A Richmond newspaper is reporting that the Virginia High School League will vote on July 27 on how high school sports in the state will proceed in light of the coronavirus pandemic. This decision will have a big impact for schools and athletes here in Loudoun County.
Here are the three options they are considering, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
1) Leave all sports in their current seasons. Sports considered low- and moderate-risk in the coronavirus pandemic, such as golf and cross country, would be allowed to play. High-risk sports such as football, field hockey, volleyball and cheer would not be played.
2) Switch the fall and spring seasons. Low- and moderate-risk sports allowed to play in the fall would be baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and track and field. Boys and girls lacrosse, considered high risk, would not be played.
3) Start play in mid-December with winter sports, followed by fall sports and spring sports, all in compressed seasons. Winter sports (basketball, gymnastics, indoor track, swimming and diving, and wrestling) would start on Dec. 14 and run until Feb. 20. Fall sports (football, competition cheering, cross country, field hockey, golf and volleyball) would run from Feb. 15 until May 1. Spring sports (baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls tennis, and track and field) would run from April 12-June 26.
For more details and to see the rest of the Richmond Times-Dispatch report, click here.
My two cents is that if VHSL deems that HS sports can not be played in the fall at all [or only certain sports like XC, Golf can play] then just CX the fall seasons for the sports not able to play and go forward with the regularly scheduled winter and spring seasons. Winter and spring are no guarantees either.
the whole idea of switching some sports from Spring to Fall or to have this super condensed season is ludicrous. In the condensed season’s, kids are going to miss out on parts of the spring seasons or quit on their teams when their spring season starts if that is their sport of choice. The seasons will be so short to begin with in the condensed version. Missing any time would have a significant impact on the sport missed.
All I see is coaches who want kids to play multiple sports, well in this situation a kid can’t play multiple sports without impacting one of the teams he will be missing out.
As for college recruiting; these kids [especially the talented ones] still go to multiple camps and can get in front of coaches. Many are playing travel ball this summer and will be in the fall/winter/next spring. It’s not the end of the world. For every kid recruited, how many are not. Why risk it for everyone so a handful of kids can get recruited?
Regarding AD revenue – If you don’t have athletics, why do you need revenue. We are only talking the upcoming academic year here. I’m guessing that the schools were financially better off by not playing in the spring when you look at the Revenues in vs costs out.
Also, why should some areas of VA suffer when their COVID levels are way less than NoVa. Just because NoVa [& maybe a couple of other urban areas] can’t play, don’t punish the rural schools who don’t have the same level of issues.
The rest factor – there will be no down time for these kids either.
Just a terrible idea
If you can’t play in the fall, then just skip that season. Ditto for the winter and spring if it comes to that. Hopefully it won’t but at this point, no one knows
My two cents is that if VHSL deems that HS sports can not be played in the fall at all [or only certain sports like XC, Golf can play] then just CX the fall seasons for the sports not able to play and go forward with the regularly scheduled winter and spring seasons. Winter and spring are no guarantees either.
the whole idea of switching some sports from Spring to Fall or to have this super condensed season is ludicrous. In the condensed season’s, kids are going to miss out on parts of the spring seasons or quit on their teams when their spring season starts if that is their sport of choice. The seasons will be so short to begin with in the condensed version. Missing any time would have a significant impact on the sport missed.
All I see is coaches who want kids to play multiple sports, well in this situation a kid can’t play multiple sports without impacting one of the teams he will be missing out.
As for college recruiting; these kids [especially the talented ones] still go to multiple camps and can get in front of coaches. Many are playing travel ball this summer and will be in the fall/winter/next spring. It’s not the end of the world. For every kid recruited, how many are not. Why risk it for everyone so a handful of kids can get recruited?
Regarding AD revenue – If you don’t have athletics, why do you need revenue. We are only talking the upcoming academic year here. I’m guessing that the schools were financially better off by not playing in the spring when you look at the Revenues in vs costs out.
Also, why should some areas of VA suffer when their COVID levels are way less than NoVa. Just because NoVa [& maybe a couple of other urban areas] can’t play, don’t punish the rural schools who don’t have the same level of issues.
The rest factor – there will be no down time for these kids either.
Just a terrible idea
If you can’t play in the fall, then just skip that season. Ditto for the winter and spring if it comes to that. Hopefully it won’t but at this point, no one knows
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