In our continuing series of interviews with Collegiate Head Coaches on the current state of the game and the effect of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic currently gripping our nation and world; We speak with Long Island University Head Coach Roy Kortmann.
Coach Kortmann is in his 26th season at LIU that includes 10 Northeast Conference Championships and NCAA Postseason Appearances. The Sharks had a 14-12 record in 2020 before the cancellation of the season came.
RTS: The COVID-19 Pandemic has obviously been one of the most unique and disturbing times in our countries history. From the standpoint of Collegiate Athletics, it has been unprecedented in the fact of its impact on all sports including softball. Talk a little about how it has affected your program particularly. Where were you and your team when they found out the season had been canceled? How did you break the news that the 2020 season was over to your athletes and the immediate and aftereffect of announcement since?
Kortmann: We were in Longmont, Florida playing a DH when I was informed the NCAA was canceling the spring championships. Our conference did not decide till the next morning to cancel, but we knew it was inevitable. We were coming off our 7th win in a row and the team was in a great frame of mind, unfortunately I had to share the sobering reality with them all. Obviously they were all in shock, particularly our seniors. Tears flowed and hugs were abundant. When I got back to the dugout I turned around to the field and noticed our underclassmen were helping our seniors go through part of our senior day ceremony. Each senior had gone to their respective positions and taken off their cleats to leave on the field, symbolic of their footprints left on our program. The underclass athletes were then carrying each of them off the field, just as the seniors have carried them for the past years. It was spontaneous and heartwarming. A moment I will never forget.
RTS: As a coach what are your opinions on how NCAA has handled the outbreak and the cancellation of the 2020 season?
Kortmann: There is no blueprint for any of this. There were so many variables and pieces of information that needed to be incorporated into a decision that needed to be made asap. The bottom line is for the health and safety of our players, staff, umpires, fans, etc. As much as we love our sport, this is much bigger than the game. Teams across the nation were experiencing the same emotions at basically the same time which really made it all surreal. I trust that the NCAA did what they thought was in the best interest of all of us.
RTS: How does the cancellation affect what you will do in the future from an operational and progressive program standpoint since you are losing the season?
Kortmann: We are working through all of that currently. As a staff, we are formulating a variety of plans dependent on the timing of when we all get back close to “normal”. Obviously it is very fluid. We are working remotely like our student-athletes. We will remain busy even without practices and games monitoring players academically, communicating with high school and travel coaches, preparing developmental plans for our current S/A’s, analyzing video from our games, updating scouting reports, preparing for 2021, etc.
RTS: With the NCAA granting a year of eligibility back to the student-athletes that lost the 2020 season; How is this affecting your roster, recruiting, and scholarship management over the next year?
Kortmann: I think it is great that the seniors at least have the opportunity, if they want, to play another year. It will have ripple effects on recruiting, possibly for 3-4 years if all current athletes are given another year. Roster sizes could get larger and some schools may need to bring in fewer new S/A’s if senior athletes decide to stay. For those that want to play an additional year, if the current school cannot help financially or academically, the transfer portal may light up. It remains to be seen what remedies, if any, the NCAA gives schools to help us and what the financial commitments may be from institutions for an additional year. I have spoken with our seniors and they are aware of my desire to help them in any way that I can. My hope is that we get a chance to again coach all of the seniors in our program.