ALTON - The boys basketball team at Alton High School is starting to gear up for its summer season, but the COVID-19 pandemic that has swept throughout the state, the nation and the world has put much of their plans on hold for the time being.
Nevertheless, the Redbirds are remaining optimistic about their summer plans, and while the players have been out of classes since the statewide closure of public and private schools on March 17, the coaching staff continues to check on them and their progress during this most difficult time.
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"When basketball season is over, we can't really do anything with the guys," said Alton head coach Dana Morgan. "So we check up on them every week, make sure that the guys and their families are OK, and they're participating in the E-learning."
The current worldwide crisis has put the team and everyone around the area into uncharted territories, but the Redbirds have adjusted to the new reality quite well.
"It forces everybody to adjust," Morgan said, "and it puts everybody in places that they've never been in before, so it's an adjustment for everyone."
And as a result, many of the team's summertime activities are currently up in the air. The Redbirds are still scheduled to host a showcase event on June 26-28 at the Redbirds Nest, where college coaches from around the country will attend, and the event is scheduled to have between 46 to 64 teams from around the state playing in the event. In addition, the weekend before, the Redbirds are also scheduled to be a part of a similar event in Chicago, and also scheduled to play in another event later in the season.
"But like the rest of the country and the world, we're in a holding pattern," Morgan said, "so we'll just have to wait and see how things go."
The Redbirds are still optimistic that their event will go on as scheduled, but safety first in the face of the crisis.
"We're hoping to host the event, but the safety of the kids and the community is most important," Morgan said.
Morgan feels that the community, as well as the rest of the state, the nation and the world will come out of the crisis well.
"No question," Morgan said. "You've just got to stay positive, and we will get out of this."
