A Playbook for Thriving during Covid
Article provided by Just Play
The most competitive game of the year hasn’t been played on a field or court, and it hasn’t been seen in front of screaming fans and drunk college kids, but rather the biggest game so far has been the ongoing struggle between the Coronavirus pandemic and Intercollegiate sports. Covid-19 has flipped the world upside down. Some schools and conferences have taken more restricted routes, whereas others have skated by on looser terms; yet, both have the same goal in mind, ‘how do we allow our kids to compete while remaining safe from the pandemic filled-world around them’.
It has been one of the strangest seasons in history for College Football, as we’ve seen teams like Brigham Young already having played 9 games being ranked just 5 poll spots behind Ohio State, who will only compete in six regular-season contests. From no spring ball, to daily testing, to game cancellations an hour before kickoff, every program has had to rethink how it operates as they're chasing the same goal: Making the College Football Playoff.
We’ve seen teams try to overcome the newest of said Covid-regulations: like how Nebraska has sent players with any connection to a positive test to a downtown Lincoln hotel and hand-deliver film, playbooks, etc as if they were Macauley Culkin in Home Alone 2 on lockdown mode until able to come out of quarantine.
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the success of Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are 8-0 and ranked inside the top 16 in just their 5th season at the FBS level, an amazing progression for a program that’s only been around since 2003. Freshmen QB Grayson McCall and his offense are averaging 37.4 points per game, good for 25th in the nation.
Back in March, the Chanticleers took a different approach as the virus started to affect the college sports world. They looked outward for a better way to collaborate as a staff and prepare their young team remotely. Coach Jamey Chadwell and staff turned to Kansas City-based software company Just Play Solutions.
CCU’s football program spent many hours presenting through Just Play on Zoom calls and then providing players access to those presentations to review on their own. As the uncertainty of the season came and went, they’ve put a process in place to be successful regardless of their quarantine status.
Their ability to go against the grain of teams scrambling for answers and utilize technology to create productivity for their staff and communicate effectively with their team is a major contributing factor to their success. Coastal Carolina is in a better position to win now and still be prepared for whatever lies ahead in this shortened season.
“Everyone in the last 8 months has had to rethink how they prepare," said Just Play Founder Austin Barone when asked about how teams are handling preparing during the pandemic.
"Most organizations have realized ‘the way we've always done things' doesn’t work anymore and isn’t consistent with how most athletes learn in today’s world. We're confident that our full suite of products and our process give organizations the peace of mind to be successful under any situation.”
Teams are going to face times of uncertainty and forced-quarantining during their season - it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. The teams that best utilize technology to create consistency for their program, regardless of physical presence, will not only win on Saturday but will beat the virus.
To continue following the Chants success, follow @CoastalFootball on twitter.
For more information on how your program can prepare more effectively, please visit https://justplaysolutions.com/football-team-system/.
