For the newly-named Islanders, winter track season is in full swing, modified for the pandemic, and the athletes are “having a great time.” The 17 students — nine boys and eight girls — are the first representing the new team name for the Shelter Island School.
There are restrictions for the sport, but fielding these teams is still a small victory in a year when it so many athletic opportunities have been postponed or canceled, said girls coach Kevin Barry.
Barry said the season will be short, just four meets in all with the last one scheduled for February 14. Normally, winter track takes place indoors, but this year all activities are outdoors.
“We are having a great time at every practice so far,” he said in a recent phone call. “All seventeen kids have amazing positive attitudes. Especially, the situations and hurdles (no pun) they have been going through. Toby and I are really proud of them.”
Toby Green coaches the boys team as he has for the past eight years. I caught up with him by phone and, among other questions, asked what he likes best about coaching.
“It’s about anything else, you think about where you’ve been helped and try to give back there,” Green said. “The Shelter Island school is small and we should focus on what we can do well.”
Ironically, winter track was the last sport to take place in 2020 before COVID-19 arrived. Impressively, a core group of the boys never stopped training and have been working since April 2020.
Restrictions for safety
For safety reasons track and field events have been modified. There are 12 events to compete in this year, modified for outside competition. Not taking place this year are pole vault and discus throw. And there will be just one hurdle event.
The only jumping events will be the high jump, the triple jump and the long jump. Distance for some of the running events will also vary. For the relay event, runners must wear gloves so they can past the baton.
Masks must be worn for all events, however, after the first 300 meters for the running events they they can pull them down. The one event that does not require gloves is Shot Put, but the officials will not retrieve, only the student can touch their own shot.
The Islanders will use the Southold School field as their home field and the boys and girls will be competing at different locations. Each team will have their own bus, they will travel with masks worn and remain socially distant in the seats. All meets are planned to take place in under two hours and teams are not to exceed 30 students.
No spectators are allowed at the meets due to the COVID-19 restrictions, but you can follow them on the new Instagram page @Shelterislandxcntf.
