Work on basketball/wrestling preview begins
Questionnaires, photos, sponsors needed for annual keepsake issue
Forty-eight high school basketball teams in Kansas saw their season come to an unceremonious end in March as the decision was made to pull the plug on the state tournament after the quarterfinals because of concerns surrounding the spread of the coronavirus.
Tearful athletes hugged teammates, family, and coaches and mourned the loss of the semifinals and finals that ended without the chirp of a whistle, squeak of a sneaker or roar of a crowd.
Fortunately, for the wrestling community, the postseason was completed prior to the official pandemic declaration, but the eventual spring cancellation would leave hundreds of baseball, softball and track athletes, especially those in the Class of 2020, longing for the carefree days of fall.
Here at Kansas Pregame it's time to gather team information for the 2020-2021 winter sports season. While much of the state is focused on the moment, playing fall sports with the occasional schedule shuffle, team quarantine, or game cancellation, basketball and wrestling coaches across the state are mentally preparing for the season under a cloud of possible virus impacts.
Over the course of the year we, at Kansas Pregame, have had to modify our course. Spring cancellations led to a modified Spring Edition that featured a "what might have been" look at the spring season but also a new fall and winter yearbook with postseason coverage of the cross country, basketball, football, volleyball and wrestling seasons.
Now, as we edge closer to the winter sports season in the COVID-19 era, we plan to continue with our preview of the basketball and wrestling seasons in Kansas in an effort to preserve the memories of the joy of high school sports and look ahead with appreciation for this unique moment in history.
Questionnaires needed
Coaches, your complete questionnaire is the most important resource we have in providing a comprehensive look at the basketball and wrestling seasons.
We've emailed a questionnaire to the basketball and wrestling coaches in the state. If you didn't receive it, please email a request for a questionnaire to pregamequestionnaires@gmail.com, or find a link to the questionnaire below. Please fill it out as soon as possible so work on previews can begin soon.
Photos of top players needed
Coronavirus restrictions will prevent us from hosting feature photo shoots this year, so while we are always in need of high quality photos of top returning players, we need them this year more than ever.
At Kansas Pregame we only use photos with permission from the photographer and appropriate credit. The photographers that capture the special moments of a high school sports season deserve credit for their work. If you have access to high quality photos of some of your top returning players and permission from the photographer please email them to us at kansaspregame@gmail.com.
Local sponsors needed to provide free copies
Kansas Pregame's full color glossy keepsake publications provide a permanent memory of the high school sports season in a time of ever more temporary coverage of high school sports.
Help us provide free copies within your community by suggestion a sponsor from your area. Sponsors include businesses of all types, local booster clubs and civic organizations, and even parents and grandparents.
For rate information and ad examples email kansaspregameadvertising@gmail.com, and thanks to all the advertising sponsors who make our coverage possible.