SAN ANTONIO — After 53 years in high school athletics, Jim Streety has seen just about everything during his stellar career as a football coach and athletic director.
With schools closed and the world social distancing, Streety can add the coronavirus pandemic to his lifetime of experiences.
Streety is in his second stint as athletic director of the New Braunfels ISD, which remains closed because of the COVID-19 virus. The district started online classes Monday, although schools remained locked down.
Classes were scheduled to start last Monday after spring break, but with the illness spreading, NBISD officials extended the closure of schools until April 3.
"We're just hoping and praying that's the day we get to go back and do what we do," Streety said in a phone interview. "If not, we're going to adjust and we're going to do what we have to do. It really is hard to put into words because we're in uncharted waters.
"We don't know when this is going to end. We have hope that the end of this is going to be in a couple of more weeks, and we're going to get back to normal. But we don't know that and the thing that is so frustrating is that it's out of our control."
The University Interscholastic League, the governing body for extracurricular activities in Texas public schools, has suspended all competition until Monday, May 4.
Streety, 76, was head football coach and athletic director at N.B. from 1974 until becoming head coach at Madison 17 years later. He coached the Mavericks for 23 seasons before returning to New Braunfels as AD after the 2013 campaign.
Streety has headed the N.B. athletic program since then.
The all-time leader among Greater SA high school football coaches in career victories, Streety went 343-131-3 in 40 seasons as a head coach at New Braunfels (1974-90) and Madison (1991-2013).
Monday marked the 29th anniversary of Streety's first day on the job at Madison, where he went 194-86-1 in 23 seasons and led the Mavericks to the state semifinals three times.
Born and raised in Smiley, which is about 60 miles east of San Antonio on U.S. Highway 87, Streety was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Heather Sledge, N.B. volleyball coach and girls athletic coordinator, has taken comfort in knowing that the district's athletic program is in such experienced hands during this difficult time.
"We talked about that last week when this whole thing kind of got going," Sledge said. "He (Streety) said he's been doing it a long time, but he's never seen anything like this. But, he said, as with anything he's ever seen, the storm will pass.
"I think all of us knowing the great man, husband, father and coach that he is, he gives us the backbone to lean on and follow. I think we truly are lucky. This may be the first storm he's ever seen of his nature, but he has our back and he's keeping us going. And, like he has said, the storm will pass and we will get through it. It's just reassuring to have his leadership."
Although N.B. athletes are prohibited from using district facilities or equipment while schools remain closed, Unicorns football coach Glenn Mangold expressed confidence that Streety's leadership will see the athletic program through the health crisis.
"Rest assured that when it all settles down and we can get going again, there will be a plan and all the kids will be taken care of," Mangold said. "Coach Streety is very organized."
Mangold had two different stints on Streety's staff at Madison before following him to New Braunfels, where Mangold took over as head coach in 2014.
"He comes and watches us work out every day," Mangold said of Streety. "He's not removed from what's going on, by any means. The best thing is if I have a question about something or want some advice on something, all I have to do is walk down the hallway a little bit to his office."
While athletes remain out of school, Streety said it's critical that coaches continue communicating with them.
"All of my head coaches that I've been in contact with have been in contact with their teams," he said. "Mainly through email or group texting. It's just something we've got to work through."
With Streety leading the way, there's no doubt New Braunfels will do just that.
RELATED: Rittimann eager to start new chapter in career as Alamo Heights football coach/athletic director