given hope in the fall that they would be able to play a modified season in the spring, however Omaha Public Schools (OPS) made the decision in late January to cancel fall sports for the year.

“We have many students as well as coaches that are involved in sports in both the fall and spring season, so it would have been challenging fielding teams,” athletic director Ryan Murtaugh said.

With no chance of playing their sport, many fall sport athletes are upset, but the athletes who do both a fall and spring sport are relieved that they don’t have to decide between their two sports.

“I was really hoping for a fall season, but I feel that I wouldn’t have been able to participate any ways because I play soccer in the spring,” senior volleyball player Madeline Gates said. “So, I feel relieved because I would have felt worse if they had it and I couldn’t even take part in it.”

Senior softball player Brooke Powers disagreed with Gates about the decision, saying that OPS didn’t even give them a chance.

“I feel like I got my hopes up for nothing,” Powers said. “We’re old enough to make our own choices on what sport we want to play. It’s not fair every school district got to have their fall seasons. Who cares if we only got to play against other OPS schools, at least it would’ve been something.”

And while fall sports are officially a no-go for the school year, upcoming seasons look promising to Murtaugh.

“We are all optimistic that our athletes and coaches will be able to compete in all the upcoming seasons,” he said.

Also let down by not having a season, fall coaches like Rachel Allen are pivoting their attention to the future.

“Them canceling fall sports was a big struggle for me, this is only my second year coaching,” Allen said. “I had to relearn everything. We are working on a plan to get our seniors some playing time and then we have to rebuild.”