Michigan fall sports to resume on schedule with contingencies, MHSAA says
Amid a global pandemic and concern about the safety of teen athletes engaging in physical activity, the Michigan High School Athletic Association said it will resume the 2020-21 school year with fall sports as traditionally scheduled.
The MHSAA announced Friday that it would start on schedule with high school football practices on August 10 and other fall sports to start practice on August 12. According to the MHSAA, there will be contingency plans in place for possible interruptions due to the spread of COVID-19.
The MHSAA 19-person legislative body met virtually on Wednesday to discuss ideas for playing sports and ettled on a plan to have sports played as scheduled. However, the MHSAA said if necessary, the start of practices or competitions could be delayed.
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The MHSAA suspended all winter tournaments in mid-March due to concerns related to COVID-19.
The next step in the plan’s progression calls for lower-risk Fall sports that can be played to be completed, with higher-risk Fall sports postponed until later in the school year. If all Fall sports must be suspended, they will be rescheduled during a reconfigured calendar that would see Winter sports begin in November followed by the conclusion of Fall and Spring seasons potentially extending into July 2021.
The council considered a plan that would swap traditional fall and spring sports but said that wasn't feasible.
Football, girls volleyball, girls swimming & diving and boys soccer during the Fall are considered moderate or high-risk sports because they include athletes in close contact or are played indoors; they were considered the impetus for potentially switching all Fall sports to Spring. But traditional Spring sports – girls soccer and girls and boys lacrosse – carry similar risk, negating the value of making that full season switch. Moving only selected Spring sports, like all low-risk to Fall, was not considered sound because it would force student-athletes to pick between sports they’ve previously played.
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Plans remain reliant on progression by schools and regions across the state according to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan. Currently two regions are in Phase 5, which allow for limited indoor activity, while the rest are in Phase 4 and unable to host indoor training, practice or competition.
“Our student-athletes just want to play, and we’ve gone far too long without them playing. But doing so safely, of course, remains the priority,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Our plan moving forward is Fall in the Fall, starting on time. We’re excited to continue moving forward to bring back sports safely. It’s important for keeping students in our schools and keeping students in our sports programs."
The MHSAA staff is building COVID-related policies for all Fall sports and will make those guidelines and precautions available to member schools as the season approaches. Those policies will follow up what was presented to schools for summer offseason training, which began June 1 across the state and has seen thousands of student-athletes participate.