In the wake of Monday’s announcement that girls tennis and boys golf will move from the spring to the fall season, school administrators are working to determine how those changes will work best within their athletic departments.
Dike-New Hartford Activities Director Cody Eichmeier says the announcement came after months of speculation.
“This has kind of been talked about from the state association level since at least December, is when I know I kind of heard some rumblings about it,” Eichmeier says. “We were kind of prepared as like an AD group in the conference, talking about what does this look like if, if this does come to fruition. It’s kind of belabored. I mean, we’re in August now talking about something we knew about potentially in December. So I mean, eight months down the road and finally the decision comes through. There was a lot of uncertainty whether they would pass or not. You just put one foot forward and you adjust.”
The change is highly likely to impact participation numbers in not only the affected sports, but also other fall and spring sports. Eichmeier says the biggest effects are difficult to predict.
“Not sure what challenges it’s going to present, not sure how it’s going to impact those program numbers in the fall or what the residual is going to be on other sports or what the residual is going to be of those kids that play in the spring, what that’s going to mean for those other sports in the spring. So probably a lot of positives and negatives to draw out of it. It’s just unknown, we take it in stride and we roll with it and we’ll see what 25-26 brings with it.”
Eichmeier says it’ll be a departure from normal, but only for a few years.
“In my opinion, it’s gonna be a three-year issue. These kids that have the opportunity as freshmen, sophomores and juniors this year, as a spring sport with girls tennis and boys golf, get that opportunity and then that opportunity gets taken away from them. And they won’t have that opportunity to do it in the spring anymore and it’s gonna be a fall sport. Our job is to adjust and make the experiences the best that we can for our student athletes. And after three years, you know those upcoming eighth graders to-be freshman, that’s all they’re going to know, and it’ll just be the new norm.”
The change will take effect in the 2025-2026 school year.
Cody Eichmeier interview:
