High school is generally considered a time when boys and girls spend a relatively carefree life and gain valuable insights and knowledge on the road to becoming adults. High school sports can play a big part in this overall development. The past several weeks in the Washington area have been anything but normal.

A number of diocesan voices recently put forth a variety of opinions regarding the trials and tribulations of dealing with the current sniper situation.

"Everyone wants this situation resolved, but in the meantime, the WCAC's 12 athletic directors met recently and came up with their recommendations," said WCAC Commisioner Robert Hardage. "They submitted them to their respective principals and the principals voted in favor of their recommendations."

Should the Arlington Diocese approve the resumption of outdoor activities, these recommendations will include the following: 1) the conclusion of the fall varsity season may be extended from the weekend of Nov. 16-17 to the weekend of Nov. 23-24; 2) the JV and freshman fall seasons may not be extended beyond Nov. 9; and 3) no contests will be permitted to be played before the respective teams have had a minimum of four days of practice.

"I have never seen anything like this current situation," said Hardage, the former state championship football coach at Annandale who later coached at both Flint Hill and Ireton. "The J.F. Kennedy assassination in 1963 and the Sept. 11 situations only affected the athletic calendars for one week."

The current situation has obviously affected all outdoor sports. Darrell Snyder has been O'Connell’s athletic director for 22 years and the Knights head football coach for 17 seasons.

"I have definitely not seen anything like this," Snyder said. "The football, soccer and volleyball teams are practicing in the gym. The cross country team is doing their best to utilize the weight room. The tennis team has not practiced for nearly three weeks. However, the people that are making these decisions are making the right decisions. It's for the safety of the kids."

"When this sniper thing started it pretty much just affected football," said O’Connell’s Jeremy Trimble. "However, as it has progressed it has messed up other areas of life. It has messed up my little brothers soccer practices, and my parents are after me to make sure I stay safe."

Another diocesan football player that excels both offensively and defensively is Ireton senior Mike Bury. Though the Cardinals have only won one football game this fall, Bury is anxious to get back on the field.

"We've been practicing hard," he said. "It's been pretty frustrating practicing in the gym. We really want to get back on the field and play some more games."

All six diocesan soccer teams are respectable within the conference and are anxious to get back on the field.

"We've been practicing in the gym for about an hour three days a week," said Paul VI junior goaltender Mike O'Donnell. "It has pretty much just affected me in terms of soccer. I feel that we should get back to a normal routine all the way around even if the guy isn't caught anytime soon."

"Everybody wants to play. We are looking for ways to get back on the field," said Ireton junior midfielder Jon Horbaly.

First-year Ireton girls soccer coach Malcom Wilson grew up in London and has not seen anything like this either.

"We've been practicing indoors about 3-4 days per week, and it hasn't been easy," he said. "Our seniors are probably the most upset about the whole situation. We have some exceptional senior players such as Phoebe Mroczek, Emily Brant and Molly Gannon - just to name a few. College scholarships could hang in the balance for some of the kids."

Cross country practices held indoors are even more difficult than football or soccer practices held inside a basketball gymnasium.

"The sniper situation has really messed things up," said O'Connell senior cross-country runner Brian Wilson. "We've had our last two or three meets cancelled. My parents are quite concerned. They tell me to be real careful whenever I go out. You never know what could happen. I'm pretty concerned when I gas up."

Volleyball is the least affected fall sport, but it has also had some hurdles to deal with. PVI’s girls’ team has been an area powerhouse for the past six seasons. Current coach Jamie Petrik (second year) has led PVI to a nearly perfect 10-1 record this season, and won nearly 25 matches last year en route to being ranked in the top 10 by the Washington Post.

"The sniper’s purpose was to disrupt our everyday activity and he certainly accomplished his goal," said Petrik. "A number of our matches have already been cancelled. He has put some fear into the metro D.C. area. I am hoping that in the near future we will get back into the flow of things."

Hannah Porterfield is perhaps the finest volleyball player in O'Connell history. She is a key reason why coach Michael Barnett's team weighs in with an 8-1 record this season. O'Connell's only setback was to PVI.

"Students are quite concerned about their safety," she said. "The people that play sports are frustrated that their season has been messed up. I'm really hoping they catch this guy so that school and sports can get back to normal."

Without a doubt, tennis has taken it "on the chin" more than the other four fall sports. Practice and matches have been suspended for nearly three weeks.

PVI’s sisters Sarah (senior) and Suzie (junior) Sullivan are undefeated in doubles play for the past two-and-a-half seasons. This year, however, it has been the sniper, not WCAC opponents, that have knocked the two Panthers out of competition on the court.