Some low-risk sports such as cross nation, tennis and golf will tentatively happen as set up in the fall, with the first practices beginning Sept 7.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association revealed radical changes to its 2020-21 sports calendar on Tuesday due to the coronavirus pandemic.
High school football in Washington will have to wait till spring.
Football, ladies soccer and volley ball, normally played in fall, are now set up for the spring in the WIAAs new Season 3. A seven-week regular season will begin March 8, followed by two postseason weeks for football and one week for volley ball and soccer.
However football and other higher-risk sports will occur later in a new four-season calendar unveiled by the WIAA on Tuesday.
WIAAs Four Seasons of 2020-21
All dates are tentative
Hoffman stated that along with keeping people safe, discovering a way for students to play sports in 2020-21 was a leading concern. Hoffman cited a Wisconsin research study that evaluated the impacts on students who could not play in the canceled 2020 spring season.
WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman said State Department of Health guidelines require counties to be in Phase 3 of the Safe Start strategy for low-risk sports to happen.
” Please comprehend that its an extremely fluid scenario,” Hoffman stated. “It might change tomorrow. When you take a look at dates, those are definitely written in pencil.”.
Competition: May 3-June 26.
Season 3.
Executive Board president Greg Whitmore stated those standards might consist of things like the variety of counties in the state that are in Phase 3 of reopening and the variety of schools choosing to field teams in the fall sports.
Competitors: March 8-May 1.
” First and foremost, we wish to supply chances for our students,” Hoffman said. “We have actually been working diligently to search for a method.”.
Standard spring sports such as softball, track, and baseball and field will begin later on than normal in Season 4. A seven-week regular season will start May 3 with postseason occasions occurring the final weekend in June.
Season 1
Season 4.
Cross country, slowpitch softball, girls swimming and diving (upon authorized of state department of health), kids golf (fall season), kids tennis (fall season).
Winter season sports such as basketball, wrestling and gymnastics are still scheduled for winter as part of Season 2. A seven-week routine season will begin Jan. 11 followed by one postseason week.
Competition: Jan. 4-March 6.
Hoffman stated its unclear what postseason competition will appear like. Contests might be restricted to schools in the very same region of the state to reduce travel.
” I hope we have some four-sport professional athletes,” Hoffman stated.
The WIAA Executive Board will produce criteria on July 28 to be fulfilled in order for WIAA Season 1 to take place. The board will plan to move the rest of fall sports to WIAA Season 3 if the criteria are not satisfied.
Football, beach ball, ladies soccer.
WIAA Season 1 consists of cross country, slowpitch softball, along with young boys golf and tennis. The practicality of girls swimming and diving as a Season 1 sports depends on more information from the State Department of Health, the WIAA said in a release Tuesday.
Even the calendar revealed Tuesday is tentative. The WIAA stated that participation in any fall sports will depend on the counties development through resuming phases set out by Gov. Jay Inslees Safe Start strategy.
With the possibility of some sports overlapping, athletes who play several sports will be accommodated. That consists of having some preseason practice requirements be met by playing a sport in the previous season.
Competitors: Sept. 14-Nov. 7
Baseball, softball, kids soccer, track and field, golf, tennis.
Hoffman left open the possibility that sports could take place in school districts where in-person learning isnt occurring. He said superintendents and districts would have input on that choice.
Season 2.
Currently 22 of the states 39 counties, consisting of Clark County, are in Phase 2 or lower. Any modifications in stages are frozen up until July 28 due to increasing coronavirus cases statewide.
Baskeball, fumbling, bowling, young boys swimming/diving, gymnastics.
