Seasons have looked different this spring. Southlake currently houses empty basketball courts, baseball diamonds, golf courses and lacrosse fields due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Teams had their district play cut short and postseason pursuits halted.
Instead of loading up on buses and heading out to play, they are grabbing what they can around their homes to stay fit. Rather than teams checking in with each other during half time, they are setting up Zoom calls to talk about their at-home workouts. In spite of homebound coaches, athletes and fans, the passion for sports and the community spirit surrounding these kids is present.
ADJUSTING TO THE TIMES
Caroll athletics pressed pause in March. When the school announced it was closing, coaches had to relay that also affected practices and games. While Carroll Basketball had already wrapped their district play, head coach Eric McDade says he reached out to his team to help them continue off-season workouts. Carroll Basketball uses the spring season, just like many fall and winter sports, to give athletes the chance to develop skills and prepare for the next year’s season.
Other teams, however, weren’t as fortunate. Carroll Softball started practicing for the season in January and had just started district play. With at least six weeks left of games unplayed, the Lady Dragons turned to head coach Tim Stuewe for direction. He also started sending out workouts for athletes to do at home, anything to keep them in playing shape for a potential return to the field.
Baseball, on the other hand, shared the update in person. Carroll was in the midst of its week three tournament when coaches were told they were playing the last games until further notice.
“We got a call saying it is probable that this is all over, but you can finish today,” head coach Larry Vucan says. “I think we assumed it was only going to be two or three weeks. When I told the kids that, they kind of knew. They were welling up a little bit. Kids have great insight. They feared for the worst but wished for the best.”
After announcing the news to the team, Vucan asked his seniors to stay behind. After talking to them, he snapped a quick senior picture to capture the moment.
“I just took it out of a sense of what if I don’t see these guys ever again in a Carroll uniform,” Vucan says. “I know every group is special, but this is the first group I had when I came on [as head coach] in 2016.”
KEEPING THE MOMENTUM GOING
But these Dragons didn’t lose hope. Athletes across an array of spring sports received daily or weekly exercises that would help them stay focused and motivated.
Coach McDade says it was up to his kids to send in what they had accomplished that week, creating a bit of accountability for the athletes. Coach Stuewe, on the other hand, encouraged his girls to do what they could to get out and be active, all while practicing social distancing.
“The ability to get outside and breathe some fresh air and get some sunshine has been a great relief for not only the athletes but the general population,” Stuewe says. “We were just telling the girls to do everything they can. If it’s throwing off a wall because you don’t have anyone to play catch with, it was using what they have.”
While kids continued to run, lift and practice, coaches also ensured the social aspects of the sport continued in their athletes’ lives.
“One of the things that for all sports is just the preparation lost for the next season, but it’s the social connection that we miss,” McDade says. “We miss being around each other.”
By participating in team Zoom meetings or trying out different social media challenges (ranging from posting pullups to attempting to dunk) posted by either the athletic director or different coaches, kids were able to still feel connected to their teammates.
“I just wanted to see how they were as a person,” Stuewe says. “It was really important to have those one-on-one conversations about dealing with everyone being at home.”
Even as the news continued to show that campuses could be closed for the school year, students continued to push through.
“They always kept telling me, ‘We will be ready, coach,’” Vucan says. “And I had others that would text me and were reaching out saying, ‘If we don’t get to play again, I want to say thank you.’”
AN ODE TO THE SENIORS
When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced school would continue online for the remainder of the semester and UIL doubled down by stating the rest of its spring seasons were canceled, coaches were quick to think of their graduating athletes.
“It’s a special time in these kids’ lives. This is that special year that all of us as adults had the opportunity to experience, so we are just trying to be sensitive as coaches,” McDade says.
While many Dragons continue on and play at the collegiate level, several others end their athletic careers at Carroll.
“Obviously the big sadness for me is the seniors and having their last year cut short,” Stuewe says. “That game back in March was the last time they will walk off a softball field. They were hanging up their cleats for the last time.”
But instead of harping on the sadness, coaches were able to reach out to their players and share just how proud they were of their efforts over their high school careers.
“You watch them grow up from followers to leaders, from mentees to mentors,” Stuewe says.
While Vucan was hoping his team would go for the three-peat at state this year, he knows his players’ efforts will continue to make a difference even after they graduate.
“We are just hoping to continue to create that culture that has been successful and cultivate it and make it even better,” Vucan says. “And it will start thanks to these seniors’ legacy.”
And if these students can take any overarching lesson away from their years playing, it may just be how to react during hard times.
“One thing sports teach you is how to persevere and how to work through the tough times,” Stuewe says. “We control what we can control — we talk about that all the time during a game. You can’t control what the other team, the umpire and the fans say or do. But you can control how you respond to it.”
THE SYMBOL OF THE DRAGON
But it’s not just seniors and athletes that are grieving over this loss. Across the city, families are gathering together to show their Dragon pride. Whether it be with a logo polo or a sign in their front yards, Southlake takes ownership of its united symbol of the Dragon.
While reflecting on how important sports are to the community, Vucan flashed back to his first years at Carroll. As an assistant coach in 2011, Vucan accompanied the team to Carroll Elementary to visit different classrooms. He remembers walking through the halls and seeing kids’ faces light up once they saw those green uniforms. They called out the names of his players, eager to meet their fellow Dragons.
“I could not believe how many of the kids knew exactly who these kids were,” Vucan says. “I see all these elementary kids in awe of our baseball kids, and I could see how this meant everything to them. I saw it is a connection to the community.”
Vucan continues that Dragon connection with Dragon Palooza, which was held this year in February. Watching current players coach little ones and seeing alumni come back to participate in their special game acts as a symbol for what Dragon pride is all about.
“It’s a connection of past, present and future,” Vucan says. “Everyone is in green; everyone is a Dragon.” That generational commitment is present throughout Carroll athletics.
“It goes back to community pride. They are a part of it,” Stuewe says. “It’s really cool year after year for former players, former parents, you see them showing up to games. They still follow sports even though they may not have a kid in the program.”
THE DRAGON RALLYING CRY
Even if locals don’t have a kid on the team, Southlake stays engaged with its support. We all know high school football is big in Texas, but this town’s community spirit ensures that the masses can feel connected to every sport.
“Having grown up in a small community myself, you understand the bond and the importance of athletics,” Stuewe says. “The fact that Carroll has had so much success, it sets this expectation of being successful in all our extracurriculars, not just athletics. But we remind them you are out here because you love it and have fun and just keep doing that. They love the game, but first and foremost, they love the relationships they develop with their teammates.
“When they look back and reflect on this year, they will remember it got cut short but they will also remember the relationships and friendships they made. That’s what’s important. The score on the scoreboard is not what you’re going to remember. It’s the people you played beside.”
We all like cheering for the winning team, but the close-knit community of Southlake ensures that support isn’t driven by results. It’s based on relationships.
“Everyone is a Dragon in Southlake,” Vucan says. “You see ‘protect the tradition’ on every shirt. It’s everywhere you go. A lot of this pride has to do with that connection to the tradition, and people want to see it continue.”
Through wins and losses, through triumphs and trying times, Southlake continues to show up for sports, and that’s driven by these athletes’ determination to be better for others.
“It’s really unique the way we rally around each other, whether you have children or not,” McDade says. “You look at our businesses and our community, and people just want to see our kids do the best they can and become the best versions of themselves. It’s a rallying cry to be a Dragon.”