Looking for the goalposts

While there may be a plan forming to resume school in the fall, for many Wyoming high schools the answer of fall sports is still up in the air. 

During the July 15 meeting of the Carbon County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees, Superintendent Jim Copeland informed the members that fall sports was caught between the Wyoming High School Athletics Association (WHSAA) and county health officials.

"We've had meetings as superintendents and ADs with Rod Laird, who's the WHSAA director. Back in June, their philosophy was you each work with your county health department with what is allowed and what is not as far as travel," said Copeland. "So, basically, they said county health could say, 'We will not let you go to a hot spot in the state for that particular game.'"

Copeland added that, during the morning meeting of Wyoming superintendents, there had been speculation about fall sports being pushed back, similar to what was being seen on the junior college level.

On July 13, the National Junior College Activities Association (NJCAA) had announced it would move some fall and winter sports to the spring. Those sports included in the decision were football, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball. Sports such as basketball, meanwhile, would start in January instead of late-fall.

"There's questions about whether fans will be allowed, whether it's just home fans, is there spacing. There's all kinds of stuff that we just don't know," Copeland said. "The frustrating thing about this whole thing is that there's just so many unknowns that we just are not being told what we'll be allowed to do."

Copeland stated that, if sports were able to resume, student athletes would be required to wear masks on the bus if social distancing was not possible. He added that, in following guidelines from the Wyoming Department of Education, parents could be encouraged to take their children to and from sporting events.

"Isn't that a rule? You can't take them to the sporting activity, you can sign them out to take them home," said Board of Trustees member Karen Condict.

"That's always been a local thing. This is a different time. We'd probably have to change that," replied Copeland.

In Section J under code JQ of the CCSD2 policy manual, student trips are outlined. The policy, which was adopted on January 17, 2000, reads "students going on school sponsored trips are under the jurisdiction of the school at all time, and the sponsor/coach, who has full authority over boys and girls in his or her charge."

That same policy reads that students riding in authorized school transport must return the same way unless the parent provides a written signed release to the sponsor or coach in person or the parent comes to the school office at least one day in advance of the student leaving.

On the WHSAA website (www.whsaa.org), guidelines and recommendations for resuming high school athletics from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) had been posted. The main document, dated May 2020, is nine pages long and includes three phases. Additionally, considerations were also posted to the website for cross country, football, volleyball, swimming and diving, and spirit.

Under Phase 1 of the main document, all coaches and students should be screened for signs or symptoms of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prior to a workout. Any person with positive symptoms should not be allowed to to take part in workouts and should contact their primary care provider and vulnerable individuals should not oversee or participate in any workouts during the first phase. Additionally, locker rooms should not be utilized and students should report to workouts in proper gear and immediately return home to shower following the workout.

While gatherings are limited to 10 or less people under Phase 1, the second phase allows for gatherings of 50 people when gathering outdoors for workouts. If locker rooms or meeting rooms are used, a minimum of six feet must be maintained between each individual. Workouts, meanwhile, should be conducted in "pods" consisting of five to 10 students with those students always working out together.

Finally, under Phase 3, gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed both inside and outside. When not participating in practice, individuals should maintain a distance of three to six feet between each other. 

Similar to how practices are tiered based upon the phase of reopening, so too are the manner in which competition between teams can resume. Under Phase 1, no instance of competition is allowed while under Phase 2, lower risk competition sports can resume. In Phase 3, moderate risk sports can resume.

Examples of lower risk events include running events, throwing events, individual swimming, golf, weight lifting and cross country running if it includes staggered starts. Moderate risk events include basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball. The last three could be considered low risk if there is appropriate cleaning of equipment and use of masks by participants. Higher risk events include football and wrestling.

The next meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees will be at 6 p.m. on August 17 at the Central Office in Saratoga.