waiting game

Reaction to the four-week pause in youth sports activities starting Saturday:

"With no school, they've lost ties with their friends. Take away sports and there's going to be pushback. We need to be concerned about mental health." — Omar McMillan, Richfield boys' basketball coach, president of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association, first vice president of the Minnesota Black Basketball Coaches Association

"I just hope at some point we can get this figured out and return to a normal life." — Amaya Battle, Hopkins girls' basketball junior

"An element of frustration from some coaches exists, but it hasn't been the loud, banging kind." — Mike MacMillan, executive director, Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association

"I've been talking to my dad a lot and he was saying it's probably not going to happen. It's a little bit of a bummer because we had our hopes up." — Nick Flaskamp, Minneapolis Southwest linebacker/running back

"If it's over and that's the worst thing these kids will face in life, they're going to have a great life." — Centennial football coach Mike Diggins after his team defeated Lakeville North on Tuesday

"I hope everybody stays healthy so we can have a basketball season." — Minneapolis North senior Davon Townley, who plays both football and basketball at the school

''Before we stepped on the court, I looked at everyone and was like, 'This could be it.' It was kind of like a pain in my chest because I was like, I don't want it to end right now." — Senior setter Brooke Weichbrodt, Concordia Academy senior setter, Wednesday before the volleyball team's last home match

STAFF REPORTS