By Lorenzo Recupero
The sporting landscape in Everett for the 2019-2020 season will feature many new looks, including coaching changes, rule changes, and a sports team that no longer exist.
Everett High School – The official start of the EHS sports season is coming fast and the when it gets here there will be some new faces. “We are preparing for the upcoming season and we are very excited,” said Tammy Turner, EHS Athletic Director, who noted coaching changes are abound. According to AD Tammy Turner, who has also been the head girls’ basketball coach at EHS for over two decades, the school will be inviting new head coaches for boys’ and girls’ soccer, as well as a new volleyball coach this fall. Once the school officially appoints the new head coaches, we will announce who will be taking over each role. As of now, all other coaching staff will remain the same.
Pop Warner – The Jr. Everett Crimson Tide are officially on the practice field as they prepare for the upcoming season. On August 5 the Jr. Tide football players and cheerleaders were at Sacramone Park between 5-7:30PM for the first practice of the season. The teams may look different because of a new age-based system the program is going to employ this season and moving forward. Under the new system players will be designated to each team by age rather than weight, which in the past has been the determining factor for what team you played for. Each team will be comprised of players ranging in age from 5-14 years old. Here’s a closer look at the new system that went into effect July 31, 2019: 6U (5 & 6); 8U (7 & 8); 10U (9& 8); 12U (11 & 12); 14U (13 & 14). A key rule change this season is the elimination of a three-point stance for players ranging in age from 5-10years. Under the new rule, players that fall within that age group will no longer be allowed to “Position themselves on the line with their hand on the ground before the snap. Instead, they must either be upright or in a modified squat position with their hands on their legs.” Pop Warner programs nationwide have been instituting rule changes to try and make the sport safer for its young participants.
Miscellaneous – For decades Everett was much like a New York City in the sense it had dual football teams just blocks away. For the first time in 50 years though Broadway in Everett won’t feature a single football team or HS with the closure of Pope John earlier this year. With the fall’s arrival, sports for Everett will not look the same and never will.