High school football started up again last week here in Southwest Florida, a few weeks later than usual. And the pandemic taking hold in March meant there was no 2020 spring football.
P.J. Gibbs, defensive and recruiting coordinator for Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples, says the spring season is when a lot of the wheels of the athletic recruiting machine are set in motion.
“We usually get a heavy amount of traction, generally after March into April. We probably would have had over 250 college coaches come through in the spring, which we did last year,” Gibbs said.
Many coaches, recruiters and players had to improvise.
“From a college perspective, you’re seeing a lot of college coaches really rely heavily on their high school relationships with coaches because they can’t get down to practice and see the kids,” said Gibbs.
To further complicate matters, the NCAA, the body that oversees college athletics, has given college athletes the option to extend their tenure for an additional year. Coach Gibbs says that decision may negatively impact high school athletes as there will be fewer slots available for them.
”For the older kids, I think there may be some less options for them to go to-college wise,” said Gibbs.
For now, the high school and college seasons are in full swing, and many players and fans alike are thrilled. Diane Roberts is an English professor at Florida State University and the author of Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America.
“College football is what’s normal this time of the year,” said Roberts. “And people are desperate for normalcy.”
So, like a good athlete, Coach Gibbs is taking this football season one game at a time and trying to stay flexible.
“There are a lot of unknowns in this thing. But we’ll get through it, like we have in the past with other issues. It’s uncharted territory, but everybody’s going through it,” he said.
And as always, he’s guiding his young players for whatever comes next.
“We told the kids, it’s a fluid situation, things can change, just like in life. At the end of the day, as coaches and educators, we’re preparing these kids for a life after football.”
Highlights from Palmetto Ridge's first game of the season.
Andrea Perdomo contributed to this story.
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