A settlement reached between the state of California and indoor sports advocacy leaders in response to a lawsuit filed by two San Diego football players has cleared the way for the return of high school sports such as basketball and volleyball.

The Bay Area News Group reached out to a number of coaches and athletes, plus monitored news conferences with Let Them Play CA leaders and Gov Gavin Newsom.

Here is what was said:

Archbishop Mitty’s Olivia Williams, a senior on the girls’ basketball team and a first-team all-Bay Area News Group selection last season: “We were super excited. One of my teammates put it into our group chat. All the texts that came in were, ‘So stoked.’ We’ve been able to get outside and practice for a while now. To finally being able to get inside is just showing that our patience and hard work are finally going to (pay off).”

Bishop O’Dowd’s Marsalis Roberson, a senior on the boys’ basketball team and last season’s Bay Area News Group player of the year: “It was exciting that we get at least something. I don’t know if it’s going to be like the regular CIF stuff. But I am just glad that everything is progressing. Talking about getting back in a gym in a few weeks. Even if we don’t get to play in the state championship game, I am just glad I get to have the memories with my brothers and play with them one last time.”   

Serra football coach Patrick Walsh, who led the campaign to get kids back into the playing arena: “This has been a journey that is one for the history books. It started on December 20 when basically a group of coaches came together and said what can we do for kids’ lives? … Today is a day that is a historical day in California. Today, something magical happened for kids.”

Scripps Ranch football coach Marlon Gardinera, whose son, Nicholas, was one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit: “Last Friday when my team took the field for the first official practice, I said it felt like spring came early. Today, for athletes across California, Christmas came early.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom: “I haven’t had a chance to read the settlement. I’ve learned this the hard way. Let me seek first to understand before you’re understood. Let me take time to read the details of the settlement. Forgive me.”

Let Them Play CA founder Brad Hensley: “The state’s giving us the guidance that it’s a go for youth sports. Now it goes down to the local level, the district level. … It’s time we did the right thing and let these kids play.”

Mitty girls basketball coach Sue Phillips: “At the end of the day, when you look at it from a perspective of where you are at that point in time, we tried to approach it from the standpoint that, ‘Hey, this is no different from a year ago. Our goal is to be a better basketball player and teammate and student and improve our skillset and fitness-level today. Whether we have a game next week or not, this shouldn’t change.’ It’s easier said than done because obviously a game looming on the horizon is a huge motivating factor. But we just continued to try to keep perspective — our job is to continue to progress. Our kids have done a fantastic job staying on course.”

Mitty’s Williams: “Me personally, it was really challenging to continue to see the hope, especially as we’d get to an uphill and something else would happen and we’d get back to square one. But I think there always has been that hope and understanding that things would change — and that they are changing.” 

Moreau Catholic boys basketball coach Frank Knight: “The last time I saw my team was when we lost to Monte Vista in the playoffs (last season). That was the last time I had the group all together at one time. That was a year ago. We didn’t have a banquet. We didn’t have anything. I haven’t even seen them.”

Knight on preparation: “From what the lawyers were saying, if we’re shooting between an April 5 and April 15 start date, in terms of open gyms and starting to get rolling, we can kind of get there. Conditioning is going to be a problem. I am assuming there are going to be more (muscle) injuries only because they haven’t really played as much as they normally would play.”

Campolindo boys basketball coach Steve Dyer on preparation: “If we had a week of practice we could be ready. That would be ideal. Two to three weeks would be more ideal. But if you told us, ‘Hey, the season starts tomorrow, we would be ready to go.'”