Former GC Schools AD Todd Gordon

Raccoon Valley Radio talked with Greene County High School Activities Director Todd Gordon about Wednesday’s announcement that schools could play baseball and softball this summer. “I was surprised, to be quite honest. I would say almost shocked!” He added, “Once it came down and you wrapped your head around it, however you feel about it, whatever side of the fence you think it has to be, it’s an opportunity, and I think it’s important for us to embrace the opportunity and do what we have to do to play baseball and play softball.”

Gordon noted that Iowa is the only state that plays high school softball and baseball as a summer sport, so attention will be on the Hawkeye state. “The whole country’s going to be watching us because we’re the only state in the country to play school sponsored sports in the summer. That’s why it’s a great responsibility and we do need to show that we can do this. Baseball and softball are the most likely things to really play. I suppose you could have a golf tournament and probably be okay, but from a team sport, baseball and softball are probably the best to try and do some of this on. It lends itself well because the fields are larger and spaced out and people can stay away from each other a little bit, so I think we can, and I think we have to. We have to figure out how to do it well.”

The A.D. said a high school schedule would be released next week with the Greene County teams scheduling only the 14 Heart of Iowa Activities Conference games. Practice for the Rams will start June 1 with season opening games set for June 15. Veteran coach Tom Kennedy heads the softball program and Matt Paulsen is in his first season as head baseball coach.