LANE | Hoping for full season, New Albany boys tennis adjusts to practices with coronavirus guidelines

NEW ALBANY Ind. (WDRB) -- Phase 1 of the Indiana High School Athletic Association's plan to return to sports began July 6. The New Albany High School boys tennis team was back on the school courts that day, limited a bit by the new guidelines but glad to be back together and moving toward a potential fall season.

"It's very nice to see the kids. I've missed them," third-year head coach Adam Peden said. "I know the kids are really glad to be out of the house and getting to do something and see some of their friends."

"It's pretty cool, pretty normal so far," senior Isaac Saegesser added. "We're just staying far apart. We're definitely working on social distancing and still mostly practicing like normal."

Members of the team are limited in the drills they can do, having to keep just two players per court, and limited in interactions with Peden for now.

"It is definitely strange," said Mitchell Meyer, a senior. "But it is what it is. If we want to play this season, we're going to have to do it. We're going to have to make it work."

"We can't have as many practices as we normally would, but it's still better than nothing," sophomore John Fulmer added.

Peden wasn't too sure how the players would handle the restrictions but said he has been pleasantly surprised.

"The kids have been really receptive to staying socially distant," Peden said. "They've been really receptive to my assistant coach and myself wearing a mask. They've been OK with the temperature checks and everything else we go through."

Peden said he is trying to stay positive but knows there is no guarantee of getting in a season — even with a sport like tennis that has limited interaction.

"I think we'll get started," Peden said. "I don't know if we'll be able to finish because the cases seem like they're going up in some other states, and I worry when we get back to school and people start getting back together that there might be some hidden cases that come out. I'm optimistic that we'll at least get started and, if everything goes well, yeah, we'll get our full season in."