(by Don Meador, The Citizen-Times, August 26, 2020 used with permission)
The fall sports of football, volleyball, soccer, and cross country for Allen County-Scottsville student-athletes remain on track to start the week of September 7. Last Thursday, the Board of Control for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association voted to proceed with plans for the fall sports season to get underway. Monday, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear indicated that he will not overturn the KHSAA decision, setting the stage for fall sports to proceed.
"We’re not going to overturn that decision,” Governor Beshear said during his weekday press conference, but noted his dissatisfaction. “It’s not because I think it’s a good decision or a wise decision.”
On July 28, the KHSAA Board officially announced that practice for all fall sports (except golf which has been underway since July 31) could resume on August 24 with competition allowed to start on September 7 for all sports. Under that plan, football games would start on Friday, September 11. The Board also decided in July to meet again last Thursday to reevaluate the situation and make any changes necessary. The decision represented a three-week push back of the start of the fall sport seasons---a move made in part to better align with the start of school in most Districts across the Commonwealth.
Since July, teams have been able to condition in small group settings of 10 or fewer players and a coach. The workouts were limited to non-contact activities or individual drills in settings where social distancing could be maintained. Officials at schools across the state have been required to conduct temperature screenings prior to workouts, thoroughly sanitize equipment, and wear masks. Still no organized practice has been allowed.
Student-athletes and coaching staffs have worked extensively to do everything possible to reduce the chance of a COVID-19 outbreak---efforts that appear to have been successful. Last week----prior to the KHSAA meeting---the Kentucky Football Coaches Association released on social media a graphic showing the progress.
According to the information, 96 football players out of 10,962 players from 190 schools had tested positive for the coronavirus. In addition, just 17 coaches from a pool of 1,760 coaches had confirmed cases. Furthermore, none of the player or coach cases were traced back to football workouts.
However, away from school campuses, actions occurred that threatened the start of the season and the actions of the KHSAA. On August 10, Governor Andy Beshear issued a “recommendation” that all public and private schools in the state start school virtually and delay in-person classes until September 28. Beshear’s action came as the statewide COVID-19 new case counts were rising most every day with statistics also showing more cases among school-age children.
The governor’s action---a recommendation that forced led to intense discussion as to the force of the recommendation. School district---including Allen County---were forced to decide whether or not wait till September 28 for in-person classes, choose a hybrid approach (as Allen County has done), or go ahead with classes as scheduled in August. Across the state, approximately 30 school districts have opted to start in-person classes in some form or fashion prior to the end of September while the rest will delay until that time.
For sports, the question became simple---will fall sports start as planned or wait until in person classes resumed? The question was addressed Thursday but not before an outpouring of a “Let them play” campaign across the state. Many football players and supporters---including several in Allen County---sent emails and messages to Board of Control members prior to last Thursday’s meeting calling on the KHSAA to allow fall sports.
The KHSAA meeting included three options. The first was to stay on track as previously approved, A second option was to delay the start of fall sports to the week of September 28, or Option 3, a hybrid model in which cross country and field hockey could start September 7 with the rest waiting until September 28.
Each option represented a desire to start the season at some point, a go-forward attitude unlike some states that have already decided to postpone fall sports until the spring.
“There are no clear-cut decisions,” KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett told the Board,” This is challenging for anyone involved. We don’t want to start and then stop but we also know there will be shutdowns.”
Thursday, the Board rejected Option Two by a vote of 16-2. The third option was also rejected. After voting to proceed, the Board learned of the next steps. The KHSAA will submit their plan and the safety procedures to officials at the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Department of Public Health, and the Governor’s office.
In Friday’s meeting, commission Tackett touched on what contests will look like this fall. In football, attendance is expected to be limited to 25-30 percent of the venue’s capacity. For spectators in attendance, masks would be required with the guidance also including notes for cheer teams and bands, Athletes participating will not be required to mask up during competition. Varsity teams will be limited to 60 players in uniform along the sidelines while additional team members may attend but will be required to remain in the bleachers. Volleyball would have similar guidance as would cross country and other fall sports. Number of competitors in cross country meets will also be looked at.
School districts will be asked to work closely with their local health departments in implementing guidelines to follow. Monday morning at the conference call of the Allen County Scottsville COVID-19 response group, Allen County School superintendence Travis Hamby noted that AC-SH athletic director Kerry Harwood had already submitted a plan on how AC-S will seek to meet KHSAA guidance. The plan will be shared with the Allen County Health Department for their input.
During Thursday’s meeting, commissioner Tackett also noted that tough decisions and tough consequences could still be on the horizon. The Commissioner admitted that a COVID-19 outbreak on a team could result in the entire team forced to quarantine for two weeks. Tackett admitted that the KHSAA could not hold up the schedule, meaning that a team could conceivably be forced to forfeit a playoff game.
With the issue apparently resolved, AC-S athletics will start practice this week with an eye on the week of September 7. As of now, Patriot soccer and Lady Patriot volleyball will open the season on September 10---the volleyball team at Monroe County and the soccer team at home against the Falcons. Patriot football is scheduled to start the following night with a game at Glasgow.