dugout use for practice. Social distance when possible. High-fives and eating sunflower seeds are both highly discouraged.

At Hoover, and other schools around Des Moines, players stayed 6 feet apart the entire practice. Everybody wore masks. After practice, players all laid their equipment on the ground and coaches sanitized them. All of their bags on the fence were separated, too.

“They were eager to do anything, as long as it meant they could play softball,” Helm said. “They kept their masks up the whole time, even when they were running and working on drills. It gets hot.

“But they understand that this is what we have to do to play this year, and they’re willing to do anything to play.”

Other coaches and teams around Polk County shared similar feelings. Some even took extra precautionary measures to ensure safety. 

Roosevelt’s baseball team started at 9 a.m., and cycled in small groups of players every half hour, running until 1:30 p.m., head coach Chris Miller said. East’s softball team broke its practice into two groups — the experienced, returning players went earlier, then the more novice players went later.

Valley softball coach Tom Bakey said the school is offering transportation waivers so parents can take their kids to and from games themselves instead of riding the bus. The district also supplied masks for players to wear on the bus and during practices if they wish.

“We’ve told parents to do what they feel comfortable with,” said Bakey, who coached Valley to the Class 5A state title last year. “Whatever it takes, that’s what we’re going to do.

“We’re all in this together. We have to take care of each other. And not just our kids, but we have to take care of our opponents, too.”

Many of the seniors around Des Moines were especially grateful for the chance to play.

“I was so scared,” said Breanna Howard, a senior on Des Moines East’s softball team. “I had so many different people telling me different things. Once the spring season got canceled, I was really worried.

“Today, just practicing made me really happy, it felt like home — seeing all my friends, being with the team, and then ultimately pushing ourselves to get better.”

Some teams sought an opportunity to make a unique memory.

Once Reynolds announced that practices could start June 1, some schools decided to practice shortly after midnight to add more excitement to the return of the season. Collins-Maxwell High School softball and Roland-Story High School baseball were among those that did.

Johnston High School's baseball and softball teams both made plans to do so, but Polk County officials implemented a 9 p.m. curfew in the hopes of curtailing the destructive protests that gripped Des Moines over the weekend.

One of Sunday night’s protests took place just four minutes from Urbandale High School, where the J-Hawks, the two-time defending Class 4A state champs, convened Monday afternoon for their first practice of the season.

They started with various individual stretches, then eventually worked on some fielding. The wind was aggressive. Cars with family and friends came into the parking lot and watched from a distance.

For the first time since last season, they were back at Barton Field, playing ball. They couldn’t have asked for much more than that.

“Honestly, I’m so excited for this season,” junior Cal Watson said. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the summer playing the game I love and representing my community.”

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.