WIAA releases return-to-play guidelines for fall sports
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released its return-to-activity guidelines for fall sports Monday, offering guidance on how WIAA member schools can consider approaching “opening up” high school athletics and activities across the state.
The guidelines were drafted in partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and WIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committees (SMACs).
The WIAA consulted the governor’s office, the State Department of Health, as well as the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in establishing the return-to-play guidelines for fall sports.
“The NFHS and WIAA SMACs believe it is essential to the physical and mental well-being of high school students across the nation to return to physical activity and athletic competition,” the release states. “It is not likely that all students will be able to return to — and sustain — athletic activity at the same time in all schools and regions in Washington. There will also likely be variation in what sports and activities are allowed to be played and held.
“While we would typically have reservations regarding such inequities, the NFHS SMAC endorses the idea of returning students to school-based athletics and activities in any and all situations where it can be done safely and in alignment with reopening policies set forth by the local school district and OSPI framework.”
It remains to be seen how many schools will return to full-time, in-person learning in the fall, which will pose challenges for school districts to conduct fall sports seasons. Approaches to athletics reopening alongside classrooms will likely vary depending on the district, as local leaders continue to navigate uncharted waters due to the pandemic.
The WIAA released several points of emphasis for Phases 1 through 4 as local governments work through the coronavirus situation. Pierce County recently entered Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, allowing for some additional businesses to reopen, with preventative measures.
Here are a few of the WIAA’s points of emphasis that stood out to The News Tribune. Some have been shortened for the sake of brevity. Find the full document here.
- Following state, local or school district guidelines for cloth face coverings. For staff, cloth facial coverings must be worn by every individual not working alone at the location. Students should be encourage to wear cloth face coverings.
Plastic shields covering the entire face (or attached to a helmet) will not be allowed during contests.
Coaches, officials and other contest personnel must wear cloth face coverings at all times (artificial noisemakers such as an air horn or a timer system with an alarm can be used to signal in place of a traditional whistle).
Testing regimens, specific guidelines regarding mass gatherings, and response to a student or team member testing positive for COVID-19 (including contact tracing) are all currently under review, and guidance will come from CDC and state local health departments.
Due to the near certainty of recurrent outbreaks this coming school year in some locales, the WIAA says participants must be prepared for periodic school closures and the possibility of some teams having to isolate or quarantine for two to three weeks while in-season, possibly multiple times. When a school or district closes due to COVID19, there should be no practice, training, or competition among athletes in that school or district. The WIAA will develop recommendations regarding team forfeitures or team standing when teams are permitted to return to contest.
Sports teams should limit travel, particularly when long trips are required by bus or van. Scheduling contests that require less travel when possible should be considered.
Until a cure, vaccine or very effective treatment is readily available, or so-called “herd immunity” is confidently reached, physical distancing, staying home when sick, good hand hygiene, face coverings, and other preventive measures will be a “new normal” if workouts, practices and contests are to continue.
Furthermore, the WIAA recommends a set of health and safety measures for all conditioning, practice, and contests, regardless of phase. Some of the recommendations include:
Screen for signs of COVID-19: All coaches and students should be screened for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 prior to a workout. Screening includes a temperature check.
Practice good hygiene: Athletes, coaches, officials, and staff should wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after touching frequently used items or surfaces. Individuals should wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water and soap before touching any surfaces or participating in workouts or contests.
Hydration: All students should bring their own water bottle. Water bottles must not be shared.
The WIAA also released recommendations specific to Phases 2, 3, and 4. Currently, Pierce County is in Phase 2. Per the WIAA, Phase 2 recommendations include:
Limitations on gatherings: No gathering of more than five people at a time (inside or outside). Locker rooms should not be utilized. Workouts should be conducted in “pods” of students, with the same five students always working out together. There must be a minimum distance of six feet between each individual at all times.
For Phase 3, gatherings would be recommended to cap at 50 people. Lower-risk sports (individual running, throwing events, individual swimming, golf, weightlifting) can return in Phase 3. Moderate-risk sports (basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, gymnastics and others) may return in Phase 4.
The big question: Will there be a football season? The WIAA’s guidance is unclear as to which phase sports classified as higher-risk (wrestling and football) will be allowed to resume practice or games.
WIAA sports and activities information director Casey Johnson said that ambiguity is intentional, with the WIAA aiming to leave it open-ended, for now. Currently, no determination has been made yet on whether or not the football season will be played, as the WIAA will continue to wait on guidance from the Department of Health and will continue to assess as more counties move closer and into Phase 4.
What’s also unclear is the timetable for fall sports. Will practices start on time? When will games start? The WIAA hopes to address and answer some of those questions in its July 7 Executive Board meeting.
While there are still more questions than answers, Monday’s return-to-play guidelines offer an initial glimpse of what a potential high school fall sports season will look like in Washington.
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 4:05 PM.
