Column: Awaiting approval to play indoors, LAUSD players move forward on outdoor courts

As a jet meanders toward Los Angeles International Airport, the deafening roar of its engine still can’t drown out the distinctive sound of bouncing rubber basketballs on an asphalt court at Westchester High. There’s also the squeaky sound of $150 Nike shoes being twisted and turned as players follow the instructions of their veteran coach, Ed Azzam, who’s wearing a black mask and offering advice on how to get through a screen.

Welcome to afternoon outside basketball practice in the Los Angeles Unified School District as coaches, players and teams await approval to enter gymnasiums for a City Section season that continues to be delayed by COVID-19 safety protocols.

“It’s absolutely better than not being able to practice at all,” said Azzam, the winningest basketball coach in City Section history with more than 900 victories and 15 City titles since he began coaching in 1978.

Schools need to file a site safety report with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, then wait two weeks for approval. That’s expected to happen by May 3, allowing indoor practices and games to begin. Students and coaches also must undergo weekly testing requirements.

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It’s pretty clear that if you’re still a student in LAUSD, your parents have shown great patience in the face of many obstacles. Those who decided to stick it out should come out tougher and more determined than ever, making for an intriguing but frantic month of May, with the season culminating in City Section championship games in June.

At Westchester, none of the 18 outside rims have nets. If you’ve ever played on an outside court, without nets, you know how uncomfortable and unsatisfactory that feels. But the lesson on this day is make the best of whatever situation you’re in.

“It’s a different experience from inside,” Westchester guard Dimetri Goodman said. “I would rather play with nets than no net.”

Said sophomore forward Angel Corona: “It’s hard to get a rebound, but you have to make it work. It’s frustrating, but you have to get through it.”

None of the players are wearing their $200 Nike Air Jordan XII shoes. They’re utilizing backups as they practice fundamentals, such as passing and yelling out the name of a teammate to get used to being verbal, and doing weaves and throwing the basketball off the backboard continuously to gain stamina.

Considering that 0-0 Etiwanda earlier in the week defeated 15-0 La Verne Damien, there’s hope for those schools starting their season late.

Westchester is the defending City Section Open Division champion and returns six players, plus a couple of transfer students. One player left for Texas, Joseph Johnson. Others, such as guard TJ Wainwright, stayed sharp by participating in out-of-state travel ball tournaments.

Azzam had not seen his players since March of last year until the team’s first workout outdoors Monday. He always starts September by practicing outdoors because the gym isn’t available while girls’ volleyball takes place. This is the first time outside practice is being held in April.

“They’re not used to playing outside. All the coaches are, because we’re so old,” he said.

Lake Balboa Birmingham has been the one City Section school allowed to play games and practice in a gym because it’s an independent charter school that filed a safety plan weeks ago. The Patriots figure to have at least a three-week head start on other City Section teams. The regular season will begin the week of May 3 and end by May 29.

“We’re all starting late, one way or the other,” Birmingham coach Nick Halic said. “No summer, no fall. At the end of the day, by the time playoffs come, everybody will be what they are. I’m not going to apologize. We did what we’re supposed to do. We got the paperwork in. We’re doing the protocols. We’re testing.”

The big challenge for Westchester players over the next week is to make sure they don’t break any outside rims from dunks. It’s not a question whether the rim “might” break, Azzam said.

“I told them, ‘Don’t dunk. The rim will break,’ ” he said.