THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 6, 1995 TAG: 9509060588
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
There are the minor nuisances. Like conducting a field hockey practice with just five balls. Or borrowing footballs from a junior high and watching game film in one of the school's portable trailers.
But Princess Anne's athletic program wants to continue without missing a beat. In fact, the coaches of the school's various fall sports believe it is important for school morale following a devastating fire that damaged much of the city's oldest high school.
``We're trying to keep things as normal and as smooth as possible,'' said Princess Anne field hockey coach Denise O'Connell. ``There are some hardships to overcome.
``Each player has had to bring their own water and ice to practice when it's usually furnished. But I think the little inconveniences are teaching the players that playing sports is a privilege in a lot of ways.''
Princess Anne will benefit from a relatively light schedule this week.
The football team has a bye week and doesn't play again until visiting Tallwood in nine days. The Cavaliers' first home football game is against Kempsville on Sept. 22.
Football coach Mike Benzel said the team would have been practicing in full pads this week, ``but everything except our blocking dummies is in the equipment room and locker rooms. We don't even have cleats. We will go in shorts and tennis shoes for as long as we have to. But I hope it isn't long.''
The boys and girls volleyball teams play two away games this week. The field hockey team doesn't play again until Saturday. The most active team will be girls tennis, which hosts matches this week with Kempsville and Tallwood. The school's tennis courts are undamaged. The golf team, which plays Salem at Kempsville Greens today, is unaffected.
``The boys (volleyball) team has scraped up some temporary uniforms student activities director Doris Riedel said, ``and the coach of the girls team runs a volleyball shop and got the girls team some uniforms.''
Volleyball will be most affected. Any home games on the schedule will become away games until the gymnasium is usable. Home and away games will be flip-flopped in the second half of the season.
Riedel said she is uncertain when the staff will be allowed to enter the building. Studies are being conducted to measure the level of asbestos contamination. But she said that the gymnasium area suffered the least damage and she's been told that areas least affected will be the first to be cleaned up.
``There are six sets of double doors between where the fire was and where the football equipment is stored. We believe it is in the least contaminated area.'' by CNB