For Paloma coach Dale, life right now is a matter of priorities

By Doug Spoon, Editor

When Matt Dale learned recently that he had received another honor for his success in coaching the Paloma Valley High School girls basketball team last year, the realization once again hit him:

A 34-3 record, CIF-SS and Regional championships and qualification for the CIF State title game seems so long ago. Just look at all that has happened since.

On March 10, 2020, the Wildcats defeated Peninsula High 60-48 to win the CIF State Southern Regional title. They were scheduled to play St. Mary’s three days later for the CIF State title in Sacramento. Dale posed with the trophy and his parents, Lee and Cheryl, at courtside after the game (see photo above).

But on March 12, the CIF State office canceled all championship games because of a virus the general population was just starting to learn about – COVID-19. Such a great season ended so abruptly for Dale and his players. Dale was named CIF-SS Division 4AA Coach of the Year and CIF State Division III Coach of the Year, but the recognition soon faded into the dark cloud that the coronavirus had become.

A U.S. history and sociology teacher at Paloma Valley, Dale quickly had to adjust to a distance learning method – something that remains controversial to this day. By November, there was no indication that basketball season would ever come. As it was for so many, all signs of normalcy had disappeared.

Then on Dec. 5, Dale’s father Lee – a healthy 70-year-old with no pre-existing conditions – died from COVID-19 in Arizona. Two weeks later, his grandmother and aunt in California also passed away from the virus.

Suddenly, the challenges of teaching online and the apparent loss of a basketball season were pushed to the back of Dale’s mind. Even the announcement this month that he has been honored as California Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches is bittersweet. To him, COVID-19 was no longer simply the reason his lifestyle had changed. It was a tragedy of enormous proportions.

Dale realizes that each person’s perspective on the coronavirus is different, shaped by their personal experiences. He also believes it is important to tell his story, and to urge others to focus on their health and safety above all else.

“It’s been a difficult last two months because of COVID,” Dale said. “The loss of my dad was the big one. My dad had just had a physical and was healthy. Then after he got sick, he spent four days in the hospital and had a massive stroke because of COVID clotting.

“This is a virus that affects everyone differently. It’s a pro-clotting disease, which makes me worried about what it will do to people going forward. The list of what we don’t know is incredibly long. I have a strong feeling of the importance of protection against what we don’t know.”

Dale said he realizes that many people either don’t agree with his views or are simply tired of being restricted by government health orders. He does not want to minimize their concerns. But neither does he feel it is safe yet for a group of young athletes to gather with a group of adults on the basketball court, on any athletic field, or in the classroom.

For him, it is simply a matter of priorities.

"I started listening to the experiences of people I know who work in hospitals and ICUs," Dale said. "I really started to dive into learning as much as I could about the virus. One of my former students is now a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. I talked to him every single day and learned a lot.

“Anyone who says an 18-year-old with few or no symptoms will be OK can’t guarantee that the young person’s life hasn’t been altered for 10 years down the road. There can be effects on the heart and other issues. I’m afraid that eventually, we’ll see this affects kids’ [physical health] more than we thought. I don’t want that on my hands. It’s hard not to be frustrated with people who seem to be acting in their own self-interest.”

Dale said he is well aware of the pressures being put on coaches by players and their parents to resume athletic competition. He knows there have been several “Let Them Play” rallies held throughout California. He acknowledges that some of his coaching colleagues do not agree with his views.

At the same time, Dale said he is reassured by the fact that his players and their parents have not once questioned the COVID-19 restrictions or urged him to push for a return to sports. And who wouldn’t want to get back on the court more than a team that had its best season ever and ended 2020 with unfinished business? Who wouldn’t want another chance more than seniors Mya Pierfax and Sydney Woodley – All-State players who are trying to secure college scholarships?

“No part of Mya focuses on ‘This is so unfair,’" Dale said. "Her mother works at a nursing home. She knows how serious this virus is. The players are grounded. And has anyone complained we should be playing? Not a single one.”

The possible loss of an entire season would be costly for Pierfax and Woodley. Pierfax has already lost a previously offered scholarship to Fresno State. The NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to college athletes who would like to come back for another season. Expanded rosters will be allowed, but the NCAA isn’t funding any scholarships that would be needed.

Because two senior players have announced their intention to return to play for Fresno State next year, the school withdrew its scholarship offer to Pierfax, Dale said.

“We have filmed everything, so I’ve sent out highlight packages and long write-ups for the senior players to colleges," Dale said. "Sydney and Mya are still being actively recruited, but at this time, schools have nothing to offer. It’s a buyer’s market for colleges with this new rule.”

Dale said the returning basketball players are in his “virtual” PE class, so he has daily contact with them. He knows there is still a chance that a basketball season could be held this spring if COVID-19 numbers improve, but he is conflicted when thinking about that.

“We’ve built workout plans together, but they’re on their own to do it,” he said. “We work on the team connection, the mental side of the game. But I really have no team. We’ve had no tryouts for new players. I’m sure there are new girls at the school who would try out.

“I think the season is in jeopardy. We can’t even have tryouts until you can put a ball in their hands.”

Meanwhile, Dale tries his best to keep the students in his classes engaged, acknowledging that distance learning just isn’t the same as classroom instruction. He worries about the effects on the students’ mental health, but believes it's a call for families and friends to pull together, even virtually.

“I know this about online teaching – I put in much more work this way,” Dale said. “I feel really comfortable delivering the content. What I haven’t found is the connection with the class. There’s just something about being together. Students can’t come over to your desk to talk more about a subject. We have online office hours, yet the students don’t seem to initiate conversations. They need immediate feedback.

“Online learning is unfamiliar and can be intimidating. It can feel cold and isolating. And if the other social things in your life aren’t happening, it becomes worse. So you have to make adjustments. I make it a point to talk to my brother and mom every day. Our family has a Zoom meeting for dinner every Friday. It’s weird, but you have to move forward. You can’t allow this general malaise to take over.”

He admits that in the midst of all this, it’s difficult to get too excited about personal honors such as the Coach of the Year award he just received.

“The award is bittersweet. Every recognition I get is about the girls. I love having the girls’ accomplishments recognized," Dale said. "But it does feel like a long time ago. And I’m sad not to be able to share it with my dad. I know how proud he would’ve been. My parents are the first people I would call after every game.

“I’m glad I can use the announcement of this honor as an opportunity to share my story. My mom said maybe this could be a platform for me to urge people to continue to care for themselves.”

“I understand people’s concerns about the economy, their insecurity, isolation and depression. I never, ever want to diminish that. But for me, none of those compare to the fact my dad died with no one in the room.”