Local Districts Will Decide High School Sports Plans
Most decisions around high school athletics this fall during the coronavirus pandemic will be made by local school districts, according to recommendations released Thursday by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).
AHSAA officials say the guidelines are fluid and will be updated as officials learn more about the virus.
“Everyone should understand sports this season will not be normal,” AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese said in a press conference.
The plan is based on the fall season starting as scheduled with competitions beginning as early as August 20. Savarese said there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so the plan gives local school systems flexibility. He said there’s no penalty for schools to opt out of competitions as the pandemic’s severity changes.
“We understand schools may have to start and stop, delay [and] play at a later date, schedule and reschedule,” Savarese said.
The decision to play high school sports as scheduled comes as a number of school districts have announced plans to start the school year virtually with no in-person instruction. Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Selma are among the school systems to make that move. Others will offer both online and in-person learning. Savarese said students will be able to participate in athletics regardless of the model school systems have chosen.
The recommendations largely mirror public health guidance to wear face masks, practice social distancing and maintain good cleaning practices. For instance, the AHSAA recommends the player box be extended on the sidelines at football games to allow for social distancing. Host schools should offer clean locker rooms, and if social distancing is not possible, develop other arrangements. The AHSAA said swimmers should arrive at meets dressed to compete. Face masks are recommended when not at play.
Savarese said any decision to restrict fans would be made by local schools, but he recommended accommodating bands and cheerleaders before fans.
Some states have delayed their seasons. Georgia pushed back high school sports for two weeks. But Savarese said the AHSAA board decided against that to allow for at least a limited season, should it be cut short because of an outbreak. He said that would also allow winter and spring sports to start on time. The pandemic abruptly ended spring sports last school year.
“I know our students are excited about the opportunity to return to a sense of normalcy, and that is our goal also,” Savarese said.
Board Approved Document-Best Practices for Return to Play by WBHM News on Scribd
Click, speak, move: These brain implants are poised to help people with disabilities
People who can no longer move or speak may soon have a new option: an implanted device that links their brain to a computer.
In effort to protect children, France bans smoking at parks and beaches
Smokers are no longer allowed to light up in public parks, at swimming pools, or at beaches, or "anywhere children may be present," said French health and family minister Catherine Vautrin.
80 years later, a Holocaust survivor meets an American soldier who helped free him
Andrew Roth survived the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald. Jack Moran helped liberate the camp while serving in the U.S. Army. Decades after liberation, the two met and shared their stories.
Decades later, Karen de Boer still remembers a kind gesture from her college hallmate
As a college freshman, Karen de Boer was sometimes inconsiderate to her hallmate, Pam. So when Karen missed the bus to her choir performance, she was surprised — and moved — when Pam came to her rescue.
The best support for a friend with cancer? Presence, listening and space to vent
People who get cancer say their friends often disappear when they hear the bad news. Don't be that person! Here's advice for what to do and say — and what not to say — when a loved one faces cancer.
Murders are down nationwide. Researchers point to a key reason
Homicides are falling dramatically in many U.S. cities, after a surge in 2020 and 2021. Analysts say a reinvestment in communities from local government after the pandemic's disruption is a key reason.
