The 2020 calendar year has been a wild ride. The Coronavirus pandemic caused the PIAA to halt sports, canceling the spring season altogether.

Many student-athletes were forced to miss spring sports competition. The seniors unfortunately had their high school careers cut short.

Salisbury Township High School Athletic Director Monica Deeb saw first hand how it felt for the Falcons student-athletes being told there would be no spring season.

“I felt terrible for all of our students, but especially the Class of 2020,” said Deeb. “The seniors were wonderful and I will miss them all very much. I wish them the absolute best going forward and hope that they visit often.”

Now, three months later, with plenty of new things coming in and continuing to change, there are guidelines out there with the anticipation of returning to action this fall. Deeb, like many other school’s administrators, is optimistic and hopeful that the fall will bring back sports.

“We shall see,” Deeb said. “I just hope that we have fall, winter and spring activities available for all our students. That’s the goal.”

The PIAA has allowed schools to resume voluntary sports related activities. The Pennsylvania Department of Education released athletic health and safety plan guidelines for schools to follow as they begin to have a phased comeback. Deeb and her fellow Salisbury High School administrators have been discussing anything and everything about different scenarios that may come up and are devising a plan for fall activities resuming.

“We are gearing up for the 2020-21 school year,” said Deeb. “We are working on return-to-play guidelines, ordering supplies and firming up schedules.”

With a three-and-a-half-month hiatus of high school sports, athletes, coaches, administrators and fans alike are anxiously awaiting the return to normalcy. When it does happen, there may be more excitement than ever before around the sports world.

“Absolutely!” Deeb said. “Everybody is very excited to return. That’s all I am hearing.”