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Hopedale - Local Town Pages

Reflecting on Hopedale Athletics

Jul 01, 2020 08:01AM ● By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer


​As the opening of the high school spring season loomed on the horizon back in mid-March, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker made an announcement that would shock all athletes throughout the Commonwealth.

 Baker first postponed the season and then eventually cancelled it altogether, leaving thousands of athletes without any sports to play.

​“It was definitely a very somber effect on all of our spring athletes especially as their season came to an abrupt halt,” Hopedale Athletic Director Stephanie Ridolfi said. “The spring season already goes by so fast and this just left no time for anyone to process what had happened.”

​When the Governor originally postponed the seasons, Hopedale, much like every other school in the state, held out hope that there would eventually be a season of some sorts. However, the inevitable would eventually come and Baker closed the schools for the remainder of the year leaving student athletes with nothing they could do.

​Not only were students disappointed, but the Blue Raider Coaches were devastated as well.

 ​“The coaches had worked so hard preparing the season and then like that it was gone,” the Hopedale AD said, “Through a Zoom call we came up with a plan on how the coaches were going to do things as well as how they’d handle the athletes.”

​Ridolfi went on to say they the Coaches took on a virtual role with their teams and once or twice a week took to twitter leaving the athletes information.      

Athletes were able to read about another athlete (a get to know you type of piece), revisit past games as well as fitness challenges posted by their coaches. It wasn’t the type of season they were hoping for but at least they were interacting with their teammates in an isolated world.

​Coming into the spring season Ridolfi had high hopes for a majority of her teams. The softball team was probably the highest on the list in having yet another successful campaign in the Dual Valley Conference, as well as advancing into the tournament; while the track and field team was returning a lot of athletes who were to be reckoned with. 

Baseball was young, but talented; boys and girls lacrosse teams were also slated to make some noise in the league, and the tennis teams were one that the AD was looking forward to seeing what they could accomplish.

​While the lost season was extremely difficult for the seniors to comprehend, juniors such as Alex Luccini (baseball), Bianca Fitch (softball) and Ethan Warren (boys lacrosse) lost out on an unbelievably valuable season.  These talented athletes along with others were hoping to cement their names in the minds of college coaches in hopes of getting a scholarship to play their particular sport on the next level.  However, that particularly important junior campaign would never happen and the athletes looking to move on lost out. 

​“Having no season as well as no summer club teams our coaches are scrambling to help our athletes out the best that they can,” Ridolfi said. “Coaches are writing letters of recommendation to as many coaches as they can hoping to get our athletes noticed in some way. It’s really all they can do at this point.”


​The Hopedale AD said there is a strong possibility of club field hockey beginning in late June and volleyball sometime in July, but that will be something they have to wait and see if it comes to fruition. 

As far as the fall season Ridolfi can only hope and pray.

​“ The  National Federation of High School’s (NFHS) has set forth a guideline to get things moving in the right direction for the fall season, but first we must wait for the Governor’s thoughts about opening schools and the MIAA on how they plan on going forward with a safe season for the athletes,” the AD said. “As for us, we will do whatever we can for our athletes to get them back on the fields.”

​Ridolfi believes she’ll go with a trial and error approach and see how things work with some of the other schools; if all goes well in a positive manner then Hopedale will move forward.  

While the spring season was cancelled without much notice, athletes throughout the state must sit back and wait to see what happens with the fall season come the beginning of the school year.