Cross country runners could be in action this fall. Maybe. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
The proposal for a new-look four-season athletic schedule.
Hope lives. For now, at least.
While acknowledging things are changing on a daily basis, and there are still a lot of questions to answer, the Executive Board of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association offered a plan Tuesday for high school sports being played during the 2020-2021 school year.
Under the plan, the WIAA will try to work around the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting sports deemed “high-risk” or “moderate-risk” by health officials, moving them from this fall to next spring.
For Coupeville, that means football, volleyball, and soccer are on the move to 2021, with the state going from a traditional three-season athletic year to a temporary four-season one.
Only “low-risk” sports — cross country and boys tennis at CHS — will begin practices in early September (or later), and then only if certain benchmarks are met.
The WIAA Executive Board, which is working with state health officials and Governor Jay Inslee’s office, plans to meet July 28 to hash out what that exactly means.
For now, the Wolves look as good as anyone, as Island County is in Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, the minimum level required to play “low-risk” sports.
Counties must be in Phase 4 to play “moderate-risk” sports, while WIAA officials have said “high-risk sports” will only be viable in a “Phase 4-plus” environment, and what that means is still anyone’s guess.
If it’s decided the benchmarks for starting “low-risk” sports haven’t been met by the first week of September, those sports could start later.
They could also be moved from “Season 1” to “Season 3,” with no high school sports being played until January.
The plan, which you can see in more detail in the photo above, is, like everything in our pandemic-ravaged world, a work in progress.
“When you look at dates, those are definitely written in pencil,” WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman said with a weary half-smile during a follow-up press conference.
How the four-season plan would break down for CHS:
Season 1
(9/7 to 11/8)
Cross Country
Boys Tennis
Season 2
(1/4 to 3/7)
Girls Basketball
Boys Basketball
Season 3
(3/1 to 5/2)
Volleyball
Football
Girls Soccer
Boys Soccer
**Cross Country/Boys Tennis (if Season 1 cancelled)**
Season 4
(4/26 to 6/27)
Softball
Baseball
Girls Tennis
Track and Field
A few of the many questions everyone wants an answer to:
**Schools are currently deciding whether to go with 100% in-person classes, 100% online classes, or a mix of both. How will that affect whether a school plays?
Short answer: no one knows yet.
**On the new schedule, there’s a gap between Season 1 and Season 2. Why?
It’s to give WIAA officials more flexibility to start the season late, or end it late, as they deal with the issues around returning to play, weather conditions, and the start of the traditional flu season.
**Will shorter seasons mean less games?
Maybe.
The WIAA gives leagues and schools a lot of leeway on scheduling, so, if teams can play, it’s up to people like CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith to figure out how many games they can get in.
**Instead of three-sport athletes, if the new schedule goes down as intended, could we see four-sport athletes?
Absolutely.
While seasons will slightly overlap, Hoffman said the WIAA is likely to allow some preseason practice requirements be met by playing a sport in the prior season.
That would allow athletes to be ready for games in the next sport much quicker than in previous years.
**Could there be multiple state champs per classification in each sport?
Possibly.
If the WIAA is unable to hold traditional state tournaments, one idea being considered, Hoffman said, is to have multiple regional events, limiting travel, with each champ earning a state title trophy.
For now, though, it’s just an intriguing idea on the back burner.
**If teams can play, will there be enough refs and umpires to hold games?
Maybe.
A survey of officials state-wide showed 30% of them are “not comfortable working at this time.” If that holds up, especially in areas where officials are predominately older, it could present serious issues.
**What about monitoring athletes and coaches for COVID-19? And what if positive tests start coming in?
Currently, the WIAA is not requiring tests, but Coupeville athletes have to present a written note from their parent or guardian before each practice asserting they don’t have a fever or show symptoms.
After that, well, no one really seems to have a concrete answer.
**What about middle school sports?
That’s on the list of things to get done, but the WIAA hasn’t gotten there yet.
**Will fans be allowed to attend games?
Possibly.
“We certainly hope so,” Hoffman said. “It’s important for kids to play in front of the people who love them.”
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