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Posts Tagged ‘WIAA’

Prep sports pushed back

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , , on November 18, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville gunner Ty Hamilton splashes home a jumper. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Basketball is not cancelled, just postponed.

Again.

After meeting Tuesday, the Executive Board of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced its latest adjustment to the 2020-2021 athletic schedule.

With COVID-19 cases spiking statewide, and Governor Jay Inslee having recently issued restrictions which include athletes not practicing inside for at least the next four weeks, a December 28 start for basketball became more unlikely.

The WIAA confirmed that, opting to delay the start of hoops season to Feb. 1, 2021.

At that point, it will be almost a year since a Coupeville High School team in any sport has played a game.

The last time a CHS squad faced off with a rival school came Feb. 11, 2020, when the Wolf girls basketball squad lost a home playoff game to Meridian.

The pandemic kicked into high gear shortly afterwards, with spring sports cancelled in 2019, and fall sports postponed in recent months.

The plan is still to have three complete sports seasons for the 2020-2021 school year, if positive COVID-19 case numbers drop.

Under the latest plan, each season will last seven weeks and end with a “regional culminating event” in place of state tournaments.

Traditional winter sports, which for Coupeville is basketball, will start February 1 and end March 20.

After that, traditional fall sports (football, volleyball, cross country, boys tennis, girls and boys soccer) will go from March 15 to May 1.

Football teams, which have to have more practices than other sports before playing, will start March 8.

The traditional spring sports (softball, track and field, baseball, girls tennis) will close the school year, with practices beginning April 26 and the season ending June 12.

Once we hit those start dates, the ability to play will be decided by whether counties are reaching goals set by state health officials.

To play basketball, which, like football, is considered a “high risk” sport, schools have to be in counties that have less than 25 new cases per 100,000 people in a 14-day period, and less than 5% positive cases overall.

Also, 50% of schools in a WIAA region (by classification) must be eligible to participate in league games.

That means at least four of eight schools in the revamped Northwest 1B/2B League will have to be ready to go for basketball to begin.

With another delay to the start of actual play, the WIAA also voted Tuesday to extend the open coaching window to January 23.

That window, which has been extended twice now, allows coaches to work with student/athletes and have practices.

CHS, under the guidance of Athletic Director Willie Smith, has been holding carefully-monitored workouts for most of its sports programs.

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WIAA clarifies winter sports guidelines

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on November 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Maddie Georges drives the ball up-court during Coupeville’s last basketball game, a playoff tilt in February. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

To basketball, or not to basketball, that is the question.

As we wade through the Age of Coronavirus, the current plan for prep sports is this:

Winter sports (basketball in Coupeville) would start the last week of December, with games kicking off in January.

Then, traditional fall sports (football, soccer, etc.) follow in March, with spring sports (softball, baseball, etc.) starting in May.

But…

Positive cases for COVID-19 are spiking throughout Washington state, including Island County, where there were 15 new documented cases between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2.

Deaths have not risen, with Island County sitting firm at 12, with 10 of those in long-term care facilities.

With that as a backdrop, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Board met Monday, where it approved “a process for determining the status of upcoming WIAA seasons during the 2020-21 school year.”

The decision was based on feedback from Athletic Directors across the state.

Monday’s plan states for a season to take place, “50 percent of schools in a WIAA region (by classification) must be eligible to participate in league games per the COVID metrics in Department of Health guidelines.”

That means at least four of eight schools in the revamped Northwest 1B/2B League will have to be ready to go for basketball to begin in December.

Along with football and wrestling, basketball is rated a “high-risk” sport by the state.

To play games, schools have to be in counties that have less than 25 new cases per 100,000 people in a 14-day period, and less than 5% positive cases overall.

NWL teams come from five different counties, and, as of Tuesday afternoon, two of eight schools would be eligible to play, with a third narrowly missing.

Friday Harbor and Orcas Island would be good to go, as San Juan County is at just 5.8 new cases over a 14-day period.

Chimacum narrowly misses, with Jefferson County at 25.1, while Coupeville has work to do, with Island County at 48.3.

Skagit County is at 57.3, making life tough for Concrete, La Conner, and Mount Vernon Christian, while Darrington is really hurting, with Snohomish County at 120.7.

But hey, at least no one in the league lives in Whitman County, which sits at 472.8.

The WIAA said if less than 50 percent of schools in a classification in a region are able to compete in a specific sport due to elevated cases, the Executive Board will “adjust the scheduled season in order to allow the chance for greater participation.”

That could mean moving up “low risk” sports such as cross country, while pushing back “high-risk” ones with the hope case numbers will come down as the traditional flu season fades.

Or not.

It’s all a mystery, and likely will remain so until the day things start, or shut down.

For basketball, the WIAA will send out a preliminary update Nov. 27 on where each region is, then make decisions on who can play between Dec. 4-11.

The first day of basketball practice is currently scheduled for Dec. 28.

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Gridiron Nation remains divided

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on October 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Green states are playing fall high school football in some form. Red states plan to play next spring. (Map created by The Columbian)

As the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no consensus in America on how to handle prep sports.

One big example is high school football, where the ticket revenue which pays for most athletic budgets is generated.

Tuesday, The Columbian in Eastern Washington published the map seen above, which shows where every state sat on the issue of gridiron games through Monday, October 12.

Hours after this map hit, however, Alaska cancelled all fall sports, including football, while postponing the start of winter sports.

Like Ferris Bueller once said, “Life comes at you fast.”

So, likely before you finish reading this story, rest assured things may have changed as well…

That said, at the moment there are 32 states playing some version of fall football, while two states have plans to launch seasons soon.

But even in those states currently playing, there are variations, with shortened seasons, postponements, or some states operating on a week-to-week status.

Then there are 15 states, plus the District of Columbia, which intend to play football next spring. That includes Washington state.

There are also quirks, such as Vermont replacing tackle football with 7-on-7 touch, while Rhode Island has simply erased football in any form from the 2020-2021 school year.

Where each state stands, according to Tuesday’s report in The Columbian:

 

Season has started:

Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Wyoming

 

Season started late or ending early:

Alaska
Delaware
New Jersey
Ohio

 

Plan to play in spring 2021:

California
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Illinois
Maine
Massachusetts
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Oregon
Virginia
Washington

 

Other:

Arizona — Season started Oct. 1, but Phoenix area schools don’t start play until Oct. 23.

Colorado — 79% of schools opened shortened season Oct. 9. Remainder plan to play in the spring. Some games have been cancelled after positive COVID-19 tests.

Maryland — Reversed decision to move football to 2021, allowing districts to make own choice. Some opted to play in the fall, others are undecided, and some remain committed to spring.

Minnesota — Season started Oct. 9, but multiple games have been canceled because of COVID-19.

Missouri — Part of state playing, but areas including St. Louis, are not.

Pennsylvania — Some districts started play Sept. 11. Others Oct. 2. Approximately 15 percent of state schools opting to delay play until spring.

Rhode Island — No football in 2020-2021.

Vermont — Replaced tackle football with 7-on-7 touch. Teams playing twice a week between Sept. 25-Oct. 24.

West Virginia: Season started Sept. 4, but COVID restrictions have forced frequent cancellations.

Wisconsin — Two-third of state schools started play Sept. 25. Other third waiting for spring.

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WIAA extends open coaching window

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , on October 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »

With Island County in Phase 3 of the Governor’s COVID-19 reopening plan, Coupeville athletes have been able to return to practices. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Games are still on hold, but everyone gets more practice days.

The Executive Board of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced Friday it has extended the “open coaching window” from November 30 to Dec. 19.

With most schools across the state using distance learning as the world deals with the ongoing pandemic, actual competition is not currently planned to begin until Jan.

The open coaching window is normally offered during the summer, and allows coaches to work with their athletes during the off-season.

With COVID-19 having thrown the normal prep sports schedule into disarray, the WIAA opted to allow practices, or open gyms, or whatever you want to call them, to go from Sept. 28-Nov. 30.

With Island County in a modified Phase 3 in Governor Jay Inslee’s reopening plan, Coupeville was able to start practices immediately.

However, a lot of other counties are still in Phase 2, or below that, and quite a few schools have not been able to begin practices, mainly because their risk assessment offices have recommended against it.

By extending the open coaching window almost three weeks, the WIAA hopes to offer those schools lagging behind a chance to catch up and get some practices in the book.

Schools are allowed to hold intra-team scrimmages during this period, but can not currently hold competitions with other schools under WIAA rules.

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New guidelines for return to play

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on October 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Chelsea Prescott and her CHS basketball teammates may be the first prep athletes to return to play. Emphasis on “may.” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

If Coupeville wants to play basketball this winter, Island County’s rate of positive COVID-19 cases needs to drop.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, working off direction from the office of Governor Jay Inslee, issued updated guidelines Tuesday for schools returning to competition on the athletic field.

In the release of the info, it was stressed that “the Governor’s office has informed the WIAA that these guidelines must be followed and neither schools nor community sports programs have the authority to implement more lenient policies.”

“These revised guidelines give greater flexibility to school administrators to offer education-based athletics and activities and meet the demand of their students and communities,” said the WIAA in a statement.

“Staff will continue to work with decision-makers to evaluate participation in sports deemed high-risk by reviewing all data and documentation available in hopes it may be appropriate to qualify them as moderate risk.”

The new guidelines divide sports into three tiers based on how many positive cases per 100,000 residents a county has, and the percentage of positive tests.

The tiers:

 

High Risk:

75+ positive cases per 100K in a 14-day period OR more than 5% positivity

 

Moderate Risk:

25-75 cases per 100K AND less than 5% positivity

 

Low Risk:

Less than 25 cases per 100K AND less than 5% positivity

 

As of Tuesday evening, the Washington State Health Department’s risk-assessment dashboard lists Island County at 36.5 cases per 100K, with 2.8% positivity.

In other words, we land squarely under moderate risk.

But, basketball, which is currently set to be the first sport back in action, with practice kicking off the final week of December, and games in January, requires counties to be in the low risk category to play actual games.

As of now, a high risk sport can only start playing games if a county is in the low risk tier for positive cases.

By contrast, low risk sports can begin competition even if a county is in the high risk tier.

Moderate risk sports match up with the moderate risk tier.

Confused yet?

How each sport Coupeville plays is currently classified:

 

High Risk:

Basketball
Cheer (with contact)
Football

 

Moderate Risk:

Baseball
Soccer
Softball
Volleyball

 

Low Risk:

Cheer (sideline/no contact)
Cross Country
Tennis
Track and field

 

Currently, the plan is for basketball to run from Dec. 28-Feb. 27, with volleyball, girls and boys soccer, football, cross country, and boys tennis going from Mar. 1-May 1.

Softball, girls tennis, baseball, and track would close out the school year from Apr. 26-June 26.

All sports will be allowed to play 70% of a normal season (so 14 games instead of 20 for basketball), and postseason play is still being determined.

The chance of other sports being moved ahead of basketball, if the numbers dictate such a move, would be a WIAA decision, and not a league or school one, said Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith.

 

To read the complete new WIAA guidelines for yourself, pop over to:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQBoiz1UnhXtci0yuLS5ekxbIUiZiQyu7eHR2RovekTWHvxj-Gvh71hfzZW0ghd19bop3KZxjpy5Kg2/pub#id.9kblnck7fmf

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