Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The CR softball team in action earlier this year.

By Ray Hamill — The Corsairs are leading the way on the road back to sports.

College of the Redwoods is one of just 15 community colleges in the state currently holding some type of practice/conditioning classes for its student athletes, and if the Corsairs do a good job it could open the door for many more schools to do so.

And so far, it has been a successful return for the relieved CR athletes.

“It’s been going really, really well,” CR Athletic Director Bob Brown said. “The feedback has been nothing but positive and the kids are making the adjustments.”

The CR softball team was the first to return to the practice field three weeks ago, with baseball the last of the 11 teams to get going earlier this week.

There are of course COVID-19 restrictions in place and the teams are limited with what they can do, but from a team-bonding perspective it has been a huge positive, as well as no doubt benefiting the mental wellbeing of the student athletes.

“To this point the students have been phenomenal,” Brown said. “They’ve been very grateful.”

Right now each team practices twice a week in groups of no more than 10 and at staggered times, and Brown is hoping that could expand to three times a week going forward.

Trainers Nate Kees and Michelle Schneider have been key in getting the conditioning/skills classes up and running, putting together specialized programs for each sport in the face of different COVID-19 challenges for each.

“It is a new chapter for sure and it’s been a challenge,” Brown said. “I’ve got to give a shout out to our head trainer Nate Kees, he really took the bull by the horns, and our assistant trainer Michelle.”

Brown added that he believes the rest of the state is “watching us closely.”

“I’ve been poking my head in — with my mask on of course,” the AD said. “All the teams are really enjoying it.”

As of right now, community college sports are tentatively scheduled to resume in the new year, with a final decision expected sometime in November.