For sports in the year 2020, almost nothing has been normal. Prep athletes around the country have seen their seasons delayed and even in some cases canceled entirely. But the ripple effect of these delayed and canceled seasons is more profound than just the practices or games themselves. Fo…

On Monday, Dec. 14, the Islander Sports Foundation announced its opening for its Winter 2021 Sports Camps, which included: Football, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Cross Country, Boys and Girls Basketball, Girl Lacrosse, Girls Volleyball, Softball, and Women’s Tennis. These “camps” are small pods where a regulated amount of students can participate and practice together at one time. The camps are intended to help students continue to play and practice their sports while also following social distancing guidelines and COVID-19 guidelines. Registration for the Winter Sports Camps began on Dec. 16 at 8 a.m. and will operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, with each winter camp registration/sign-up fee ranging from $10 to $35. According to the Coronado High School athletic director, Robin Nixon, the sign-up deadline is around the second week of 2021.

For many around the United States, the annual Army vs. Navy football is a tradition unlike any other. A time for many to sit and watch a game that has now been played for over 125 years. But for many here in Coronado, the game means much more. With the town’s almost inseparable connection to the United States Navy, it makes sense to find many former Midshipmen living here in town. While COVID-19 may have hampered some of the hype around the game that it typically gets for the general public, that wasn’t the case for those former Naval Academy grads who live here in town. 

“Oh, the game was as big as ever to me,” said 1985 Naval Academy Graduate John Nolan. “I know for me the game will always be super important no matter what the circumstances or situation. This is a game that I’ve looked forward to ever since my Plebe summer.”

In the seemingly never-ending quest to keep local kids active and involved during the shutdown, for many parents, the Islander Sports Foundation Middle School Rugby program has been a godsend.

Coached by Coronado High School rugby coach Santos Trujillo, with son Seth Trujillo serving as assistant coach, the program “keeps kids safe and gives them something to look forward to,” said the senior Trujillo.

Parents have been effusive with their praise of the program, with one parent telling Trujillo “I think you should know that this is huge for my son. I can’t speak for other kids, but I can tell you that this is honestly a real lifeline for him. Because of the environment, there isn’t much to break up the monotony. We try our best, but there aren’t a lot of options. He counts down for

Earlier in the spring of 2020, the Islander Sports foundation named Kristen Guymon as the new Athletic Director at Coronado Middle School. Under normal circumstances being an athletic director, at any level, is strenuous enough. But when faced with a global pandemic, Guymon had more than just an athletic director’s traditional difficulties. 

“Honestly, since I took over while the pandemic was going on, it’s not as if I had to adjust anything that was going on. So I knew I had a clean slate since I knew we would be unable to do competitive sports during the fall season. And with that in mind, we decided it would be best to take advantage of the day camp initiative set forth by the state.”

Becoming a division one athlete isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time, hours of work and dedication, and a willingness to work even when people aren’t watching. And for those who are willing to put in that work and commitment, the results can be fruitful. No one would know this better than the 2019 Coronado High School graduate and current Xavier University Pitcher Luke McCollough. 

McCollough’s journey to Division I baseball is unique. McCollough was a four-year varsity letterman during his time in Coronado and helped the program capture two CIF titles in those four years. “My four years playing for Coronado was huge and fundamental to my development as a player and a pitcher,” said MCCollough. “During my last two seasons, we were constantly playing (CIF) Division I and Division II teams, so I was constantly facing some of the best prep competition that I could. And that definitely helped make sure that I was always being challenged and on top of my game.”

The Coronado Lacrosse Club (CLC) Select team traveled to Phoenix recently to participate in the Arizona Showdown. Entered in the 25/26 Division, the team, comprised of 26 and 27 players, took home the championship!

The young team continues to grow and develop. Having received second place in their first tournament, they worked hard and came home this weekend with the championship.

For college athletes around the country, the year 2020 has presented perhaps the most challenging set of circumstances in some time. Many are left to wonder if they’ll be allowed to practice or if they will lose years of eligibility, and more importantly, if their respective seasons will be …

For hundreds of parents around the country, soccer is the sport in which their small children had their first experience with organized sports. That is true locally as well, and most of us, at one time or another, have earned the honor of being a soccer mom or dad.
Prior to the shutdown, on any given Saturday in the spring, soccer players of all ages would fill almost every available bit of open space at both Tidelands and Coronado Cays Park. Parents and siblings would be enjoying the action from the sidelines, perhaps engaging in a bit of armchair coaching from their seats on the grass.

As COVID-19 has created mayhem and discontent around the country, it goes without saying that the local soccer fields were desolate spaces this past spring, and parents and kids found the lack of exercise and camaraderie beyond frustrating. The silver lining to that frustration is that it has a way of begetting creativity and adaptability.

Coronado is one of the most bicycle-friendly communities in California, having the honor of being designated as both a Bicycle Friendly Community and a Bicycle Friendly Business, at the silver level. With our nearly perfect weather, small-town feel, and dedicated paths and bike lanes, for many, cycling is the preferred method of transportation.

Many local kids start riding as soon as they’re big enough to fit on a bike, learning in alleyways, sidewalks, and even by hurtling down the grassy hill at Tidelands Park. They wheel (and sometimes wobble) along behind their parents until they’re old enough to safely hit the streets alone. The first solo trip to school without mom or dad guiding the way is something of a rite of passage in the community in fact.

If the current Coronado High School (CHS) Islanders Football season had gone as originally scheduled, the team would have played their final regular season game at the home of the Crawford Colts this past Friday night.

As with almost everything else that 2020 has flung at us, no wrenches were spared in terms of football, and the Friday night lights have remained dark, the fields and stands empty and quiet.

As depressing as that sounds, CHS head coach Kurt Hines remains encouraged and positive. Hines and his crew of coaches and athletes, though limited to twice a week practices, are working to keep the squad active and in shape, with Hines reporting, “The coaching staff and I have been overwhelmed with the effort and enthusiasm by our young men!”

For many around Coronado, Bradley Field and the Coronado Little League have been home to fond memories for both parents and kids alike. Serving as a hub for both competition and community since 1953. 

But like many Little Leagues around the country, Coronado Little League had to place its plans and season on halt, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. And while last season may have been lost, there are many reasons for hope for this season, according to League president Doug Barker.  

I started off asking Barker about how last season ended, to which he told me, “As far as I know, this was the first time Coronado Little League has ever had to shut down. It seems as if baseball is always going on, so for the season to be canceled, it was certainly disappointing for everyone involved.”

While I’ve enjoyed participating in a variety of physical activities over the years, running has never been high on my list. In fact, I confess that it’s at the very bottom.

With Islander Sports Foundation (ISF) offering a new running club this fall, it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the popular activity, and Coach Abby Lund was the perfect person to ask.

She explains, “For me it’s the feeling right after you’re done running- runners’ high, as it is called, is a real thing. It feels good to have pushed yourself, and to know you can endure. You can challenge yourself to new distances or speeds, and get that sense of accomplishment, too.“

With the current state of CIF sports in flux, we know that nothing is certain about the pending combined fall and winter seasons.

One thing that is certain is that, in California, water polo is pretty much a year-round sport. In pre-COVID times, the boys would be competing in the fall, with intense two-a-day practices, along with early morning weight workouts. The girls would be participating as a club team, under the auspices of the Coronado Aquatics Club, with a slightly lighter training and scrimmage schedule.

As with almost all other aspects of our lives, COVID has thrown quite a wrench into the local sports scene, which in turn demands a lot of flexibility and creativity from players, coaches, fans and parents. Currently both girls and boys teams are practicing as club teams, with both also scheduled, if the current plan holds, to begin full-contact competition play in mid December.

A hot new middle school sports club, offered to local sixth, seventh and eighth graders, is a hit with the kids (and their parents) who want to stay active in a safe, organized way.

Formerly known as Strength and Speed, the activity, coached by Nick Samarco, is now more accurately called Sports Performance and Enhancement.
 Samarco, who has a long list of certificates in sports medicine, nutrition, fascial stretch therapy, and neural organization/motor skills, is well-qualified to coach the younger set, and remains on the cutting edge of physical education.

And an education it is.
While most of us might thing of strength or speed as the most important part of most sports, Samarco breaks it down to safety and proper mechanics, so the class is not sports-specific, but rather, focuses on the two most critical aspects of all sports. With the exception of long-distance running, most sports are what he refers to as “explosive.”

High school sports around the country look a lot different than they did a year ago, due to the often frustrating domino effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While still impacted by the shutdown, surfing, by nature requires a lot of physical distance, and thus local board riders of all ages have, for the most part, been able to enjoy the quintessential Southern California sport. 
The Coronado High School Surf Team, under the seasoned leadership of long-time local and competitive surfer Mike Gillard, has been able to practice, with the exception of the period when most county beaches were closed at the beginning of the shutdown. Gillard picked up the reins of the team after the tragic death of beloved local waterman and coach Stan Searfus in January of 2018.

The season, which runs from October through March, was somewhat affected by the shutdown in the spring, with only a few of the meets,

Last weekend, Coronado Lacrosse Club headed to Salt Lake City, Utah, to compete in a regional lacrosse tournament that drew teams from all over the west. America’s Finest Rivalry, organized by San Diego-based, locally owned Adrenaline Lacrosse, brought a wide range of teams from west of the Mississippi. Coronado Lacrosse Club (CLC) Select, coached by Loren Generi and Courtney Reidarson, sent a team consisting of sixth and seventh grade players primarily from Coronado.

With much of our work and social lives taking place in front of a screen these days, many kids and parents have been searching for outlets that allow for safe physical and social activities.

For many, the fall sports camps offered through the Islander Sports Foundation at the Coronado Middle School (CMS), have provided a welcome break from the constant screen time, providing exercise as well as the opportunity to safely socialize.

Kristen Guymon, parent of both a Village Elementary fourh grader and a CMS seventh grader, took on the position of CMS Athletic Director (AD) in May, after the departure of former AD Meredith Hinz.
Taking on any new job, even in the best of times, can be a challenge, but during a world- wide pandemic and a shut-down, creating safe activities that meet the state and county guidelines adds yet another hurdle in what might be described as an ever-changing obstacle course.

Local sailing legend and Olympic gold medalist Robbie Haines (Coronado High School ’72) was one of 9 sailors inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame on Sept. 12, in a virtual ceremony. Introducing him was fellow sailor and 2018 NSHOF inductee Vince Brun, who first met Haines in 1973.

I met with Haines at the Coronado Yacht Club on a beautiful afternoon following his induction, and

With the start of the fall 2020-2021 CUSD school year almost three weeks ago, in pre-COVID times, we would also have seen the launch of the Coronado High School (CHS) Fall sports season.

Team photos would have been taken, programs printed, rosters and team captains announced. Looking at the “what-would-have-been” calendar this weekend, both of Coronado’s pools would have been roiling with the America’s Finest City men’s water polo tournament and Islander Football would be hitting the turf against the Kearny Komets on Friday evening. Parents and students would be filling the stands in the gym, on the pool deck, and in the stadium. Our Islander Cheerleaders would get the fans going with my favorite cheer:

Coach Jorge Perez, who is a familiar face to many area local water polo players, is serving as the new coach for the Coronado Aquatics Club age-group players, along with David Throop and Asante Sefa-Boakye, who coach the senior women’s group and senior men’s group.

Sefa-Boakye, Coronado High School class of 2010, who played the sport under legendary coach Randall Burgess during his high school years, and has played around the world at the international level, is acting as interim coach while Laci Gyori travels and trains in his home country of Hungary.

In his 1972 book “Semi-Tough,” Dan Jenkins, who was undoubtedly one of the best three or four sportswriters ever, said, “The hunt’s over. It’s time to put out the fire and call in the dogs.” After 22 years of writing ‘Nado Natterings’ this is my final sports column as I head into retirement. In next week’s issue of the Coronado Eagle & Journal, my final city-side column will run and contains details of my career and future plans. But this week I’m going to write about some of the athletes and teams which stood out over the last two decades, plus some anecdotes you might enjoy. Keep in mind these are athletes and teams I have covered in person, post 1995.

There is some irony to the fact that last week’s Retro Nado Natterings featured the 2017 Islander Boys Tennis Team which won the Division I title and their star player, Ryan Seggerman, who went on to win the CIF Singles title on his way to an undefeated season. Seggerman matriculated to Princeton

Yet another sign The Apocalypse is upon is The San Diego Union-Tribune no longer publishes out-of-town box scores, further diminishing their product. Conversely the other daily paper I read, the Chicago Tribune, has an entire page of box scores accumulated from all sports… Despite a lifelong…

Islander rising senior Wayne McKinney has committed to play for the USD Toreros, he announced last week. An All-CIF First Team selection last season for Coronado, McKinney averaged 28.4 points per game and led his team to the CIF Division III Finals where the Islanders lost to San Ysidro 71-59, although the game was closer than the final score reflects.

“USD was the best academic school that offered me,” McKinney said by phone last week. “It’s the place my family and I decided on because it’s close to home. I’ve been in communication with the USD staff for about a year now. I’ve been pretty comfortable with them and I went to watch the team play. Their guards are aggressive and the coaches let them play. The guards really run the show. I’m looking forward to meeting the team after COVID and their gym is open. The USD campus is beautiful and the gym is awesome. All of that was an add-on for me.”

Via a press release issued Monday morning, June 20, 2020, the State CIF, the governing body of high school sports in California, did the expected and delayed the start of the Fall 2020 sports season until mid-December

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, sports teams and programs are forced to get creative and that would certainly apply to the Coronado FC, which began skills practice for players in small groups Monday, July 13. Club Head Manager Cindi Gehler, who also has the fun jobs of being registrar and in charge of field scheduling and permits, talked about the goals and procedures of the workouts. “We’re in Phase 1 of four phases, and we will be working on individual skills, technique and a little bit of fitness. We have 16 teams currently and they aren’t all full. When COVID hit, we went to one-hour sessions, two days a week of Zoom training with our coaches. Now we are going into groups for 45-minute sessions, with between seven and 11 players per group. Each of our players will have to pass the COVID safety protocols. Our guiding entity is the California State Soccer Association-South (Cal South), who developed a comprehensive plan, which each group can elaborate on in their local environment. And we had input from the school district.”