Spring sports have returned to Virginia Beach high schools after athletes in the 757 area lost their spring season a year ago.

“The hardest part about this year’s season is that we don’t have any scrimmages and we don’t even know how to make it to the playoffs because they haven’t decided how that will look this spring. My hope is that because spring sports were the only season completely canceled last year, they would consider this and have an ‘all-in’ playoff at the conclusion of our season,” said soccer coach Christine Thornton.

Many coaches would like an expanded playoff, giving teams a better chance at a title due to the shorter season. This would give coaches a chance to figure out their teams and decide what works best by playoff time. Additionally, since these athletes did not have a season last year, many may struggle moving up to the next level due to the lack of experience and time.

“Skipping sophomore season didn’t affect me as much because I used the time we had off to get better,” said junior Wyatt Luttrell. “But I’m sure this doesn’t help other athletes, especially the underclassmen.”

All junior varsity teams will not play this season, and many fear this will hurt their experience and future in varsity sports. 

“Going from a freshman to a sophomore without playing any sports feels kind of weird because you don’t have the same experience everyone else has,” said sophomore Damon Luebke. “Now going to varsity without any junior varsity experience makes it even more difficult.”