State of Cody Athletics Update

THE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS SEASON WAS OFFICIALLY CANCELLED ON APRIL 7TH. EARLIER THIS WEEK I CAUGHT UP WITH ATHLETICS DIRECTOR OF CODY HIGH SCHOOL, TONY HULT TO DISCUSS WHAT IS NEXT FOR CODY ATHLETICS. MR. HULT SAYS RIGHT NOW MANY DECISIONS ARE ON HOLD UNTIL IT’S KNOW IF THE KIDS WILL RETURN TO SCHOOL OR NOT.

“WE’RE PROBABLY, MORE THAN ANYTHING, WAITING A LITTLE BIT TO SEE, ARE WE GOING TO BE BACK IN SCHOOL AT ALL? IF WE DO, THEN I THINK WE’VE GOT SOME MORE OPTIONS TO GET OUR KIDS BACK WORKING OUT AND DOING THOSE KIND OF THINGS. IF SCHOOL ENDS UP GETTING CANCELLED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THEN AGAIN, WE’RE GOING TO GO WITH WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAYS WE NEED TO DO AND HOW MUCH CAN OUR KIDS DO IN THE SUMMER? I WOULD CERTAINLY THINK IF WE DON’T COME BACK TO SCHOOL THEN THINGS SUCH AS CAMPS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS WILL PROBABLY, EITHER BE CANCELLED OR POSTPONED TILL JULY, TYPE OF THING.”

MR. HULT MEETS WEEKLY WITH AD’S ACROSS THE STATE, AS WELL AS WHSAA COMMISSIONER RON LAIRD AND TALKS ABOUT CONTINGENCY PLANS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED.

“WE MAY LOOK AT FORMING SOME COMMITTEES FOR SOME THINGS LIKE BENCHMARKS WHERE IF, LETS SAY THIS THING LASTS LONGER THAN ANY OF US WANTS IT TO AND IT LOOKS LIKE SCHOOL OR THE FALL SPORTS ARE IS SOME KIND OF POSITION WHERE THEY MIGHT NOT GET PLAYED, LIKE WE’RE EXPECTING THEM TO NOW. WE’RE GOING TO GET SOME COMMITTEES TOGETHER, SET SOME BENCHMARKS. SAY, OK WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE TO POSTPONE THE START OF THE FALL SEASON FOR TWO WEEKS, FOR FOUR WEEKS? CAN WE DO THAT? WHAT WOULD OUR SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE? SO WE WANT TO HAVE SOME THINGS IN PLACE LIKE THAT STATEWIDE.

MR. HULT THEN GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS YEAR’S SENIOR CLASS MEANS NOT ONLY TO CODY ATHLETICS BUT THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.

“I’VE BEEN HERE 15 YEARS AND WE’VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD SENIOR CLASSES. I WOULD SAY THIS CLASS ATHLETICALLY AND JUST THE TYPE OF CHARACTER THEY HAVE IS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THAT. AND YOU THINK OF OUR BAND. YOU CAN’T GO ANYWHERE IN OUR STATE WITH PEOPLE NOT TALKING ABOUT OUR BAND. AND OUR BAND, NOT ONLY ARE THOSE KIDS DEDICATED THEY’VE DONE GREAT THINGS THROUGH THE YEARS. WE HAVE GREAT PROGRAMS, GREAT LEADERSHIP AND GREAT PROGRAMS.

MANY SCHOOLS ACROSS WYOMING AND OTHERS STATES HAVE ADOPTED THE BE THE LIGHT PROGRAM WHERE SCHOOLS WILL TURN ON THE FOOTBALL STADIUMS LIGHTS AT 8:20PM, 20:20 MILITARY TIME TO HONOR THE SENIORS. MR. HULT SAYS CODY HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE TAKING PART IN THAT THIS FRIDAY.

“WE’RE GOING TO DO THE BE THE LIGHT DEAL THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE FOOTBALL FIELD. WE DIDN’T DO THAT LAST WEEK CAUSE WE WERE ON SPRING BREAK AND IT WAS GOOD FRIDAY. OUR PLAN IS TO DO THAT EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR OR AT LEAST UNTIL WE COME BACK TO SCHOOL, WHICHEVER IT WOULD BE. THE THING ABOUT THAT IS, THEIR’S NO INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION AND I’M A BELIEVER IN THAT TEAM RECOGNITION, WHAT YOU DO TEAM WISE IS SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU DO INDIVIDUALLY. BUT ALSO, HOW DO YOU HONOR THEM INDIVIDUALLY IF WE CAN’T GET TOGETHER AND DO IT.”

THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH TONY HULT IS POSTED BELOW. STAY TUNED TO THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK FOR MORE ON CODY ATHLETICS.

“HOPEFULLY WE JUST GET BACK TO NORMAL SOON AS WE CAN. HOPE EVERYBODY STAYS SAFE, DOES THE RIGHT THING SO THAT THIS THING GETS DONE AND WE CAN GO BACK TO NORMAL.”