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TAGG WINS BIG HORSE RACE
Trained by Barclay Tagg, the thoroughbred Tiz the Law rolled to victory at the Grade I Florida Derby at Hallandale Beach, Fla., last Saturday. Tagg trained 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and worked for the late George Rowand of Orlean, who managed stakes winners Miss Josh and Royal Mountain Inn.
SPORTS WWW.FAUQUIER.COM
Fauquier Times | April 1, 2020
SHELBY TO THE RESCUE
Nesbit helped save FHS girls tennis, then came the coronavirus By Peter Brewington
The Fauquier Times looks at athletes whose seasons were ended by the coronavirus.
Times Staff Writer
Shelby Nesbit’s dream tennis match might have to wait awhile, but she’s still hoping to play it. Nesbit, set to be Fauquier’s No. 1 singles player before the coronavirus wiped out the season, recently contacted Kettle Run’s scheduled No. 1, Ryan Roeber, about trading strokes anyway. Nesbit envisions a head-to-head duel at Vint Hill “as soon as it’s safe enough to play.” “I wanted to see if we could do a match for fun. Maybe we can play in late May,” said Nesbit. “It might be in early summer. It’ll be fun to have one last match for senior year.” Of all the lost-senior-year athlete stories, Nesbit’s has an especially bittersweet tinge. Without her, Fauquier wouldn’t have had a team at all this spring. Fauquier had no coach – Rob Deavers had resigned after six years atop the program to spend more time with his family. A region force for many years, the team had an insufficient roster a week before spring practices were set to open last month. Nesbit was one of only two returning players this spring, along with junior Ana Wright. Two meetings gauging interest produced only four girls. Nesbit did her part by securing an initial commitment from her chemistry teacher, Jake Preli, to coach, but the roster remained problematic. “I tried to talk to girls at school. Nobody wanted to do it, so we were gonna call it,” said Nesbit. “Then this girl in my grade texted me and said, ‘Me and my six friends want to play tennis.’ I said, ‘Wow, now we need a coach.’’’
Nesbit went back to Preli, a former FHS football star, with the amazing news. “He said, ‘You have enough people. Fine, I guess I’ll coach.’’’ Preli laughed when he recalled his involvement. “I told her if she could get six other girls I would coach, and she got 11.” Many of the recruits played fall sports. Still, teaching neophyte players the mechanics of groundstrokes and serving was rough. “No one else knew how to play,” said Nesbit. “It was frustrating at first. We had to start from scratch.” After two weeks of practice, the Falcons were preparing for their first match when spring sports were postponed, then ultimately scrapped, leaving an emotional scar for Nesbit. “I was looking forward to it. I spent three years practicing, improving to be a starter my senior year. It finally happened. I’m the first seed, then it was canceled,” she said. Nesbit says she still goes to the tennis court by herself to practice or goes running. “Normally, I’m the only one at the courts in the morning. I practice serves. We keep in touch,” she said of her teammates. “Now is a good time to play. We don’t play together,” she added. Nesbit works as a lifeguard at the WARF, which is closed. So, with school out and tennis canceled her life has a void. She was super-excited about the challenge of winning matches in her final high school months. “My work got shut down. It’s kind of boring. I’ve been watching ‘The Flash,’” said Nesbit, who’ll attend West Virginia University in the fall.
PHOTO BY TAMMY NESBIT
Shelby Nesbit, wielding her Babolat Pure Drive racket, fought to save the Fauquier girls tennis team.
VHSL says spring sports might be played in summer By Peter Brewington Times Staff Writer
FILE PHOTO
Playing spring sports in July is still a possibility.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? The Virginia High School League has left the door open for sports activity in July after the conclusion of the current academic year. A decision to play in summer will be made in May. “Any options for the spring sports season will require that COVID-19 is no longer a threat and poses no health risks to our student-athletes or the public,” said VHSL Executive Director Dr. John W. “Billy” Haun. “This is extremely serious and a lot has to happen before May for us to extend the season.” For sports to occur in July, which is considered a dead period, the VHSL Executive Committee would need to
Spring coaches will still get paid By Peter Brewington Times Staff Writer
It looks like spring coaches will receive their coaching stipends even though sports have been canceled. “We were told the stipends will be paid,” said Kettle Run activities director Paul Frye.
Frye and fellow ADs Mark Ott of Fauquier and Dean Spahr of Liberty sought clarification of the matter in an email to Superintendent Dr. David Jeck. Ott pointed out that all spring coaches are working nearly yearround anyway. “If you look at it, as much as you
provide a one-time waiver to allow teams to practice and play. Any athlete signing a professional contract will not be eligible. Baseball has its draft and signing in the second week of June. Another concern is insurance, with parents required to provide proof that their student athlete is insured through either the school, athletic participation through the school or by a family policy. The VHSL said that students entering college and taking summer classes that are not part of any dual enrollment situation are no longer in high school, making them ineligible. New physicals will also be required since June 30 is the expiration date. There will be no state champions. hate to say it, they’re coaching 12 months a year. The VHSL says you can have off-season practice, so these coaches are working with kids in the fall, working to get ready for spring. I would hope they are still paid out this year. It’s been in the budget. I think it will happen.” All the local ADs previously coached varsity sports in Fauquier County. Ott was an FHS softball
Kettle Run activities director Paul Frye isn’t sure how a July season would play out, noting there are many hurdles. “It’s not safe if kids haven’t been doing anything for two months. They’d need five to 10 days of practice, and the governor has shut everything down to at least June 10,” said Frye. “It might look more like a park and recs league. I think the VHSL is buying some time before they nix everything.” But Frye also said the games could have some needed psychological benefit, as competition returns after the COVID-19 hardship: “We could play maybe five games between us, Fauquier and Liberty. It would be real nice.” and golf coach, Frye coached boys basketball at Liberty, and Spahr was the Eagles’ wrestling coach. “Coaches want be out there doing something with their kids,” said Ott. “They do it because they enjoy it. They want to watch them grow as athletes and young men and women. Coaching is not done for money. These coaches have a passion for it.”
