BENNETT'S MINUTES: Prep sports 'duck' sounds getting louder

Thursday, August 6, 2020

The ancient adage that if something “walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck” is rearing its ugly head when contemplating the horrific decision the Indiana High School Athletic Association faces in evaluating health reports and deciding how (or if) to proceed with the fall sports season.

Things are still on as of Thursday evening, but hints are popping up that schools are planning for the worst.

I have talked with athletic directors from several different counties over the past few weeks, and I follow numerous more on social media to keep up with what is going on.

Here are some of the recent items that have popped up that do not exactly bring about a strong air of confidence:

• Many schools are not selling all-sports passes to families or other fans as they normally would;

• Some schools are telling fans they are not printing the foldable schedule cards with all of the sports teams listed on them or sending out fund-raising information to supporters;

• An opposing school in a county bordering Putnam County has told one of our schools that visiting fans will not be admitted so the host school can have more fans in attendance (this situation is explained in more detail below, but permanent bleachers are limited to 250 fans regardless of their size due to updated guidelines released this week);

• Many schools are canceling football scrimmages which are mostly scheduled for Aug. 14 (the final day of the IHSAA phase in which spectators are not allowed), while some have moved theirs to the 15th, when fans are allowed. Southmont has already canceled its scheduled scrimmage with Greencastle); and

• Neighboring schools have asked some of our schools if they want to switch weeks on the schedule to allow them to be guaranteed to play each other (inferring that a shutdown is expected).

As with everything relating to COVID-19 restrictions of any kind (masks, etc.), there are all kinds of inconsistencies and problem areas.

Just like major department stores like Wal-Mart are not attempting to eject shoppers who wear a mask into the store but take it off once inside (like I saw twice at a Terre Haute store on Thursday), high school administrators cannot possibly be expected to carry around a tape measure and ensure that a proper six-foot separation exists.

Football seems to be the most problematic sport in the discussion. It obviously has the most direct contact between players among the fall sports, and its crowds are normally the largest of the season.

Collegiate conferences which have already made such tough decisions have varied on whether they have moved the “high contact” sports of soccer, volleyball and football to the spring months or just sidelined them for the year.

One popular notion has been to swap those sports to the spring months in exchange for the “lower contact” diamond sports of baseball and softball which would play this fall.

Since nothing is easy in this no-win situation, opponents of that plan have pointed out that if the numbers get even worse this fall and no sports can happen then the traditional spring sports would get shafted for the second time in this calendar year after losing their seasons last spring.

The examples listed earlier in this column could obviously just be prudent precautions and not signs of any possible shutdowns.

All viewpoints listed here are valid (except the one about banning of visiting fans at the football game) and distinguishing which direction to go will not be easy regardless of what is eventually decided.

A full description of this week’s IHSAA guidelines appears below.

Explaining IHSAA’s new COVID-19 Resource Center (available at ihsaa.org)

The Indiana High School Athletic Association, with support of its Board of Directors and feedback from its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, will continue to work in collaboration with Governor Holcomb’s office, the Indiana State Department of Health, and the Indiana Department of Education to provide guidance to its member schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Resource Center will continue to be updated with new information as conditions change during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IHSAA believes it is essential to the physical and mental well-being of student-athletes to return to organized physical activity and build team relationships with their peers and coaches. Students who participate learn life lessons in an environment that cannot be duplicated. Academic achievement, the development of leadership and social skills as well as the mental health benefits are known to be greatly enhanced in students who participate in these programs compared to those who do not. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has already resulted in thousands of our students missing out on these life-shaping educational experiences over the past several months. A study conducted by UW Health & the University of Wisconsin concluded that more than two-thirds of high school athletes report anxiety and depression since the onset of the pandemic. Another report by the group measured the impact of School Closures and Athletic Cancellations on the health of Indiana adolescents.

The IHSAA fully supports its member schools in determining what is in the best interests of the health and well-being of their student-athletes and staff. Each IHSAA member school’s athletic department will operate with the approval of its school administration in moving forward throughout the 2020-21 school year. It will be the decision of each local school district to determine if it can safely conduct athletic practices and contests.

Due to the nature of the outbreak, there may be inequities due to geography within the state of Indiana as some areas will have higher COVID-19 rates that may not warrant full athletic participation while another area has lower COVID-19 rates that allow full participation.

For workouts, practices and competitions to continue, social distancing and other preventive measures such as face covering/masking and frequent sanitizing of hands, implements, and equipment are strongly encouraged. This will likely remain in place until a cure, vaccine or very effective treatment is readily available, or so-called “herd immunity” is confidently reached.

As the science about COVID-19 evolves, it will be important to remain vigilant and nimble to respond to new developments. Students and their families, along with school personnel, must recognize these risks and implement best practices to reasonably mitigate these risks. Participation in school activities is voluntary and every individual will need to evaluate the risk versus the benefits of athletics participation. Those immune-compromised students and staff, or those who live with family members with elevated health concerns, should evaluate associated risks of participation and may choose not to participate.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, and also may be produced when yelling, cheering, singing and spitting. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Spread is more likely when people are in close contact with one another (within about six feet). Risk mitigation strategies should be aimed at reducing the likelihood of a person being exposed to respiratory droplets coming from another person. Every school is different, and every athletics activity is different. Certain mitigation strategies may be feasible in one school or for one activity, but not another.

We are also providing sport-specific recommendations and/or considerations that our team has developed in conjunction with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) or a similar governing body. These documents have been shared with member school administrators and links are available below. Note that a rule modification is a modification to a playing rule from the governing body of the sport and is a requirement to adhere to and follow. A recommendation is a consideration to the sport and allows for optional guidelines. Recommendations are not required but are permitted.

COVID-19 Q&A

Cancellation Fees

Q1. If a school must cancel a contest due to COVID-19, do they need to pay the contract cancellation fee to the offended school?

A. No, contests canceled due to COVID-19 will not be required to pay a cancellation fee.

Canceled Contests

Q2. If a school must cancel a contest due to COVID-19, does it count as a loss, or simply a no contest?

A. If a contest is canceled due to COVID-19, it should be recorded as “No Contest”.

Masks

Q3. During contests, do players not participating have to wear masks?

A. Yes, the governor’s mask order dictates this. Anyone who is not engaged in strenuous physical activity should be wearing a mask.

Neck Gaiters

Q4. Can student-athletes wear neck gaiters while participating?

A. Yes, athletes can wear neck gaiters and should slip them up over their nose when they are not participating in the contest and, if they choose to, down around the neck when they enter the contest. Anyone who is not engaged in strenuous physical activity should be wearing a mask.

Concessions

Q5. May schools sell concessions at contests?

A. Yes, but it is at the discretion of the host school. If a school chooses to, it is recommended that all items sold in the concession stand be pre-packaged prior to sale. Pre-packaged can be items purchased like a bag of chips, bottled soft drinks, candy bar etc. These types of items would be considered the safest and easiest to handle.

However, pre-packaged can also be items packaged by concession staff, such as a popcorn, hamburgers, hot dogs etc. as long as they are safely handled prior to packaging.

Spectator Seating

Q6. Will spectators be allowed to attend sporting events?

A. Yes, but it will be at the discretion of the host school with guidance from local health officials and in accordance with the governor’s stage 4.5.

If allowing spectators in a bleacher setting:

a) Family units may sit together but using 6 feet of social distancing between another family unit.

b) On a set of bleachers, it should be no more than 50% capacity with a maximum of 250 people (even if the bleachers can fit more with social distancing).

c) If a stadium has multiple individual sets of bleachers, each separate area can be seen as a separate unit (see item “b“ above). However, an important part is each segment must have separate designated entrances and separate designated restroom facilities in order not to exceed a total of 250 people. Schools might be able to accomplish this by having staggered arrival times if multiple entrances are not available. Bottom line is that they must do something to avoid people congregating (to get in or in line for restrooms).

d) With large events, schools should work with and have approval of the local health department.

Link to IHSAA.ORG portal

https://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/health/COVID-19%20Resource%20Cen...