Thinking of a large class of seniors on his Victor (N.Y.) boys’ lacrosse team, coach Jim Andre is mindful there is no redshirt year in high school sports. A player can’t sit out a year and maintain eligibility.

Victor has 22 seniors on its roster this year, but with mounting coronavirus concerns and the suspension or delay of spring sports across the country, Andre and his team are adjusting to a new reality.

Lacrosse season hasn’t yet begun in the Northeast region, and there is a chance it will not begin.

“There are so many seniors who might’ve been role players last year, and now this is their year,” said Andre, who has led the Blue Devils to four state championships since 2015. “I would hate to have them not have any semblance of a season. We’re all pumping the brakes. The reaction is to just shut everything down, but I want to keep my kids optimistic and enthusiastic. Maybe we can chip away at the season and salvage something.

“First and foremost, I want to make sure everyone is safe and everyone is taken care of. High school athletics are secondary, but they mean a lot to a lot of people. I just think it’s going to take a lot of collaboration and some planning to hopefully get this 2020 season off the ground.”

Uncertainty is the only reality right now, coaches said. But they’re still doing their best to reach players. The message is simple, Andre said.

“We tell the kids to control the things they can control,” Andre said. “They can control their sleep habits, they can control their eating habits and they can control what they can do to remain physically active to prepare on their own. That’s how they keep the mission alive.”

Keith Wieczorek, coach at top-ranked St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), is preaching togetherness, just not in-person.

It’s especially hard, however, because his son, Michael, is among the 22 seniors on the Friars’ roster this year.

“I’ve been waiting for his senior year since he was 5 years old and started coming to games with me,” Wieczorek said. “A lot of these kids I’ve coached or coached against since third or fourth grade on the summer circuits. I know the group well. It’s a great group of kids. It’s heart-breaking for them. This is by no fault of anyone. It looks like it’s disappearing in front of our eyes.”

St. Anthony’s has already canceled trips to North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Wieczorek said he remains hopeful they’ll be able to salvage a season, even if it is just a few games.

“I just say, ‘Keep delaying, keep delaying,” he said. “I would settle for five or six games, just to give these seniors something. I’m not worried about the rankings, I’m not worried about who we’re playing. I just hope they keep delaying things and don’t pull the plug until they have to.”

Kids are resilient, Wieczorek said.

“I don’t think they’re devastated yet, because kids live in the moment more than adults,” he said. “Kids aren’t going to react until a final word comes.”

Danielle Castellane’s squad at Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) was beginning preparations to seek its third straight state title when word came that schools were suspended and the start of the season was being delayed indefinitely. Her team includes 10 seniors.

“Starting off this year, there was already an eerie feeling,” she said. “I felt like every time my athletic director walked on the field, the girls were waiting for the cancellation, really just due to the NCAA and what happened with the college teams.”

There was certainly excitement to be on the practice field, but “they were just waiting for the shoe to drop,” Castellane said.

During the team’s final practice on March 13, the weather was unseasonably warm and almost summer-like.

“It felt like it was playoff time,” she said. “Everything has just been so different about this year.”

So, Castellane said it was important for her to bring some normalcy into the lives of her players, noting they’ve remained positive and optimistic about the future.

Castellane said her seniors have taken on a new type of leadership role in the face of uncertainty. The seniors have been challenging the younger players with drills they can do at home to work on skills. Castellane, meanwhile, is working on “remote coaching.” They’ve developed a plan on what players can work on in their own backyards, including a 30-minute stick-work routine.

“The girls are having to do it on their own,” Castellane said. “There is no coach or captain there to hold them accountable. We’re going to see how truly tough people are, if they’re doing it on their own. Not even having that opportunity to represent your school one last time, it’s hard. I’m hoping that isn’t the case.”

Here’s how things are stacking up across New York and New England:

New York

In sports like boys’ and girls’ basketball, the seasons never concluded with state semifinals and finals. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association “indefinitely postponed” winter championships and took the same approach with spring sports. The state is “cautiously optimistic the winter state championships will be conducted for our student-athletes,” NYSPHSAA said in a release on March 13.

Section XI (Suffolk County, Long Island) suspended all scrimmages and games until April 3.

Massachusetts

On March 16, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors determined the start of the spring season would be delayed until March 30.

“Respecting the fluidity of this situation, this decision will be revisited prior to March 30,” the MIAA stated.

Connecticut

On March 10, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference canceled the remainder of its winter championship tournaments and is yet to make a decision on the status of spring sports.

“The decision was made in light of discussions with numerous agencies and considering the circumstances of our member schools, our championship venues, and weighing the health and safety of our student-athletes, parents and fans given the uncertainty that surrounds the spread of this virus,” the CIAC announced regarding cancellation of winter championships.

That leaves spring sports in limbo. The CIAC is scheduled to meet this week to discuss the status of spring sports.

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League closed its offices during the week of March 16 due to coronavirus concerns. On March 12, the RIIL canceled all remaining winter tournaments and delayed the start of spring sports by at least a week. That decision will be reviewed and more delays are expected.

Vermont

The Vermont Principals’ Association, the group overseeing high school sports in the state, said all spring sports will be delayed until at least April 6. The decision will be reviewed before then, the VPA said. The governing body made the decision the week before to cancel the remainder of the winter sports slate.

“Thank you for your shared understanding and patience as we all work to support one another in these special circumstances and prioritize the health and wellbeing of our shared community,” the VPA said in a statement.

New Hampshire

On March 13, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association suspended the remainder of games scheduled for the winter season. Currently, practices for spring sports are slated to begin April 13 and then the first games would be played April 27. Like the rest of the states in the Northeast, that remains in limbo.

Maine

The Maine Principals’ Association voted on March 13 to delay the start of the spring sports season. Preseason practices will now begin April 27.