PAGE A8, KEIZERTIMES, JULY 24, 2020
McNary athletic workouts
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A: Kylie Nepstad works on her crossover dribble. B: Bethany Villegas lines up a shot. C: Nate Allen locks in on a fastball during
batting practice. D: J.T. Walsh runs down the line after a single to left fi eld during a scrimmage.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Earlier this month, the
McNary girls’ basketball team
and baseball team returned
to district facilities to begin
workouts.
Even though each pro-
gram is under intense restric-
tions due to the COVID-19
pandemic, both teams are ex-
cited to be able to return to
some form of athletic action.
“Even with all the weird
things, our girls are just glad
to be back together. It beats
working out by yourself,” said
Elizabeth Doran, the Mc-
Nary girls’ basketball coach.
McNary baseball coach
Larry Keeker added: “Kids
were excited to be there. It
has been really nice to see ev-
eryone. A lot of our guys ha-
ven’t been able to do much of
anything baseball related over
the summer.”
The Salem-Keizer School
District prohibits indoor bas-
ketball workouts, so the Mc-
Nary girls’ team spent last
week practicing at the out-
door courts at Forest Ridge
Elementary.
Although Doran sched-
uled six workouts last week,
each player was only allowed
to come to two. The work-
outs were each an hour long
and featured between six to
eight McNary players in two and August, so she admitted
that this summer hasn’t af-
different pods.
The workouts all featured fected her team as much as
stations involving individual it has some of the fall sports
skill work regarding agility, squads. However, Doran also
shooting and ball-handling. said that through this process,
she is having
OSAA phase
to learn a dif-
two guidance
ferent way to
allows sharing “ If two guys
coach.
of equipment play catch, that
As a for-
within pods,
mer Division
but
Doran ball is going
I
basketball
elected to play into a bucket to
player, Dor-
it extra safe by
an is used to
having each be disinfected.
showing play-
player bring
If we’re hitting
ers what she
their own balls
wants
them
and disinfect ground balls
to do, rath-
them regularly.
er than just
“I just don’t and pop fl ies,
telling them.
want to take once the play
Now she is re-
the risk of
lying solely on
sharing equip- is made, the
verbal instruc-
ment at this ball is put into
tion.
point,” Doran
the bucket.
“It’s defi -
said.
nitely forced
Players are Once the ball is
me to change
also required
to socially dis- touched, it goes the way I
coach,” Doran
tance during to be cleaned.”
said.
the workout,
Wo r k o u t s
although they
— Larry Keeker
are expected
do not have
McNary baseball coach
to run until
to wear masks
mid-August.
— as a coach,
The McNary baseball
Doran is required to wear
team, on the other hand, has
one at all times.
Doran usually has her play- been working out two to
ers participate in skill devel- three times per week since
opment training during July early July. About 14 kids
showed up to the fi rst work-
out, but according to Keeker,
there were close to 30 kids
showing up to workouts last
week.
Keeker and his coaching
staff wear masks throughout
the entirety of the workout
and encourage their players
to do the same. Hand sanitiz-
er is readily available at multi-
ple spots during the workout.
The disinfecting of equip-
ment, mainly baseballs, is
happening constantly at these
workouts. Each time a ball is
used, it cannot be used again
until it is cleaned and sani-
tized.
Keeker says that they go
through hundreds of baseballs
per workout.
“If two guys play catch,
that ball is going into a buck-
et to be disinfected. If we’re
hitting ground balls and pop
fl ies, once the play is made,
the ball is put into the bucket.
Once a ball is touched, it goes
to be cleaned,” Keeker said.
Despite the restrictions,
the McNary team has been
able to do hitting and fi elding
drills at separate stations and
even hold a live scrimmage
with a pitching machine.
“It’s not terrible. Yes, it’s
challenging, but it’s better
than nothing,” Keeker said.
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